Important Dates
Tentative Travel Dates: May 11 – 25, 2026
Interest Meetings: View on Office of Education Abroad event calendar here.
Scholarship Application Deadline: November 2, 2025
Application and Deposit Deadline: January 15, 2026
Program Description
Come join UCA faculty in a learning tour to experience the vibrant culture of Japan in its most iconic cities! This educational abroad experience will allow students the opportunity to also experience and learn Japanese language, history, economics, and/or chemistry! Students will take part in cultural immersion tours across Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka.
Some example learning excursions may include study of Japan’s manga and anime in Akihabara and the Kyoto International Manga Museum, exploring the majestic shrine of Meiji Jingu near Shinjuku, learning sake science while touring Harushika Sake Brewery in Nara, and more!
NOTE: Enrollment is limited to 30 participants.
Faculty Leaders and Course Offerings
Kae Hashimoto Reed is a Visiting Lecturer of Japanese at the University of Central Arkansas. She has extensive international experience, having lived and taught in Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and the United States as both a musician and educator. In addition to her teaching background, she has traveled and performed throughout Asia, including in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and China. In 2019, she served as a faculty trip leader for a study abroad program to Germany and Austria with Arkansas Tech University.
A native of Japan, Kae is deeply familiar with Japanese culture and daily life—especially in the Kansai region, where she grew up (Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara). Her passions include music, history, and Japanese pop culture, particularly manga (Japanese comic books). She is excited to guide students on a study abroad journey that will be educational, culturally enriching, and unforgettable!
Courses offered by Dr. Reed:
- JAPN 2340 Intensive Oral Practice Abroad in Japanese
Dr. Collin Hodges is an Assistant Professor of Economics affiliated with the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics at the University of Central Arkansas where he instructs undergraduate and MBA students in principles and intermediate economics courses as well as in the economics of healthcare.
Before coming to UCA, Dr. Hodges spent time in Central America, travelling to Honduras and Nicaragua annually between 2008 and 2014 in partnership with local aid and development organizations. Dr. Hodges has also traveled to Mexico, Peru, England and Scotland. After arriving at UCA in 2019—and spending several years not travelling due to COVID!—he became interested in leading study abroad programs in order to establish relationships with new international partners not only to broaden UCA student’s educational opportunities but also to build pathways for future student exchange. Dr. Hodges speaks some Spanish and some Japanese. Though fluent in neither, he enjoys the long-term process of learning new languages.
When not talking about economics, Dr. Hodges enjoys spending time with his wife and four-year old daughter, playing Go (the oldest continually played board game in the world), and working toward his long-term goal of reading one book from every nation on the globe.
Courses offered by Dr. Hodges:
- BUAD 2302 COB Travel Class for Diversity in World Cultures [LD UCA Core: Diversity in World Cultures]
- BUAD 2303 COB Travel Class for Responsible Living [LD UCA Core: Responsible Living]
- ECON 2310 Global Environment of Business
- ECON 4360 Health Care Economics
- ECON 4V95 Special Problems in Economics
Dr. Marsha D. Massey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Central Arkansas. Dr. Massey’s first experience abroad was immediately after high school. Since then Dr. Massey has found every opportunity to travel with trips to Germany, Italy, Roatán, and Japan. Dr. Massey’s research is in the field of inorganic chemistry with applications in alternative energy science. The goal of research in Massey lab is to transform the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, into a fuel. Dr. Massey has interest in helping students to learn chemistry in a global context so that future scientists trained at UCA have the tools to address global problems. Dr. Massey firmly believes education abroad experiences including STEM courses is critical to such professional development, and thus is excited help offer this program to students at UCA.
Courses offered by Dr. Massey:
- CHEM 1400 Chemistry in Society
- CHEM 4V09 Special Problems in Chemistry
HONC 3310 credit may also be offered to students currently admitted to Schedler Honors College.
Program Cost
Once available, the estimated program cost will be posted here.
Health and Safety
Students registering for programs should carefully read through all health and safety information provided during the application process. In addition, students should honestly complete the ‘Health and Safety Form’ so that any health related concerns may be adequately accommodated on study abroad programs.
Participants will be enrolled in comprehensive international insurance for the duration of programming. It is the student’s responsibility to extend insurance cover if they stay abroad beyond UCA’s planned program dates. For information about international insurance coverage: https://uca.edu/globalstudy/health-and-safety/
Students must attend one health and safety meeting during the spring semester. Meeting dates will be announced after the application deadlines.