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Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is an online course offered to high school students in Japan. It is offered annually in spring and fall by SPICE in collaboration with the Japanese NPO e-Entrepreneurship, led by Yusuke Ed Matsuda. The instructors in 2022 were Maiko Tamagawa Bacha (spring) and Irene Bryant (fall). The goal of the course is to foster creative thinking and problem-solving skills in students with a focus on innovation to address social issues.

On August 19, 2023, the top students in the 2022 spring and fall Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan cohorts were honored in a virtual ceremony. 

Spring 2022 honorees: 
•    Aiko Hayashi, Higashi Katsushika High School, Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture
•    Airi Tachino, Island School, Hong Kong

Fall 2022 honorees: 
•    Ririko Noda, Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School, Tokyo
•    Yuna Otsuki, Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen Makuhari Senior High School, Tokyo

The ceremony began with opening comments by Yusuke Ed Matsuda, who noted,

[T]his is a very rigorous course and very selective as well. Your contributions were very much appreciated and made the 2022 courses very successful. Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is becoming a huge buzz here in Japan. A lot of students who are considering enrollment want to study abroad… I hope that you will continue your endeavors with the social projects that you conceptualized in this course and connect the projects with your future pursuits.

Course instructors Maiko Tamagawa Bacha and Irene Bryant shared general reflections on the 2022 courses as well as specific contributions of each of the four honorees. The honorees then made outstanding presentations that focused on “Suggesting a New Solution for the Problem of Vacant Houses in Urban Areas” (Hayashi); “Reviewing the Current Situation Concerning Organ Transplantations for Children in Japan” (Tachino); “The Emergence of ‘Silver Democracy’: Lack of Youth Political Participation in Contemporary Japan” (Noda); and “Analysis of Barriers for Japanese Female Students in STEM” (Otsuki). They also skillfully answered questions from the audience. 

Reflecting on the growth of the course since its launch in spring 2020, Bryant noted, “I am so pleased that Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan has become so popular in Japan. I believe that one major contributing factor to this is our roster of engaging guest speakers, such as Stanford MD/PhD candidate Richard Liang, who was in attendance during the ceremony.” And reflecting on the presentations by the four students, Bacha reflected, “Each year, I am so impressed by the caliber of the student honorees, and the 2022 honorees were certainly no exception. What I believe is special about teaching Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is observing students learning to work together as a team to tackle a problem. I believe that this is a crucial aspect of problem-solving skills in general.” Bryant and Bacha both expressed their gratitude to Junna Hagiwara, Program Manager at NPO e-Entrepreneurship, for her unwavering support throughout the 2022 courses.

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is currently accepting applications for its fall 2023 course. For more details, visit the program page at https://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/fellowship/stanford-e-entrepreneurship-japan. Applications are due September 8, 2023. 

The spring 2022 Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan course was generously supported by the Water Dragon Foundation. The fall 2022 course was generously supported by Noriko Honda Chen and the Capital Group, Norman Chen, Andrew Ogawa, and Mako Ogawa.

For more information about SPICE’s online courses for students, visit our Student Programs page. To stay informed of SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan student Naho Abe in Mexico City
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Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan honorees with their instructors
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Fostering the Entrepreneurs and Innovators of Tomorrow

On August 11, 2021, SPICE honored the top students in the 2020 Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan Program in a virtual ceremony.
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Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan honorees with their instructors
Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan honorees with their instructors, Maiko Tamagawa Bacha (second row middle) and Irene Bryant (second row right); and Gary Mukai (bottom row left), Ed Matsuda (bottom row middle), and Junna Hagiwara (bottom row right).
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Applications for the fall 2023 course are due on September 8, 2023.

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Gary Mukai
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Stanford e-Japan enrolls exceptional high school students from Japan to engage in an intensive study of U.S. society and culture. The Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) enrolls exceptional high school students from the United States to engage in an intensive study of Japanese society and culture. Both courses underscore the importance of U.S.–Japan relations. The Yanai Tadashi Foundation is the current supporter of Stanford e-Japan, and the Japan Fund at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) is the current supporter of the RSP.

