Published on

For the fourth year, 14 students from Atomi University, a women's college in Tokyo, Japan, are visiting Aquinas College for the Atomi Sustainable Business Seminar. The students are at Aquinas from Monday, August 30 through Friday, September 10.

The schedule for each day, except Saturday and Sunday, is an English class from 9 a.m. to noon each day, a sustainable business class from 1to 2:30 p.m. and each afternoon from 3 to 5 p.m., there is a field trip. The majority of the English classes are held in Jarecki-Lacks Center, room 106 or 302.

Matthew Tueth, Ph.D., Steelcase Professor of Sustainable Business, is teaching the sustainable business courses. The titles of a few of the topics Tueth are discussing are Energy, Material Processes, Business Locally Owned and Operated and on Friday, September 10, the students will be giving presentations. The field trips will be to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Wastewater Treatment Plant, Grand Rapids city tour, Lubbers Family Farm, Cascade Engineering, Rivertown Mall, Herman Miller, Steelcase, and Goodwill. The weekend trips are to Shipshewana with a sunset dinner on September 4 in Grand Haven and a picnic in Hoffmaster State Park on September 5.

The visit to Aquinas wraps up on Friday, September 10 with a farewell party in the Cook Carriage House from 5 to 7 p.m. The students return to Japan on Saturday, September 11.

Masato Yamazaki, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Economics, is host to the Japanese students while they are at Aquinas.