“On the thirtieth anniversary of the JET Program, this book offers a fitting tribute to the potential of cultural exchange to open hearts and minds.”
About the Author
Emily Metzgar is an associate professor in the Media School at Indiana University. A former diplomat, policy analyst, and opinion writer, she focuses her writing and research on foreign affairs, media in American politics, and the importance of service-learning in the college classroom.
About the Book
Since 1987, the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program has recruited thousands of young college graduates from more than sixty countries, including the United States, to work in Japan for up to five years. Now, thirty years after the program’s founding, there are more than 60,000 JET Program alumni worldwide, more than half of them hailing from the United States. The JET Program and the US–Japan Relationship: Goodwill Goldmine argues that JET functions as much more than an opportunity for young people to spend a year or more teaching in Japanese schools or working in municipal offices across the Japanese archipelago. This study examines the JET program as a form of public diplomacy and soft power.
Latest Blog Post
Commentary in The Conversation
In a piece titled "Will US-Japan Friendship Survive Uncertainty in Asia?" posted at The Conversation, I discuss the contributions the JET Program has made to the US-Japan bilateral relationship.
About JET
Every year, the Japanese government’s JET Program brings thousands of young college graduates to Japan to work as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs), Sports Exchange Advisors (SEAs) or Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs), for terms of a year or more to work toward the “internationalization” of Japan.
News Flash
The JET Program and the US–Japan Relationship: Goodwill Goldmine, will be published by Lexington Books on July 21, 2017.
Emily presented “A Long & Winding Road: Origins of the Contemporary Structure for U.S. International Broadcasting” at the International Studies Association.