On August 7, 2023, an award ceremony was held at Stanford University to honor SPICE’s Spring and Fall 2022 Stanford e-Japan student honorees and 2023 Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) student honorees. The honorees performed at the highest levels of their courses as determined by Stanford e-Japan Instructors Waka Takahashi Brown and Meiko Kotani, Reischauer Scholars Program Instructor Naomi Funahashi, and the research paper review committees. The honorees are:

Spring 2022 Stanford e-Japan Program 
Hana Kameyama, Seikei High School, Tokyo
Miyu Kato, Hiroshima Prefectural Senior High School, Hiroshima
Yuta Muraki, Matsumoto Shuho Secondary School, Nagano

Honorable Mention: 
Mona Abe, Urawa Akenohoshi Girls’ Senior High School, Saitama
Oki Sugiyama, Musashi High School, Tokyo

Fall 2022 Stanford e-Japan Program 
Yukie Arashida, Yonezawa Kojokan High School, Yamagata
Yohkoh Hineno, Tokai High School, Aichi
Ami Osaka, International Christian University High School, Tokyo

Honorable Mention: 
Risa Fukushima, Senzoku Gakuen High School, Kanagawa
Kotaro Tomita, Shibuya Junior and Senior High School, Tokyo

2023 Reischauer Scholars Program 
Adrien Bouvard, Riverdale Country School, New York
Oliver Cho, Nueva School, California
Sienna Yamashita, Lincoln High School, Washington

Honorable Mention: 
Elise Chin, Oak Ridge High School, California
Tara Hagerty, Harpeth Hall, Tennessee
Hanah Youn, Roslyn High School, New York

Man in a suit standing at a podium


The program began with welcoming comments from the Honorable Yasushi Noguchi, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco. (Photo above courtesy Mia Kimura.) He commented,

Platforms such as the Reischauer Scholars Program and Stanford e-Japan are very important for our two nations. Through these programs, young people from both countries learn about the other country and mutual history, and have a chance to engage in direct exchange. To build a reliable and amicable relationship, mutual understanding is an essential factor. I believe that our young people’s deeper mutual understanding will enhance our two countries’ further cooperation and friendship.

 

Also in attendance from the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco were Noritoshi Kurokawa, Consul for Education, Science and Technology, and Yumiko Ishii, Advisor for Cultural and Educational Affairs.

Student delivering a presentation in front of an audience


Following the welcoming and opening comments, Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi gave introductions of their courses. The student honorees made outstanding presentations based on their research papers and expertly fielded questions from the audience.

Young man standing in front of a wall

 

One of the audience members was Jun Yamasaki, a recent graduate of Northwestern University who was a Yanai Tadashi Scholar and is now a PhD student at Stanford. (Photo courtesy Mia Kimura.) Yamasaki, who is originally from Tokyo, was a Stanford e-Japan honoree in 2017. Reflecting on the ceremony, he noted,

I am truly grateful for the continued interactions with the e-Japan program and its students over the years, and in particular, this opportunity to meet the honorees in person. I was very impressed by the unique perspectives from which they viewed the U.S.–Japan relationship, as well as the initiative, creativity, and rigorous thought they displayed in conducting the analysis. As I look back on Japan Day five years ago, I remember that my interactions with e-Japan and RSP students—who were intellectually curious and willing to discuss their opinions—solidified my decision to apply to U.S. colleges. I hope the students will continue to engage with each other and further build upon their cross-cultural awareness even after the conclusion of their programs.

 

Man standing to ask a question

 

The RSP and Stanford e-Japan are about to enter their 21st and 9th years, respectively. Many of the alumni are now engaged in various fields related to U.S.–Japan relations and continue to give back to both programs by being guest speakers or mentors to the current students. Also in the audience were Stanford e-Japan guest speakers, including Dr. Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu. (Photo courtesy Mia Kimura.)

Following the formal event, the student honorees—most having just met each other in person for the first time—had the chance to enjoy lunch and a Stanford campus tour together. It is the hope of Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi that the Japanese and American student honorees will continue to strengthen their budding friendships and ensure that the U.S.–Japan relationship remains strong.

SPICE is grateful to President Tadashi Yanai for his generous support of Stanford e-Japan and to Chikano Shiroma of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation for her regular correspondence and encouragement. SPICE is also thankful to the Japan Fund committee at FSI for its generous support of the Reischauer Scholars Program. These courses and the ceremony would not have been possible without them.

The Reischauer Scholars Program’s next application period will begin in September 2023. Stanford e-Japan’s next application period will begin November 2023.

