Panasonic’s ‘Kids Witness News’ programme takes UAE students to Japan for cultural exchange

Panasonic’s Kids Witness News (KWN) program recently sent four top UAE grade school students to Japan for a three days of cultural and educational exchange, according to Sharifa Mousa, Director of Student Activities, at the UAE Ministry of Education. 

The KWN program is Panasonic’s global initiative, structured to develop students' self confidence, creativity, communication skills, and teamwork through the use of digital video technology. 

After flying into KansaiInternationalAirport, the UAE students then toured Osaka and the Panasonic factory located there.  The students then met Japanese counterparts in their school, with one UAE student addressing the assembly in Japanese, before all four UAE students sat down with Japanese fourth graders and shared the KWN videos they had made in the UAE.  Finally, the UAE students shared traditional UAE gifts with their Japanese hosts. 

“The creativity of the UAE students hosted by Panasonic on this KWN trip was truly remarkable. Through their videos, they demonstrated a real understanding of both their own rich cultural heritage but also that of their Japanese hosts,” said Anthony Peter, Director and Group General Manager, Direct Communications and Customer Care Group, Panasonic Marketing Middle East. 

KWN is a hands-on video education program in which Panasonic provides video cameras and other audio visual equipment for video production. Launched in 1989, today over 650 schools worldwide participate in the event in over 27 countries internationally allowing students to share the world through their eyes. 

Next year, Panasonic hopes to host students from Oman, Kuwait, and Lebanon, in addition to UAE students.