Imagine Myanmar, where young people continue their studies despite uncertainty and conflict, determined to rebuild their nation. These are the future leaders Parami University is nurturing every day. The Dwight Clark Cross-Cultural Program aims to usher these leaders into new heights of leadership in cross-cultural understanding, community engagement, and international development through immersive experiential learning in Tokyo from May 24 to June 05 2026. 

Parami University and the Dwight Clark Cross-Cultural Program 

Parami University is an online institution licensed by the Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC) in Washington, DC. In collaboration with Bard College in New York, Parami offers U.S.-accredited dual-degree opportunities and a transformative liberal arts education to students from Myanmar, regardless of their socioeconomic, cultural, or regional background, to transform them into ethical and socially responsible leaders.

The Dwight Clark Cross-Cultural Program aims to further cultivate the leadership potential of the Parami students by exposing them to Japanese communities and institutions that model leadership, cooperation, and sustainability. The program will be hosted at International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo, with the support of Japan ICU Foundation (JICUF) and Volunteers in Asia (VIA).

Over 14 days, the program will bring together 12 Parami students for academic exchange, field visits, and reflection in Japan. Students will:

• Learn from Japan’s culture of collaboration and professionalism, and civic engagement.
• Engage in dialogues and workshops with ICU faculty, students, and practitioners on leadership, sustainability, and international development.
• Reflect on how Japanese approaches to community building can be adapted to projects in Myanmar.

Dwight Clark and Japan

Dwight Clark, a former Dean of Freshmen Men at Stanford University, is a visionary leader and an educator who dedicated his life to building cross-cultural connections and fostering global understanding. As the founder of Volunteers in Asia (VIA), he spent over 40 years creating opportunities for students to engage in meaningful cultural exchanges, sending thousands of American students to volunteer in Asia while hosting thousands of students from Asia at Stanford University for study programs. Later, he founded Learning Across Borders (LAB), which brings Japanese and Taiwanese university students to Southeast Asia to further promote his lifelong goals of cross-cultural understanding and mutual learning. 

Japan has left a lasting impression on Dwight, and implementing such a program in Japan is the most meaningful way to honor Dwight. In addition, Japan has a long-standing relationship with Myanmar, offering unparalleled learning opportunities. Its culture of collective responsibility, community engagement, and social innovation makes it an ideal setting for this program. 

Why this Program Matters

For many Parami students, who study online from challenging environments across Myanmar, this will be their first international learning experience in Japan. It’s more than a study trip; it’s an opportunity to restore hope and confidence in a generation determined to rebuild their communities.

Fundraising Goal

We need to raise $35,000 by April 01, 2026, to make this program a reality. This amount will cover all program-related costs, including round-trip flight tickets, visa fees, transportation within Japan, accommodation, meals, museum tickets, guest speaker honorariums, and essential administrative, logistical, and human resource costs. 

Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to sending 12 Parami students to Japan to learn, grow, and lead.

Your Impact

Your donation directly supports the program and provides essential resources:

• $25 – Covers one full day of meals for a student at ICU.

• $100 – Contributes to seminar materials, field visits, and cultural exchange activities.

• $500 – Supports accommodation and meals for one student during the program.

• $3,000 – Fully sponsors one student’s participation, including flights, accommodation, meals, and program costs.

Other Ways To Give

If you prefer to donate offline, you may also contribute by sending a personal check or through your donor-advised fund (DAF). All offline gifts will be reflected in this campaign total.  If your employer offers donation-matching programs on platforms such as Benevity, YourCause, CyberGrants, or Groundswell, you are welcome to give through those platforms to maximize your impact. To explore more ways to give, please visit our Giving Page: https://www.parami.edu.mm/giving. For assistance or additional information, please contact Thea (Director of Institutional Advancement) via the email advancement@parami.edu.mm. 

A Letter of Support from Dwight Clark

To honor Dwight Clark, founder of Volunteers in Asia and Learning Across Borders, we are proud to share his message about this program: