NUCB International College Boarding School Students Challenge Themselves to Climb Mt. Horaiji

On November 19, students from NUCB International College, a boarding school in Nisshin City, Aichi Prefecture, challenged themselves to climb Horaiji Mountain in Shinshiro City. Horaiji is a 695-metre high sacred mountain, said to have been founded by Rishu Hermit 1,300 years ago. Students hiked the trail to admire the beautiful autumn foliage, whilst fostering the habit to challenge themselves in completing a task and developing a sense of cooperation amongst their peers.

　In this mountain climbing event, students were divided into small groups to make it to the top of the mountain; which helped them to both practice the habit of challenging themselves positively, and nurturing positive relationships with others through dialogue and support towards one another. The students also deepened their understanding of the local culture and geography, and were able to truly appreciate the beauty and grandeur of nature. After completing the climb, Year 10 student Hiroyuki Kumagai commented that, “the trail was steep, but we were able to climb it together as a group, cooperating and helping each other”. He expressed his joy at both the accomplishment and the affirmation of the strong bonds he has formed with his peers.

　This mountain climbing excursion was run as part of the Well-Being Programme offered by NUCB International College, which is run nearly every Saturday. This programme is designed to deepen self-understanding and reflection and provide a controlled environment in order to challenge students to increase their stress tolerance. In recent years, traditional educational standards that emphasized purely academic achievement have been reformed, particularly in the education systems of Western countries, to amplify the importance of well-being. NUCB International College provides this in the form of tangible sessions held within the International House, as well as various activities outside the school grounds.

The Well-Being Programme at the International House also provides a safe space for students to discuss their opinions about a variety of topics; such as during a recent session themed “Finding Solutions”, where students shared the difficulties and negative experiences in school and reflected on how they are affected by the actions and words of others. As the saying goes, “two heads are better than one”, and through this dialogue, students are exposed to diverse perspectives on overcoming negative experiences, gain deeper insights into their own person as a developing young adults, and consider ways to better cultivate their inner wellbeing.

　In another session themed “Mindfulness”, students specifically recalled who and what influenced them; such as from clothing choices to decisions. Afterwards, they learnt breathing techniques and strategies to focus on what was important or in front of them at that moment. Another Year 10 student, Wenhui Yang, remarked, “we did not have this kind of program in middle school, so it feels new to me. It is a valuable opportunity for students to consider together what should and can be done to stay healthy both mentally and physically.” The students seemed to be deepening their learning throughout the progression of their first term at NIC.

　As society becomes more globalized, the ability to think about what is best for oneself from a diverse range of values, perspectives and opinions is becoming increasingly important and the ability of our students to be adaptable is also a valuable trait to be fostered. NIC aims to educate students who can live confidently in these times, and one of its many initiatives to build up this skill includes the Well-Being Programme. Through topics presented by House supervisors and activities among students, the programme aims to help students face things from a broad perspective while improving their ability to express themselves, care for each other and develop self-management skills.

NUCB International College is a boarding school where students of diverse experiences and backgrounds; both from Japan and abroad, study together and develop into world-class leaders. The school has been approved by Aichi Prefecture as a first-class school, and all classes except Japanese (Japanese language) are conducted in English (as approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a special exception school). Currently, the school is preparing to become an accredited provider to deliver the International Baccalaureate Programme, and is aiming to become the first boarding school in the Tokai region as well as one of the few in Japan to offer an international education.

Education at NIC

NUCB International College (NIC) is a boarding school which uses the Harvard Business School Case method. Founded in 2022, NIC is the first and only school in Japan to offer this unique educational opportunity. The school is located in the picturesque city of Nissin, in the heart of the country.

NIC offers a comprehensive and rigorous education, which is based on the proven educational methodology of the Harvard Business School. The school provides its students with an opportunity to learn from and compete with the best minds in the world. The school curriculum is designed to challenge and engage its students. The school offers a wide variety of courses, which are taught by experienced and qualified instructors. In addition to the academic courses, the school also offers extracurricular activities, which include sports, cultural activities, and community service. The school also has a well-equipped campus, with a capacity for 225 students, a state-of-the-art, newly built Boarding House and classrooms designed for comfort and utility to meet the needs of its students.

Upcoming events

• Thu., 7 December 2022: Online Information Session (Zoom)
• Sat., 10 December 2022: Open campus