To stay informed of SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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My Continuing Journey with Stanford e-Japan

The following reflection is a guest post written by Jun Yamasaki, a Spring 2017 alum and honoree of the Stanford e-Japan Program, which is currently accepting applications for Fall 2020. He is now a student at Northwestern University.
My Continuing Journey with Stanford e-Japan
Students on Stanford campus
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Critically Considering Perspectives on Social Issues in Japan

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.
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Noah Kurima with his family at Waseda University
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The Reischauer Scholars Program: Sharing Reflections from Waseda University

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Student honorees with their family members and their instructors (front row, left to right: Naomi Funahashi, Waka Takahashi Brown, Meiko Kotani); photo courtesy Mia Kimura.
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Congratulations to the 2022 Stanford e-Japan and 2023 RSP honorees.

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At the invitation of Nicole Ripley, Senior Program Officer of Leadership and Exchange Programs at The Asia Foundation, I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with the 2023 LeadNext fellows from across Asia and the United States on July 18, 2023. LeadNext is made possible by Amanda Minami, who has provided seed money for the initial three years of the program. According to The Asia Foundation website, the LeadNext Fellows: Ambassadors for a Global Future program is described as follows:

LeadNext builds a vibrant network of future leaders aged 18–25 from across Asia and the United States and supports their growth, impact, and capacity to address today’s greatest challenges.

With the profound structural changes that will transform geopolitics, global governance, the global economic order, and social landscape over the next decade, a new generation of globally minded leaders is imperative. The LeadNext program equips emerging leaders across cultures and disciplines with strong international networks, exposure to wide-ranging experiences, and leadership tools to thoughtfully steer the future.

Harnessing the innovation and energy of young leaders is essential. Positive and lasting change will depend on leaders who can move ideas and action forward to address rising inequality, find solutions to climate crises, mitigate conflict, and empower communities most vulnerable and insecure.

 

Young people listening to a presentation

 

There are four components of the LeadNext program: Leadership Training Intensive, Monthly Virtual Masterclasses, Global Leaders Summit, and Mentorship. The LeadNext fellows’ visit to Stanford, depicted in the photo above, was part of the culminating Global Leaders Summit. (Photo courtesy Nicole Ripley.) Prior to my talk on “What does it mean to be a global citizen?,” I had the chance to listen to self-introductions of the 20 LeadNext fellows, half of whom come from across the Asia-Pacific region and the other half from the United States. I was delighted to learn that several of them focus their work on educational issues that are also areas of focus of SPICE.

Phạm Nguyễn Đức Anh, from Vietnam, is a Leadership Development Fellow with Teach for Viet Nam in a rural secondary school and is focused on inequality and non-inclusion in the education ecosystem. Weeryue Chiapaoyue, from Laos, is a co-founder of the WESHARE Project, a fundraising program to provide supplies to underprivileged schools. Linda Kim, from the United States, promotes STEM careers at low-income high schools and represented her company at the 2022 One Young World Summit. Mohammad Tanvirul Hasan, from Bangladesh, advocates for youth leadership and education. And Samantha Powell, from the United States, supports Evanston public school students. During the session at Stanford and at a dinner reception later in the week, I felt so much energy from the LeadNext fellows. I agree with the LeadNext description above that “Harnessing the innovation and energy of young leaders is essential.”

I hope that there will be opportunities in the future for SPICE to partner with or support Phạm Nguyễn Đức Anh, Weeryue Chiapaoyue, Linda Kim, Mohammad Tanvirul Hasan, and Samantha Powell in their work with students and schools, and also ways to encourage some of my colleagues at FSI to collaborate with other LeadNext fellows.

A list of the 2023 LeadNext fellows follows: 
•    Phạm Nguyễn Đức Anh, Vietnam
•    Prakriti Basyal, Nepal 
•    Mel Britt, United States 
•    Weeryue Chiapaoyue, Laos
•    Temuulen Enkhbat, Mongolia
•    Andrew Farias, United States 
•    Ayesha Noor Fatima, Pakistan
•    Zeruiah Grammon, Papua New Guinea 
•    Mohammad Tanvirul Hasan, Bangladesh
•    Lorena James, United States 
•    Nishtha Kashyap, India 
•    Linda Kim, United States
•    Natalie Montecino, United States, 
•    Samantha Powell, United States
•    Brendan Schultz, United States 
•    Jia-Kai Eric Yeh Scott, United States
•    Melinda Anne Sharlini, Malaysia 
•    Edris Tajik, Afghanistan
•    Chenxi Zi, China

 

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Two people standing next to each other

 

The LeadNext visit to Stanford was led by Nicole Ripley (person on the right) and Tessa Charupatanapongse (person on the left), Asia Foundation Program Associate; photo courtesy Nicole Ripley. I share their academic interests in global studies and international education development, respectively. I also hope to expand our collaborative work, and am so grateful to Nicole for her invitation to meet with the LeadNext fellows. 

