Sony today announced that it will invite 30 high school students from the cities of Beijing, Xi'an, Wuhan and Nanjing to Japan as part of its "Sony Student Project Abroad (China) 2008" program. The 11-day program is being run in cooperation with the All China Youth Federation, China's largest youth group, and will take place from July 19^th to July 29^th.

The content of the program is designed to enrich its participants' perceptions of culture and society by providing opportunities to interact with Japanese high school students, visit corporate facilities and experience domestic life in Japan, while also raising environmental awareness – a topic which is coming under increased focus in China. The Sony Group is supporting this program across its organization by opening the doors of its sites and related facilities, and having employees serve as volunteer lecturers and host families for the participants. Under the theme, "Small Lens, Big Findings - Creating a greener environment through cultural exchange" the students will use digital video cameras to record their sights and experiences, and then present their findings to Sony management on the final day.

Sony Student Project Abroad (China) was launched in 2006 to commemorate Sony (China)'s 10^th anniversary and Sony's 60th anniversary, and the initiative conforms with Sony's efforts to fulfill its role as a socially responsible corporate citizen in China. As declared in its slogan for China "Aiming to establish strong local roots and achieve long-term growth together" Sony is striving to contribute to the further growth and development of the young generation that represents China's future.

Main Program

<Manufacturing/Technology>
- Learning about the history and future of Sony's technologies through Sony museum, showroom and laboratory visits
- CD player assembly workshop using original kit prepared by Sony
- Learning about Sony Contactless IC card technology "FeliCa" *

* "FeliCa" is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation

<Environment>
- Learning environmentally conscious design through vegetable-based plastic Walkman®* disassembly workshop
- Experiencing environmentally conscious lifestyles through two-night homestay at Sony employees' homes
- Experiencing payment of goods and public transportation using vegetable-based plastic IC card

* WALKMAN® is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation.

<Culture>
- Interaction with Japanese high school students
- Learning traditional Japanese culture through Edo-Tokyo Museum visit and experiencing Japanese tea ceremony, calligraphy and kimono-wearing
- Learning modern Japanese culture by visiting Ghiburi (Animation) Museum, Mitaka City and experiencing animation production (at A-1 Pictures, a Sony Group Company)