Honolulu CC Automotive program welcomes back students from Sendai, Japan

International partnership with Kadan Automotive Technical College

Honolulu Community College
Contact:
Billie K T Lueder, (808) 845-9187
Director of Communications & External Affairs, Chancellor's Office
Posted: Mar 16, 2015

Kadan and Honolulu CC Automotive students.
Kadan and Honolulu CC Automotive students.
Touring the AMT facility.
Touring the AMT facility.

For the fourth year in a row, Honolulu Community College welcomed back students from Kadan Automotive Technical College from Sendai, Japan.  Their visit consisted of a tour of Honolulu’s automotive and diesel programs. In addition to the tour, seven Kadan students stayed back to spend a day and a half learning along side Honolulu’s automotive students. 

Automotive instructor Warren Takata shares: “The students reviewed fuel diagnosis and conducted a lab session. We reviewed suspension system diagnosis using a frequency recorder. They had a lab session and were able to perform alignment, front suspension repair, noise diagnosis, and wheel bearing service. It was a very busy, but rewarding two days."

In 2011, a team of students and faculty from Kadan visited Honolulu Community College in hopes of entering into an educational exchange between the two schools in the area of Automotive Technology. A few days after the signing the college experienced with the rest of the world the horrific events of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the Tohoku region. Several of the Kadan students, who were still on island during the tragedy, lost their families and homes having nothing to go back to. Upon their return to the Sendai, Kadan took full responsibility of the two students, and further strengthened the partnership between the two schools.

Each year Kadan sends a group of students and faculty to visit the Honolulu CC facility. “This partnership benefits both of our students. They learn about each other’s culture and each country’s approach to learning automotive technology as well as the equipment, and facility they train at.  New friendships are formed, and with smart phone technology – Google translation, and even YouTube, students are able to converse with much more ease,” says Takata.

Through the support of funds from the Honda International to benefit Honolulu CC students and a sponsorship with Hawaiian Airlines, the college is able to fly a few students to Sendai to learn at the Kadan facility for a week this summer.

View the photo gallery of their visit:  https://flic.kr/s/aHsk98FMB7