Nanzan professor shares culture at UNG

The robust partnership between the University of North Georgia (UNG) and Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan, has taken another major step this semester. UNG is hosting Dr. Nanako Machida, a Nanzan professor emeritus, through the Fulbright-Scholar-in-Residence Program. Machida is one of 50 international faculty members in the U.S. through the program during the 2025-26 academic year.

Through the program, institutions host a scholar from outside of the United States for a semester or full academic year to teach courses, assist in curriculum development, guest-lecture, develop study abroad/exchange partnerships, and engage with the campus and the local community.

Machida is teaching a "Teaching English in Japan" course this semester, while also carving out time for weekly 30-minute individual check-ins with UNG students in upper-level Japanese courses. Dr. Tomoe Nishio, UNG associate professor of Japanese, is a Nanzan alumna who has steadily grown the Japanese program since coming to Dahlonega in 2016.

"Dr. Nishio has developed a very strong Japanese program," Machida said. "Her students are very motivated. They want to come to Japan to participate in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program."

Machida has also hosted a series of events aimed at sharing the Japanese culture with UNG students. She had previous experience living in Wisconsin, Massachusetts and California, so this is her first time living in the Southern U.S.

"I have been very impressed by the kindness of the people and the welcoming atmosphere," Machida said. "The students are so nice."

Mason Benton, a junior from Cumming, Georgia, pursuing a degree in computer science with a minor in Japanese, is in the course Machida is teaching. He is thankful for her approach.

"She is one of the best teachers I've ever had. She's super nice and accommodating," Benton said. "We have learned so much, and she's made class fun for us."

The longtime Japanese educator's time at UNG embodies the ideals of North Georgia roots and global reach, all accessible at UNG's Dahlonega Campus. One Nanzan student is spending this semester at UNG, and a group of students from Nanzan is visiting in late March.

"I have long believed that learning and teaching foreign languages are, in themselves, forms of education that contribute to peace," Machida said.

For both the Japanese students and the UNG students, Nishio sees her work and Machida's as catalysts that can encourage cultural exchange.

"Hopefully we can inspire them in some way," Nishio said.

Sheila Schulte, UNG associate vice president for international programs, is likewise grateful to have Machida at UNG.

"Having international scholars at UNG is important. It reaches the students who may not be able to go abroad as undergraduates," Schulte said. "It allows them to broaden their perspectives."