The first round of the Japan–Nepal Student Online Exchange was successfully conducted between the media studies departments of Japan and Nepal. Earlier this week, the Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (CDJMC), Tribhuvan University, organized an interactive online exchange programme with students from the Faculty of Law (Media Studies) at Meiji Gakuin University on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan.

The programme, jointly coordinated by Hiroyuki Taira, Senior JICA Volunteer, and Dr. Shree Ram Poudel, Assistant Professor at CDJMC, was also attended in person by Sachiko Aoki, New Delhi Bureau Chief of Yomiuri Shimbun.

During the online session, Lecturer Norihide Miyoshi, a former correspondent for Yomiuri Shimbun in Berlin, Bangkok, and Phnom Penh, highlighted the contemporary Japanese media landscape. He elaborated on the role of the Kisha Club (Press Club), the current state of Japan’s traditional or “old” media, and the challenges posed by AI-driven disinformation, along with strategies to address them.

The programme provided a valuable platform for students from both countries to interact, exchange perspectives, and enhance their understanding of media systems, journalistic practices, and contemporary communication challenges in an increasingly interconnected world. The exchange also reflected the growing academic and cultural collaboration between Nepal and Japan and is expected to pave the way for future engagements between the two institutions.