World Campus International Staff

Hiro Nishimura

Hiro Nishimura – Chief Executive Officer

Hiro was born and raised in Arao, Kumamoto, located on Kyushu Island in western Japan. This seaside region is well-known for its especially warm and outgoing people. Hiro earned a degree in Education at the University of Kumamoto. He spent 20 years with the Up with People programs, serving in various capacities for the organization while developing his distinctive and influential management philosophy. As the Chief Operation Officer, Hiro has worked in both program implementation and company management throughout North America, Europe and Japan. One of his most impactful experiences was helping to implement part of the United Nation's Global Forum on Environmental Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Hiro led the implementation of 9 international student programs in Japan. Well respected and well connected in a variety of Japanese networks, this was done in part through his successful collaboration with national, prefectural and city governments, major and local corporations and organizations. Hiro was the recipient of 4 company awards from Up with People, including the Presidents Award. After living in Denver, Colorado, USA for many years along with his Norwegian wife, Kristin, and their three children: Markus Yuki, Daniel Masami and Anna Mikako, they moved to Japan where WCI operates their international programs every year. Contact him at hnishimura@worldcampus.org

Yui Mihara

Yui Mihara - Operations Manager

Yui was born and raised in Osaka where is known for its outgoing personalities and jokesters with a great food culture! It’s almost called the “Latins of Japan” and she is excited for you to experience her hometown during the program.

After serving in Up with People programs for 8 years the world became not only smaller but also more personal. Her interpersonal skill and global leadership skills were developed while traveling with over 1500 international participants, working with diverse groups of people, and living with more than 270 host families in different communities in the world.

She worked for the World Campus- Japan program in 2010, 2011, and 2012 as Operations manager/Event manager. It was an eye-opening experience to rediscover her own home country in a fresh eye after being away from home for so long. She found a value in what this country can offer to the world and what Japanese people can take away from the experience with international participants of the program.

She has been working in the preparation phase and will be responsible for logistic aspects of the program along, developing counselors training with Hiro, and coordinating the Arigato event together with Juuso. Welcome to Japan and welcome to the exciting summer ahead of you! Contact her at ymihara@worldcampus.org

Juuso Myller

Juuso Myller - Program Counselor

Juuso Myller joined World Campus Japan for first time as a participant in 2015. The following years he has been working as a counselor, guiding and helping new participants enjoy their time to the fullest while in Japan. He spent his youth in Eastern Finland, choosing to study to become an English teacher in the University of Eastern Finland. His minor is Japanese and during one of those lessons Hiro Nishimura visited the university to advertise World Campus Japan. He joined the program almost on the spot and has been hooked ever since. The first program as a participant was an eyeopener for him. He learned a lot about not only Japan, but the cultures of participants from all around the world. This sense of a closely knit, welcoming community influenced him greatly and motivated him to give something in return by becoming a counselor for the program next year.

Previously, as a counselor, he has overseen the blog and some aspects of social media in the program, photography, and Thank You -cards. Contact him at jmyller@worldcampus.org

Espen Auseth Nielsen

Espen Auseth Nielsen – Program Counselor

Espen is from Norway. He has been with World Campus for the past 7 years and will be working as a counselor during the 2020 Japan program. He is 28 years old and he has received a PhD in mathematics at the University of Copenhagen.

He has been studying Japanese as a hobby since his high school days, when he became interested in Japanese stand-up comedy. Since then, his interest has expanded to Japanese culture, history and religion. His other hobbies are reading, watching movies and playing the game of Go. He also likes biking and exercising.

