Empathy and Growth: Reflections on Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan
It’s hard to believe four years have passed since I nervously logged on to meet the first fall Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan cohort. As I prepare to start my fifth year and reflect on the recent fall course that concluded in February, I am filled with a profound sense of growth and gratitude. Each year has been a journey of learning and discovery, not just for my students, but for myself as well.
Seeing the growth and development of my students over the course of just four months has been incredibly rewarding. From timid beginnings to confident presentations and impactful research papers, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing their transformation firsthand. Students not only engaged with complex social issues intellectually but also connected with them on a deeply empathetic level.
Koki Ukai shared his thoughts on the course. “While I thought I knew about the society we live in, participating in this program made me realize that the world is filled with much more complex issues that have not yet been addressed or even recognized. Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan has broadened my perspectives to be aware of these problems and taught me the power of social entrepreneurship in tackling them.”
The course underscores the role of empathy in problem-solving via design thinking. But one of the most impactful lessons I’ve learned from my students is the importance of empathy and vulnerability in creating a supportive learning community. This year, in particular, I was inspired by the way students embraced these values, sharing their personal stories of loss and hardship with courage and openness. Some students also initially hesitated to broach sensitive topics due to emotional discomfort. However, upon hearing their peers’ presentations, they recognized the value of sharing their perspectives on difficult topics to raise awareness about these issues. Their willingness to be vulnerable with one another fostered a sense of connection and solidarity within our virtual classroom.
To further emphasize the significance of sharing our stories, I invited guest speakers to practice mindfulness with the class. These moments of openness created a safe space for students to express themselves authentically and recognize the common humanity that binds us all together. And it has reinforced my belief in the importance of nurturing not just academic skills, but also resilience, empathy, and a sense of social responsibility.
I also never cease to be amazed by the innovative ideas and boundless energy that my students bring to the table. Their fresh perspectives and willingness to think outside the box and being a part of a student’s “aha moment” inspire me to push the boundaries of my own thinking and how I approach teaching.
Yuzuka Seto also shared her thoughts. “Participating in Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan has imbued my Sunday mornings with anticipation, and has brought me invaluable insights and experiences. When I shared my passion-driven ideas and inquiries with Ms. Bryant, she graciously introduced me to a film aligned with the subject. The film not only expanded my perspectives and deepened my interests but also enabled me to discover a sense of purpose and responsibility in a new field.” For our student-led session, Yuzuka, along with Aylie Guyodo Oyama, gave a lesson on Single Mothers and Child Poverty in Japan, which was unfamiliar to most students.
I’m humbled by the lessons I’ve learned from my students and the impact they’ve had on me as an educator and as a person. Teaching this course has been a transformative experience, and I look forward to many more years of inspiring the next generation of social entrepreneurs. I’m grateful to everyone who has supported this program. In particular, I would like to thank Dr. Gary Mukai and Mr. Yusuke Ed Matsuda for their vision and leadership and our fall Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan donors, Noriko & Norman Chen and Mako & Andy Ogawa, for their continued support. I’d also like to thank Maiko Tamagawa Bacha and the eEntrepreneurship teaching team for their help in shaping this course.
Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is currently accepting applications for fall 2024.
Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.
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Course instructor Irene Bryant reflects on four years of empowering Japan's changemakers and social entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
Teaching About Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy
I vividly remember the announcement by CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennesee. I was a middle school student in San Jose, California. On the following day, nothing was mentioned in my middle school classes about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. In fact, in my elementary and secondary school years, I had been exposed to very little about African Americans and their history.
Martin Luther King, Jr., who was born on January 15, 1929, would be turning 95 this year, and 41 years have passed since Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday was approved as a federal holiday in 1983. SPICE recommends the use of a 13-minute lecture—titled “Civil and Human Rights: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy” by Dr. Clayborne Carson—for use at the high school and college levels. Dr. Carson is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor Emeritus at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, FSI, at Stanford University. In the video lecture, Professor Carson not only discusses Martin Luther King, Jr. as a civil rights leader but also examines his larger vision of seeing the African American struggle as a worldwide struggle for citizenship rights and human rights.
A free classroom-friendly discussion guide for this video is available for download at the webpage linked above. The organizing questions that are listed in the guide are:
- What are civil and human rights?
- What were the significant achievements of the Civil Rights Movement?
- What is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy in terms of civil and human rights?
- How are Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision, ideas, and leadership still relevant today?
- How is the American Civil Rights Movement similar and different from other rights-related movements?
