Internship Program for Trans-Disciplinary and Trans-Regional Problem-Oriented Research in Asia held for students from Thailand and India (11 January – 10 March 2018)

发表日期

2018/03/29

From 11 January to 10 March 2018, the Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies (ASAFAS) conducted an "Internship Program for Trans-Disciplinary and Trans-Regional Problem-Oriented Research in Asia" as a Kyoto University Wild & Wise Collaborative Learning Program. The Graduate School enrolled three international students, each from the Department of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), the Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University (India), and the School of Human Ecology, Ambedkar University (India). They were joined in the program by eight participants from ASAFAS.

Each international student was assigned two Japanese "counterparts", who supported the interns in adjusting to life in Japan both on and off campus, and also actively discussed their research interests and projects with them. The three students were also allotted their own working desks in ASAFAS' student room, so that they would have daily interaction with the host school's students and faculty.

The program participants made presentations on several occasions, including at the "Young Scholars International Workshop on Transdisciplinary Approaches to Asian and African Area Studies 2018", held by ASAFAS' Center for On-Site Education and Research. The workshop also provided the students with opportunities to discuss a wide range of topics related to trans-disciplinary research challenges, encouraging them to hone their skills to present ideas and findings in an international setting.

In addition to attending regular ASAFAS lectures and seminars, the participants took part in joint fieldwork trips to Yoshida Shrine (during the Setsubun Festival) and the cities of Miyazu and Nantan to deepen their understanding of Japanese culture and society. More importantly, the trips addressed various interrelated issues facing the local communities, such as depopulation, environmental conservation of hilled rural areas, and the promotion of fishery, agriculture, and tourism. The students learned how to conceive and construct effective approaches towards solving trans-disciplinary and -regional problems as Asia-based researchers.