By participating in this program you can explore the most amazing places in Japan. However, what he has learned from World Campus, both from his own experience and from watching our participants over the years, is that traveling is all about the people you meet. By traveling with World Campus, he has met wonderful people from all over the world and made lasting friendships. He has also learned more about himself than he thought possible. He hopes that he can bring you out of your comfort zone so that you can do the same. Contact him at eanielsen@worldcampus.org

Markus Yuki Nishimura

Markus Yuki Nishimura – Program Counselor

Markus Yuki Nishimura was born in the United States, grew up in Japan and currently living in Norway. As the eldest son of CEO and founder, Markus has been exposed to the World Campus - Japan program since its beginning in 2007. He first officially joined the program as a participant in 2016 and was amazed by how much even a Japanese native as himself could learn from it. He says the best part of the program was the direct exposure to Japanese culture and seeing how different the cultures can be between the cities. When asked to join the staff, his “YES!” could not have come any faster.

As a fluent speaker of both Japanese and English he will be responsible for translations and interpretation in various aspects of the program. Also, given his vocal & stage experience, he may also be of assistance during the Arigato-event planning and rehearsals. He looks forward to seeing you this summer. Contact him at mnishimura@worldcampus.org

Yunzhi Liu

Yunzhi Liu – Program Counselor

Originally from Beijing, China, Yunzhi has been studying in Vermont, USA. Before heading to Harvard to continue her studies, she is excited to be back in Japan with World Campus during this summer. She joined World Campus first in 2017 when she was still a high schooler, and in 2019 returned to serve as a counselor.

While she hopes to reconnect with places and people she holds many dear memories about, she is also more than excited to have you join her in the exploration and bond-building experience. She will be in charge of social media. Contact her at yliu@worldcampus.org

Jurriën Theunisz

Jurriën Theunisz - Program Counselor

Born and raised in the small, but culturally diverse country of the Netherlands, Jurriën Theunisz grew up with a great interest in different cultures. Having decided to enroll in the Japanese studies program at Leiden University in 2010, his involvement with Japan grew rapidly. This soon led him to World Campus, joining the program for the first time in 2011. The program allowed him to ″experience Japan in all its′ true facets and colors for the first time in a way a book or TV program never could″. The summers of the following years would also find him traveling back to help out at the World Campus program. After spending a year in Sendai working on his thesis research, Jurriën graduated from the Japanese studies program in 2015.

By now, fully accustomed to the Japanese culture and lifestyle his life took a turn as he started a degree in computer science at the TU Delft back in his home country while at the same time picking up a job as a software developer.

Leading a life interested in many different cultures, surely Japan is not the only reason for his love for the World Campus program. One of its′ key attractions is the diversity of the participants coming from dozens of different cultures. ″Enjoying common interests whilst sharing different backgrounds, is as beautiful as life gets. He is looking forward to seeing you all soon!″ Contact him at: jtheunisz@worldcampus.org

Thomas Greve

Thomas Greve – Webmaster

Thomas lives in the Hanseatic and University city of Rostock, Germany. Growing up in the former German Democratic Republic, he understands the critical importance of connecting diverse people to break down unnecessary barriers. Thomas spends a lot of his time as a volunteer with non–profit organizations. As the former Coordinator of Local Organizing Committee in Rostock for an international program, he led a regional team which arranged host families and program contents for international groups in his hometown. Thomas loves to work with people. With a extensive background in technology, Thomas is World Campus International’s official webmaster and advisor to all computer troubleshooting. Please be in touch with Thomas for more information about World Campus – Japan at germany@worldcampus.org

Maki Honda

Maki Honda - Enrollment Manager, World Campus - Norway Program

Maki Honda worked as one of the World Campus Local Organizing Committee staff members in Kumamoto for many years and also worked for the program as a program counselor for two years.

She was born and grew up in Kumamoto, Japan where some of the World Campus - Japan participants get to visit every year! When she was a university student, she met the program and organized activities with some of her friends in Kumamoto city. She not only learned about other cultures from the people from various countries, but also rediscovered her own country and herself by exploring a familiar sight with different points of view, interacting and exchanging cultures with them. Those experiences had a huge impact on her. It was only one short week but quite long enough to change her whole life. This experience made her decide to get involved in World Campus International in a long term.

As the Enrollment Manager of World Campus – Norway program, she is working for the recruitment and the enrollment for the World Campus – Norway program. She can be reached at mhonda@worldcampus.org