SPICE also recommends the resources on the following websites for use in classrooms.
- The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute supports a broad range of educational activities illuminating Dr. King’s life and the movements he inspired. Dr. Carson is the founding director of the Institute.
- The World House Project works to realize Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of the world as a large house in which “we must learn somehow to live with each other in peace.” Dr. Carson is the director of the Project.
- The educational website “What Does It Mean to Be an American?” offers six lessons on immigration, civic engagement, leadership, civil liberties & equity, justice & reconciliation, and U.S.–Japan relations. The lessons encourage critical thinking through class activities and discussions.
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Civil and Human Rights: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy
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MLK Jr. would be turning 95 this year.
Critically Considering Perspectives on Social Issues in Japan
Stanford e-Japan is an online course that teaches Japanese high school students about U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations. The course introduces students to both U.S. and Japanese perspectives on many historical and contemporary issues. It is offered biannually by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE). Stanford e-Japan is supported by the Yanai Tadashi Foundation.
Throughout the entire Stanford e-Japan Program that I participated in fall 2020, I was able to develop the ability to critically consider my perspectives on social issues in Japan. The participants came from various regions in Japan, not only public high schools like mine, but also private schools and international schools. The student backgrounds were diverse, ranging from individuals who grew up in Japan like me to those who were born and raised abroad, with experiences in different countries. Engaging in discussions with such members made me realize that different backgrounds can bring significantly different perspectives and opinions to class discussions. For example, when I read posts on the discussion board from participants who held opposing views, I found myself understanding and accepting their perspectives, while often thinking, “Oh, I never considered that way of thinking before.” By listening to the reasons behind their thoughts during class discussions, I also found that my perspectives could be reconsidered. It was the first significant opportunity for me to contextualize myself on a global scale, extending beyond Japan.
At that time, I was on the debate team in high school, and I experienced that I could argue both for and against controversial topics if I had appropriate supporting data. However, I found it challenging to express opinions that were beyond broad generalizations. Stanford e-Japan had a thrilling course design centered around discussions, with a significant portion of the class dedicated to Q&A sessions. Initially, I struggled to express my genuine opinions, and could only provide general arguments that were often heard. I felt quite frustrated with this. However, as the classes progressed, I began to pay closer attention to the various elements behind my opinions, such as my country of birth, my gender, or my experiences that might have shaped my views. I learned from how others formed their opinions, and gradually, I was able to post my original ideas. To this day, this way of thinking remains an important foundation for my aspirations and their impact on the future.
Furthermore, Instructor Meiko Kotani cultivated an open atmosphere throughout the course where everyone was encouraged to think about the course’s progression. We were able to provide feedback on the course and discuss how to utilize our time effectively, and the feedback influenced the design of future courses. It became a catalyst for considering what learning methods were most comfortable for me, as it introduced a different style of learning compared to that of the high school I had attended.
The most memorable module during the 13-week course was about innovation in Silicon Valley, where we compared the industries of the United States and Japan. It was not only fascinating to learn about innovation, which I was already interested in, but also genuinely gratifying to work on the group assignment. In particular, the ability to examine innovation from various perspectives such as ideas, work styles, and economic trends directly relates to my current endeavors, and I still keep in touch with those group members who are now friends.
For the final assignment, I combined the ideas I had been contemplating during my local activities to promote a regional and global understanding of the SDGs with what I learned in the Silicon Valley module. In my paper, “U.S.-Japan Cooperation on Innovative Technology: The Way to Balance Economy and Protection of the Earth,” I concluded that by leveraging traditional Japanese lifestyles, combining the strengths of Japanese and American companies, and engaging in joint ventures, we could potentially influence the values of people worldwide and achieve a balance between economic growth and environmental protection. Looking back, the idea of balancing the two things has become elemental to my way of thinking since then.
Currently, I have a strong desire to apply cutting-edge technology in everyday life. I took the entrance examination for the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo and was accepted. After completing two-year liberal arts education, I will specialize in precision engineering starting next year. My goal is to create a cycle of technology where advanced robotics technology used in space can be applied to solving challenges on Earth, and vice versa. I am excited about working in the space industry, which has always been my dream. To achieve that, I am currently acquiring knowledge in the fundamental study of robotics and learning about business and backcasting methodologies through Deep Innovation Creation Ecosystem (DICE), a research and development-oriented startup community that focuses on fostering talent. In March 2023, I had the opportunity to visit Silicon Valley through DICE, where I observed the robotics laboratories at Stanford and the community of startups and investors. It was an overwhelming experience to meet Meiko Kotani in person for the first time. Additionally, driven by the desire to address social issues while maintaining profitability, I am working on creating a web service to solve mobility challenges for the elderly in Japan. My team has established mairu tech Inc., and we are planning to proceed with service demonstration experiments in Japanese cities.
