{"id":5646,"date":"2026-09-11T15:40:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T06:40:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/?post_type=news&p=5646"},"modified":"2026-09-11T15:40:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T06:40:31","slug":"learning-through-hiroshimas-worker-cooperatives-experiential-practical-programs-at-euh","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/news\/5646\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning Through Hiroshima’s Worker Cooperatives: Experiential \/ Practical Programs at EUH"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Expanding Learning Possibilities Through Encounters with the Community<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Student<\/strong><\/td>HASAN Tajrian Binte<\/td><\/tr>
Year<\/strong><\/td>Second-year student<\/td><\/tr>
Host Organization<\/strong><\/td>Kyodo-rodo Hirtoshima (Hiroshima City Worker Cooperative Support Center)<\/td><\/tr>
Program<\/strong><\/td>Domestic Internship<\/td><\/tr>
Period<\/strong><\/td>August 2025 (Gap Period, Second Year)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Discovering New Perspectives Through Worker Cooperatives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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HASAN Tajrian Binte, a second-year student from Bangladesh, participated in an internship at the Hiroshima City Center for Worker Cooperative Support this summer as part of Eikei University of Hiroshima’s Experiential \/ Practical Programs<\/a>. Over approximately two weeks, she learned about the activities of worker cooperatives while interacting with people actively engaged in local communities, leading her to discover new interests and perspectives for her future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Putting Learning at Eikei University of Hiroshima into Practice in the Community<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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During the internship, HASAN took part in a wide range of activities, including staff meetings, fieldwork, research, and presentations. She visited several worker cooperatives across Hiroshima Prefecture and gained a deeper understanding of their role in local communities through conversations with people involved in their operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HASAN explained that the knowledge and perspectives she gained through Design Thinking, Systems Thinking<\/a> at Eikei University of Hiroshima were particularly valuable throughout this experience. Rather than focusing solely on the organizations themselves, she was able to examine social issues by considering the relationships among various stakeholders, including workers, local residents, and government agencies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

She also applied the research, collaboration, and presentation skills she developed through Project-Based Learning (PBL). <\/a>Working together with other interns, she helped develop a business proposal and delivered a presentation to stakeholders on the final day of the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two Weeks of Warm Encounters with the Local Community<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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One of the most memorable aspects of the internship was the opportunity to engage with people at the organizations she visited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a cooperative called “Ohana,” she had the chance to enjoy tea and snacks while talking with members in a relaxed atmosphere. Through this experience, she came to realize that worker cooperatives are not merely workplaces but also communities that foster meaningful human connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also recalled how warmly she was welcomed at every cooperative she visited. Although each organization had its own unique activities and mission, she was impressed by their shared commitment to serving the local community and their culture of valuing people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Overcoming the Language Barrier and Gaining Confidence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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At the same time, communicating in Japanese was one of the greatest challenges she faced during the internship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because meetings and on-site interactions were conducted primarily in Japanese, there were moments when she felt anxious about not fully understanding the discussions. However, with support from those around her, she continued to ask questions proactively and maintained a strong willingness to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This habit of asking questions whenever she did not understand something was also nurtured through her studies at Eikei University. Gradually, she became more comfortable participating in discussions and gained confidence in expressing her own ideas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A New Direction for Future Research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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This experience also had a significant impact on HASAN’s future aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While she had already been interested in social issues and community development, learning more about worker cooperatives inspired her to consider them as a potential theme for future research. She is currently exploring the possibility of focusing her Degree Project<\/a> on a comparative study of the development and challenges of cooperatives in Japan and Bangladesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The internship also helped her recognize her own personal growth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

“I used to think of myself as an introverted person, but during this internship I was able to ask questions proactively and engage with people I had just met. Stepping outside my comfort zone gave me confidence that I can contribute in unfamiliar environments as well.”

By connecting academic learning at Eikei University with hands-on experience in the community, this internship became a valuable opportunity for HASAN to discover new interests and possibilities. As she continues her studies, she hopes to further explore ways to contribute to solving social challenges through research and practical engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Related Links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Study Abroad \/ Internship Diary from Students – EIKEI UNIVERSITY OF HIROSHIMA(Japan)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":5637,"template":"","categories":[15,30],"class_list":["post-5646","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-student"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-23 02:36:11","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category"},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/5646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/5646\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5681,"href":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/5646\/revisions\/5681"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eikei.ac.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}