Japanese delegation visits BOCES – Capital Region BOCES

A group of people are photographed in a conference room, they are standing in a line

On Tuesday, Aug. 25, Capital Region BOCES welcomed a delegation from Japan participating in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The visit provided an opportunity for a professional exchange, allowing the visiting delegation and BOCES leaders to share perspectives, discuss common challenges and explore innovative approaches.

People are sitting at conference room tables. A woman is in the center of the photo, she is wearing a bright blue blazer and is speaking and gesturing

In a conference room, three people are sitting at a table, one is speaking and gesturing

The discussion focused on enhancing cybersecurity, artificial intelligence integration and educational technology. BOCES Deputy District Superintendent and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Elizabeth Wood, Managing Program Coordinator of Network Services Don Seguin and NERIC Information Security Manager Don Harple gave an overview presentation before participating in a question-and-answer session with the delegation. The discussion allowed for the sharing of best practices, emerging trends, shared challenges and ideas.

A man is sitting at a conference room table with other people. He is speaking and gesturing

Two people are sitting at a conference room table. One is looking down at papers and the other is speaking to someone off camera

In a conference room, a man is speaking and gesturing. In the foreground, blurred out a bit, you can see the back of the heads of two other people

A group of people sit in a conference room, the tables are arranged in a square. In the foreground, two people are speaking to each other. One is gesturing, the other is clearly listening

The delegation will take those insights back to Japan to inform future discussions and decision-making within their organizations. In turn, BOCES representatives benefited from learning how Japanese education and government leaders are approaching similar issues and opportunities in their own communities.