The society I would like to create in the future is one that can simultaneously address immediate challenges and achieve long-term goals. Engaging in conversations with diverse individuals allows for deeper consideration of topics and enables us to contemplate what society and the future should aspire to from multiple evaluative perspectives. Although decision-making often requires one to narrow down options to a single evaluation axis, which can be challenging, I believe it will gradually become possible by engaging with many people with a positive mindset.
Finally, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have participated in Stanford e-Japan and to have met amazing fellow participants. Moving forward, I want to continue learning, form teams, and strive toward my vision with unwavering determination.
For more information about the Stanford e-Japan Program, please visit stanfordejapan.org. Application deadline for the fall 2023 session is August 12, 2023.
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The following reflection is a guest post written by Ai Tanoue, a student at the University of Tokyo and a Fall 2020 alumna of the Stanford e-Japan Program, which is currently accepting application for Fall 2023.
EPIC Workshop for Community College and High School Instructors: Famine in the Modern World
Webinar Description:
The Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) and Stanford Global Studies (SGS) are excited to offer a professional development workshop for community college instructors who wish to internationalize their curriculum. The workshop will feature a talk by Stanford historian Dr. Bertrand Patenaude on the major famines of modern history, the controversies surrounding them, and the reasons that famine persists in our increasingly globalized world. Workshop participants will receive a copy of Dr. Patenaude’s book Bread + Medicine: American Famine Relief in Soviet Russia, 1921–1923 (Hoover Institution Press, 2023). Published in June, the book recounts how medical intervention, including a large-scale vaccination drive, by the American Relief Administration saved millions of lives in Soviet Russia during the famine of 1921–23.
Register at https: http://bit.ly/474cpK2.
Featured Speaker:
Dr. Bertrand M. Patenaude
Dr. Bertrand M. Patenaude teaches history, international relations, and human rights at Stanford, where he is a Lecturer for the International Relations Program, a Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and a Faculty Fellow at the Center for Innovation in Global Health (CIGH). Patenaude teaches courses at the Stanford School of Medicine as a Lecturer at the Center for Biomedical Ethics (SCBE). His seminars range across topics such as United Nations peacekeeping, genocide, famine in the modern world, humanitarian aid, and global health.
Via Zoom Webinar. Registration Link: http://bit.ly/474cpK2
Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Teacher Fellows Participate in Summer Institute at the East-West Center
The Stanford/SPICE East Asia Seminars for Teachers in Hawaiʻi (“Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi”) is a professional development program for teachers in Hawaiʻi. It was launched in 2020–21 and the third year ended this month. Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi is generously supported by the Freeman Foundation.
The third year of Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi included four virtual seminars that featured Stanford-affiliated scholars who lectured on topics related to Japan (Professor Ethan Segal), China (Professor Andrew Walder), Korea (PhD candidate Zoë Gioja), and Southeast Asia (Ambassador Scot Marciel). The virtual seminars took place during the 2022–23 academic year. The third year culminated in a three-day institute that was held at the East-West Center, Honolulu on July 11, 12, and 13, 2023.
The SPICE staff was pleased to work with the Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawaiʻi Teacher Fellows below.
Amy Boehning, Mililani High School
Carl Wright, Kapolei High School
Chayanee Brooks, Ka‘u High and Pahala Elementary School
David Brooks, Ka‘u High and Pahala Elementary School
Grace Nguyen, Konawaena High School
Gregory Gushiken, Punahou School
Hannah Lim, ‘Iolani School
John Ates, Le Jardin Academy
Jonathan Chang, Apex for Youth
Jonathon Medeiros, Kauaʻi High School
Laura Viana, Mid-Pacific Institute
Mariko Shiraishi, Hawaii Baptist Academy
Michael Hamilton, Leilehua High School
Molly M. Satta-Ellis, Konawaena High School
Niti D. Villinger, Hawai‘i Pacific University
Patricia Tupinio, Leilehua High School
Ria Lulla, Kawananakoa Middle School
Sarah Fujioka, Waipahu High School
William Milks, ‘Iolani School
The institute featured welcoming comments by East-West Center President Suzanne Vares-Lum (photo above), who touched upon two of the key themes of the institute: the importance of recognizing diverse perspectives and the interconnectedness of the world. Her comment that “Hawaiʻi can have an impact on the world” especially resonated among the Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawaiʻi Teacher Fellows and the SPICE staff.
