Temasek Polytechnic students shared their experiences from the JENESYS2026 programme, reflecting on six decades of deepening ties between Singapore and Japan.
Singapore and Japan are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations this year, and the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) programme is ensuring that the next generation continues to carry these ties forward. The initiative, which brings together young people from across the region to deepen mutual understanding with Japan, recently welcomed participation from students at Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore.
The programme was made possible through the efforts of the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE), which organised the exchange for JENESYS2026 participants. Students from Temasek Polytechnic shared reflections on what they had learned during the programme, touching on aspects of Japanese food culture, social welfare systems, and the personal connections formed with fellow participants.
Exchanges of this nature have long formed a quiet but significant part of the Singapore-Japan relationship, complementing the economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries with people-to-people links built through shared experience. As both countries mark six decades of formal relations this year, the JENESYS programme stands as an example of how such ties continue to be renewed through each new generation of participants.
The milestone anniversary has prompted a range of commemorative activities between Singapore and Japan throughout the year, with youth and educational exchanges such as JENESYS2026 forming part of the broader effort to sustain the relationship beyond government-to-government engagement.
Source: Embassy of Japan in Singapore
