Asian and African Area Studies Summer School concludes (15-23 July)

From 15 through 23 July, Kyoto University's Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies (ASAFAS) conducted an "Asian and African Area Studies Summer School" program, in collaboration with the Human Security Development Educational Unit. Taking part were 10 students from nine overseas institutions: University of Botswana, Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS; France), National University of Laos, The Royal University of Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Chiang Mai University (Thailand), Jawaharlal Nehru University (India), National University of Malaysia (two students), and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (Korea). For the duration of the program, the participants were enrolled in ASAFAS as short-term exchange students

Nine regular ASAFAS students also took part, serving as Teaching Assistants and engaging in international exchange activities.

The first day featured two special lectures -- "An Invitation to Asian and African Area Studies" by Prof Yasushi Kosugi, Dean of ASAFAS, and "Human Security in Asia and Africa" by Prof Eiji Nawata from the Graduate School of Agriculture -- followed by a reception.

On the following day, the exchange students gave self-introductory presentations about their home countries and academic interests. A field trip to Hiroshima was organized for the 17th and 18th. All 19 participants, including the exchange students and TAs, visited the Hiroshima City Museum of History and Traditional Crafts, the island of Miyajima, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park, guided by five ASAFAS faculty members -- Prof Akio Tanabe, Assoc Profs Kazuya Nakamizo, Misa Hirano, and Yasuyuki Kosaka, and Dr Yuko Ijiri. The trip included a lecture by Assoc Prof Nakamizo, entitled "Remembering Hiroshima".

The students spent all of the next day preparing presentations, then, on 20 July, they were split into three groups to present on topics related to politics, economics, or socio-ecology.

The 21st was devoted to lectures by four ASAFAS researchers -- "Area Studies for Agricultural Development" by Prof Shigeru Araki, "Area Studies and Environmental Politics in the Epoch of the Anthropocene" by Assoc Prof Rohan D’Souza, "Rethinking Society and Culture in the Globalizing World" by Assoc Prof Tatsuki Kataoka, and "Geography of Kyoto" by Assoc Prof Yasuyuki Kosaka -- followed by a discussion.

Next day, the participants toured the Enryaku-ji temple, the village of Ogi in Shiga Prefecture, and Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts, located on the basement floor of Miyakomesse.

On 23 July, the final day of the program, the students gave individual presentations on what they had learned during the course, holding the audience in rapt attention and occasionally sparking laughter. Finally, each participant received a completion certificate from ASAFAS Dean Kosugi before joining in the farewell party.