President Vares-Lum’s welcoming comments set the context for presentations by University of Hawaiʻi-affiliated scholars and community leaders, and curricular presentations by SPICE staff. The first day’s topics were “Immigration and Migration,” “Japan and World War II,” and “Contemporary U.S.–China Relations”; the second day’s topics were “Immigration, Migration, and the Korean Diaspora,” “Colonial and Post-Colonial Korea,” “The Korean War,” and “International Textbook Comparisons”; and the third day’s topic was “Asian Immigration and Diasporas in the United States.” These topics were taken from the Hawaiʻi Core Standards for Social Studies. The presenters were:
Day One
Ken K. Ito, Professor Emeritus of Japanese Literature, UH Mānoa
Carole Hayashino, President Emerita, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i
Jane Kurahara, Volunteer, JCCH
Betsy Young, Volunteer, JCCH
Shana Brown, Associate Professor and Department Chair of History, UH Mānoa
Day Two
Merle Grybowski, Director of Teacher Training, Pacific and Asian Affairs Council
Edward J. Shultz, Professor Emeritus of History, UH Mānoa
Duk Hee Lee Murabayashi, Director, Korean Immigration Research Institute in Hawaiʻi
Naomi Funahashi, Manager of Teacher Professional Development, SPICE
Day Three
Gary Mukai, Director, SPICE
John Rosa, Associate Professor of History, UH Mānoa
HyoJung Jang, Instructor of the Sejong Korea Scholars Program and Curriculum Specialist, SPICE
The institute also included a reception. Special guests included Graeme Freeman (photo above), President of the Freeman Foundation, which generously supports Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi. Graeme spoke about the Freeman Foundation’s mission of helping to enhance the teaching of East Asia through programs such as the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia and Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi and expressed his gratitude to the Teacher Fellows for the ripple effect their learning has on their students. Graeme was joined by Director of Operations and Programs Shereen Goto and Office Manager Robin Sato, both of the Freeman Foundation.
Over the next month, each Teacher Fellow will submit a lesson plan to SPICE that incorporates content that was introduced during Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi. The SPICE staff awaits in anticipation of seeing how content from the seminar will reach hundreds of secondary school students throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
Rylan Sekiguchi, Manager of Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi, and Sabrina Ishimatsu, SPICE Event Coordinator, organized the institute, which was facilitated by SPICE Manager of Teacher Professional Development Naomi Funahashi.
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EAST ASIA SEMINARS FOR TEACHERS IN HAWAII
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East-West Center President Suzanne Vares-Lum delivers welcoming comments.
Community College Instructors Convene at Stanford for the 2023 EPIC Symposium
Sponsored by Stanford Global Studies (SGS), the Education Partnership for Internationalizing Curriculum (EPIC) Community College Faculty Fellowship program brings together a cohort of community college faculty and academic staff from various disciplines to work collaboratively with Stanford staff for one academic year (August–May). Each EPIC fellow designs a project that aims to internationalize curricula and develop global competencies among community college students. Jonas Edman and I met monthly with six of the 11 2022–23 EPIC fellows throughout the academic year. For me, some of the more meaningful discussions revolved around topics related to culturally relevant pedagogy; non-Western perspectives on topics like psychology, global citizenship, and finance; community college demographics; and the fellows’ communication with Stanford faculty and/or the incorporation of Stanford scholarship in the fellows’ projects. The fellowship culminated with the EPIC Symposium, “Integrating Global Topics into Community College Curricula,” which was held on May 20, 2023 and featured panels of current EPIC faculty and leadership fellows. The six EPIC fellows with whom Edman worked are listed below and their projects all focused on curriculum, which is a key component of SPICE’s mission to help make Stanford scholarship on global issues accessible to K–12 and community college educators and students. Each fellow gave an overview of their project to an audience of Stanford faculty and staff, EPIC alumni, and other community college faculty and staff.
