Internship Program for Trans-disciplinary and Trans-regional Problem-Oriented Research in Asia and Africa held for five students from Asia and Africa (29 December 2018 – 5 February 2019)

From 29 December 2018 to 5 February 2019, 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 and Africa", as a Wild & Wise Collaborative Learning Program supported by Kyoto University.

Taking part were five international students, one each from Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), Hasanuddin University (Indonesia), Royal University of Bhutan (Bhutan), Sikkim University (India), and Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), who were joined in the program by six participants from ASAFAS.

Each international student was assigned one or two Japanese counterparts, who supported the interns in adjusting to academic and daily life in Japan, and actively discussed their research interests and projects with them. In addition, the participants from Asia and Africa were allotted their own desks in ASAFAS' student room, so that they could have daily interaction with the host school's students and faculty.

Program participants — both international and Japanese — made presentations on multiple occasions, including at the "Wild & Wise International Workshop: Perspectives on Next-Generation Area Studies", held by ASAFAS' Center for On-Site Education and Research. The students discussed a wide variety of topics related to trans-disciplinary research challenges, in the process honing their skills to present research output in an international setting.

Besides attending lectures and seminars, the participants took part in joint fieldwork trips to the city of Minamata in Kumamoto, and to Yoshida Shrine in Kyoto (during the Setsubun Festival), deepening their understanding of Japanese society and culture. More importantly, by exploring issues that are varied but interconnected — such as pollution and environmental degradation — the students learned through these trips how to conceive and construct effective approaches toward solving trans-disciplinary and trans-regional problems.

Related link

• Wild & Wise Collaborative Learning Programs (2018-2019)
  https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/education-campus/education_and_admissions/non-degree-programs/international-education-initiatives/2018-2019.html