NEWS

On October 30, 2024, ten students from APU were appointed as the “Bath-Beppu Friendship Association Special Ambassadors,” and an appointment ceremony was held at Beppu City Hall. The ambassadors attended a lecture given by the Mayor of Beppu City, NAGANO Yasuhiro, who is also a Visiting Professor at APU. They also undertook a field study to Beppu’s sister city of Bath, England, to gain in-depth knowledge.
Bath, the only city with hot springs in the UK, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021 as part of “The Great Spa Towns of Europe.”
Since initiating their partnership in 1994, Bath and Beppu have been conducting various exchanges in many areas including administration, culture, and sports.

During the appointment ceremony, the Deputy Mayor of Beppu City, ABE Masuo spoke to the newly appointed ambassadors. “Nearly 30 years have passed since the Bath Friendship Agreement was signed,” Deputy Mayor ABE said, “and this is the first time for Beppu City that we have asked for the cooperation of students. In various future contexts, we would like to rely on you for the friendly relations between Beppu and Bath.” Professor KUBO Takayuki (College of Sustainability and Tourism), who developed APU's field study program in Bath, also spoke to the ambassadors, saying: “as special ambassadors of the Sister Cities Association, we would like to warmly welcome visitors from Bath with the special ambassadors, and advance further relationship building with Bath."

After the appointment ceremony, a training session was held for six middle school students from Beppu who are scheduled to visit Bath as part of the “Bath-Beppu Friendship Cities Junior High School Exchange Program ”.
At the training session, APU students spoke about their daily lives and cultural experiences during their field studies in Bath. This was followed by presentations of environmental analyses related to tourism in Beppu and Bath, and follow-up discussions.

The 10 Bath-Beppu Friendship Association Special Ambassadors appointed this time will collaborate with Beppu City and act at various opportunities as a bridge for friendship between Beppu and Bath.