Amy Coren, Professor of Psychology, Pasadena City College
Project: Beyond WEIRD: Reconceptualizing the Introduction to Psychology Course
Fran Farazdaghi, Associate Professor of Global and Peace Studies, Golden West College
Project: An Expanded Boundary of Care: Global Citizenship in the Modern World
Michelle Macfarlane, Agriculture Faculty and Distance Learning Coordinator, Sierra College
Project: Decolonizing the United States Food System
Yuliana Mendez, Associate Professor of Business, Yuba Community College
Project: Expanding the Borders of Personal Finance Curriculum Through Global Perspectives
Elisa Queenan, Professor of Business and Economics, Porterville College
Project: International Virtual Collaboration: Where the Only Thing More Unpredictable Than Your Wi-Fi Is the Conversation
Mark Rauzon, Professor and Chair of Geography Department, Laney College
Project: Breaking Up in the Bering Sea: Russia/U.S./Climate Change Chaos and the Effect on Native Communities and Bering Sea Ecology
Summaries of all of the 11 2022–23 EPIC fellows’ projects can be found here.
After an engaging question-and-answer session, Edman made closing comments and mentioned how much he had learned from the EPIC fellows not only in terms of subject matter content but also pedagogical content knowledge, especially at the community college level.
At the end of the symposium, the EPIC fellows received certificates from SGS Executive Director Kate Kuhns and Academic and Outreach Manager Kristyn Hara for their successful completion of the fellowship. During the symposium, they were invited to join the Global Educators Network (GEN), which in partnership with SGS seeks to inform, inspire, engage, and empower community college educators—and their students—to more deeply engage with global themes and learning resources, as well as international dialogue, research, and pedagogical strategies.
Following the symposium, I reflected on each of the presentations. I was, of course, already familiar with the content of their projects prior to the symposium. However, something unexpected from each presentation really stood out. Coren and Mendez described how their collaboration with other EPIC fellows in the group really enhanced their work with their students and commented on how their EPIC projects became a bridge between the cohort of EPIC fellows and their students. Farazdaghi spoke about how EPIC enabled her to empower her students to drive and shape her new curriculum on global citizenship. Macfarlane shared insights on the challenges of integrating her new course in departments like ethnic studies. Queenan spoke about how she adapted the five-step Design Thinking framework into her course. And through a video interview of a Siberian Yupik, Rauzon integrated an Indigenous perspective in his talk. These comments will help to further refine how Edman and I approach working with the 2023–24 EPIC fellows.
Importantly, Edman and I are most grateful to Kristyn Hara for expertly facilitating the EPIC program over the past year and for planning and implementing this year’s EPIC symposium.
The EPIC Community College Faculty Fellowship program is made possible through the support of U.S. Department of Education Title VI funding.
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Stanford Global Studies hosts 2023 Education Partnership for Internationalizing Curriculum (EPIC) Symposium: Integrating Global Topics into Community College Curricula.
SPICE Instructor Dr. Makiko Hirata Offers Workshop on “Sound Communication: How Musicality Can Enhance Your Teaching”
On May 5, 2023, the Spring 2023 TEACH Conference attracted people from across Stanford University for professional development, networking, and socializing around undergraduate and graduate teaching and learning. The conference engaged participants in the following key topics:
- Engagement: How can we captivate students and motivate them to apply what they are learning effectively to their projects, assignments, research, and so on?
- Well-being: How can we support thriving among learners and teachers?
- Belonging: How can we invite learners and teachers to bring their whole selves to class?
Makiko Hirata touched upon each of the three key topics through her perspective and experiences as a concert pianist, educator, and researcher. Hirata opened her session on “Sound Communication” with a performance of Chopin’s “Etude Op. 25-1 in A-flat Major” a.k.a. “Aeolian Harp” and immediately drew in the audience.
Hirata demonstrated how music can encourage people to be more empathetic and imaginative through a series of short vocalization and listening exercises. Between different exercises, she interspersed research on the synching or coupling of brainwaves between listeners in effective communication. She structured her talk around four components of music—silence, rhythm, melody, and harmony—and she offered insightful remarks on how understanding such components can make people better educators who can also help to facilitate the well-being and belonging of their learners.
Her interactive session included asking the participants to sit in silence. “If you only have two minutes to relax,” Hirata told the participants, “studies show that sitting in silence is more effective than listening to so-called ‘relaxing music.’ We only have so much cognitive capacity, and the brain needs silence in between inputs to process the information it receives.” Another exercise focused on rhythm as she engaged the audience in a clapping exercise. It was a lesson on non-verbal leadership, including the importance of using breath, body language, and eye contact as cues.
Hirata also made references to neuroscience, which has documented the effects of music. A summary of this is captured in the March 31, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times: “When we listen to music together, our heartbeats actually start to align and we start breathing together to the lyrics. Even our brain waves start to synchronize, according to Makiko Hirata, an international concert pianist who works with neuroscientists to quantify the benefits of music on our well-being.”
