National International Student Committee (National ISC) is one of the committees under National Federation of University Co-operative Associations (NFUCA), along with Students Committee, Graduate Students Committee and Faculty Committee. The organization was relaunched in 2009 from its predecessor, the National International Students Network. The members of National ISC are 10 international student representatives from various regional blocks. There are some members who were chosen at the national level, one chairperson of the committee, one student who serves as a full-time staff, an executive director and some other staffs from NFUCA. Now there are 11 universities around Japan that have International Students Committee with members of international students mainly from Asian countries.
National ISC usually holds its meeting four times a year, and its members are participating in the activities that help creating a better campus life for international students together with Japanese students. The members of National ISC are divided into several projects. For example, in 2011 there were 3 projects, namely International Exchange Seminar project, Membership Application Guide & Kyosai (student mutual benefit) project and International Activities Report project. Each member of National ISC is trying to contribute to university co-operatives through these activities.
National ISC declared its Vision and Action Plan through the 2009 NFUCA General Assembly. There are 6 visions and 7 action plans for National ISC. Based on these vision and action plans, National ISC plans and carries out new activities that meet the needs of international student co-op members.
Finally, we would like to talk about our aim in National ISC. Our aim is to provide a safe and reliable life to the international students in Japan just like how they live in their own countries. In order to reach this aim, together with the increase of the number of international students in Japan, we at university co-operatives think that international students 'self-support' is needed in this era, instead of international students 'support'. Together as members of university co-operatives, international students, Japanese students and university co-operatives help each other and aim for independence.
Written by Ryu Engetsu, former Chairperson of National ISC