After participating in her workshop, I was eager to apply these musical concepts to my teaching for more enhanced sense of belonging and engagement among my students. In addition to the four components of music, I will also keep the following four questions—outlined by Hirata—in mind as I plan my future lessons.
- How much attention do you pay to your tone of voice in the classroom?
- What is the range of your vocal inflections during your presentations?
- What is the tempo of your bullet points and rhythms in your choice of words?
- Do you know the power that sonification can give to a set of data?
Hollie Fortcamp, one of the organizers of the TEACH Conference, noted, “It was a joy to attend ‘Sound Communication’ by Dr. Makiko Hirata, SPICE, at the TEACH Conference. We are so blessed to have her expertise and delight! She captivated the room. She gave us all much to ponder about how the various aspects of musicality influence communication, especially the communication of teaching and learning. We are still talking about it.” In addition, three of the participants’ written comments noted “Makiko’s lovely piano playing and moments of silence in a great workshop”; “the measurable value of silence in information processing”; and “music/sound and more importantly, silence in teaching is important.” Fortcamp continued, “Makiko was an ideal presenter as she highlighted all three topics of the TEACH Conference—that is, engagement, well-being, and belonging.”
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Reference:
“Can music inspire more people to care about climate change?” Los Angeles Times, 31 March, 2023; https://www.latimes.com/podcasts/story/2023-03-31/column-one-podcast-lu…
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The workshop was part of the Spring 2023 TEACH Conference, which explored the theme of belonging and wellness in teaching and learning.
Governor Katsusada Hirose and His Enduring Ties to Stanford University
Thirty years ago, Katsusada Hirose spent a year (1993–94) as a Visiting Scholar with the Global Affiliates Program at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC). Hirose represented Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) at APARC and worked closely with the founding director of APARC, now Professor Emeritus Daniel Okimoto. Hirose fondly recalls being able to commute by bicycle to campus. In his last position at MITI in 1999, Hirose held the post of Administrative Vice-Minister of MITI and METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and after a distinguished career with MITI and METI, Hirose became Governor of Oita Prefecture in 2003. Governor Hirose has also served as the President of the Governor’s Association of Kyushu Region since 2010.
On August 26, 2019, Okimoto organized a California-Japan Governors’ Symposium at Stanford University and invited Governor Hirose as well as Governor Ryuta Ibaragi (Okayama), Governor Heita Kawakatsu (Shizuoka), Vice Governor Yutaka Ota (Nagano), and Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki (Hiroshima). The California-Japan Governors’ Symposium was co-hosted by the Silicon Valley Japan Platform (SVJP) and the U.S.-Japan Council. Okimoto serves as Co-Chair of the SVJP Executive Committee.
On the same day as the Governors’ Symposium, SPICE officially launched Stanford e-Oita, an online course that is offered annually to high school students in Oita Prefecture and is taught by Kasumi Yamashita. Former Ambassador to Japan and former APARC Fellow Michael Armacost joined the ceremony and made opening comments, including a statement about how leaders like Governor Hirose have been pivotal in strengthening U.S.–Japan relations. Governor Hirose followed by not only recalling the invaluable intellectual experiences and opportunities to network that his year at Stanford provided him, but also fondly recalling the informal experiences like outings with Armacost at Stanford Golf Course. Stanford e-Oita would not have been possible without the vision and leadership of Governor Hirose.
I had the honor of meeting with Governor Hirose last month in his office in Oita Prefecture and learned that he will be retiring this year after serving 20 years as governor. We were joined by Superintendent Tetsuo Okamoto of Oita Prefecture. When I informed Professor Okimoto of the Governor’s upcoming retirement, he stated, “Governor Hirose is a highly respected political leader who has devoted his long career to public service as a higher civil servant in Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and as the elected Governor of Oita Prefecture from 2003 to 2023, spanning a productive era of two decades. What an extraordinary career and remarkable legacy.”
Stanford e-Oita Instructor Kasumi Yamashita added, “Empowering Stanford e-Oita high school students has been a highlight of my teaching career, and I am grateful to Governor Hirose for his unwavering support and for this opportunity.”
Professor Emeritus Okimoto, Instructor Yamashita, and I would like to wish Governor Hirose a wonderful retirement and look forward to his next visit to Stanford University.
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Professor Emeritus Daniel Okimoto, founding Director of the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, has collaborated with Governor Hirose since 1993.