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The 2023 LeadNext fellows with Amanda Minami (front center); photo courtesy Nicole Ripley.
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The 2023 LeadNext fellows from Asia and the United States visited Stanford University in July 2023.

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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.

It was the first significant opportunity for me to contextualize myself on a global scale, extending beyond Japan.

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.

To stay informed of news about Stanford e-Japan and SPICE’s other programs, join our email list and follow us on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram.

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Stanford e-Japan honorees from across Japan gathered in Tokyo for the Japan Day award ceremony
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SPICE Recognizes Top Students in Stanford e-Japan and the Reischauer Scholars Program

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Ai Tanoue (dark sweatshirt) along with other students from the University of Tokyo standing next to Stanford e-Japan Instructor Meiko Kotani at Stanford Business School; photo courtesy Ai Tanoue.
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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.

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Applications opened today for Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ), an online course conducted in English to foster Japanese students’ creative thinking and innovative problem-solving skills to address social issues. SeEJ is offered twice annually in the fall and spring by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) at Stanford University and the non-profit organization e-Entrepreneurship in Japan. It is open to Japanese students in their first and second years of high school. The fall 2023 course will be taught by Irene Bryant and will run from late October 2023 through February 2024. 

The application form is now live at https://forms.gle/3JFWsxxq4AB12qKE9. The deadline to apply is September 8, 2023 23:59 Japan Time. 

Three stimulating months later, I now have a clear vision of what entrepreneurship is, a goal that I desire to achieve, and a countless amount of information about our world’s issues.
Juria Kawabe, summer 2022 participant

SeEJ offers students an opportunity to engage with various scholars and entrepreneurs from Stanford University and beyond through its virtual classes, which are held twice a month on Sundays. The course will culminate in an individual research paper and final group projects. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion from SPICE and NPO e-Entrepreneurship.

“When I came across this program, I had to look up what the word ‘entrepreneurship’ meant,” said Juria Kawabe, a student in the summer 2022 session of SeEJ. “Three stimulating months later, I now have a clear vision of what entrepreneurship is, a goal that I desire to achieve, and a countless amount of information about our world’s issues.” 

For more information about Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, visit the program webpage. Interested high school students should apply online by September 8, 2023. 

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.  To stay updated on SPICE news, join our email list or follow us on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter.

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Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan Calls for Applications (May 2023)

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Nahoko Okamoto, Mona Abe, Yamato Obinata, and Scott Watanuki with their instructors
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SPICE Recognizes Top Students in Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan

Congratulations to the summer 2021 and fall 2021 honorees.
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Fostering the Entrepreneurs and Innovators of Tomorrow

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Main Quad; photo courtesy Andrew Broadhead
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Applications are now being accepted for the fall 2023 session. Interested high school students from Japan should apply by September 8, 2023.

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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 headshot

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

Dr. Bertrand Patenaude 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)
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616 Jane Stanford Way
Encina Hall, E005
Stanford, CA 94305-6060

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Amy Cheng is the instructor of Stanford e-Eiri Girls High School and Stanford e-Kagoshima City for the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE). As of 2023 she has returned to SPICE on a part-time basis while she continues to work at Sony Interactive Entertainment as senior manager of a 12-member content creation team in the United States and the United Kingdom. Prior to Sony, she was a technical/education writer at Pearson Education as well as a curriculum writer for SPICE. In the earlier years with SPICE, she helped develop curricular units on Hiroshima, China in the 21st century, and U.S.–Mexico relations.

In the mid-1990s, Amy was a graduate student at Stanford University, completing coursework toward an M.A. in East Asian Studies and an M.A. in International Comparative Education at the Graduate School of Education. She received her degree from the Center for East Asian Studies in 1998. As an undergraduate, Amy studied English at the University of California at Berkeley.

Amy was born in Yokohama, Japan, and immigrated to the Bay Area in the late ’70s with her family. Besides Japan, she has lived in China and South Korea.

Instructor, Stanford e-Eiri Girls High School
Instructor, Stanford e-Kagoshima City
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Gary Mukai
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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

Suzanne Vares-Lum at the podium


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

Graeme Freeman at the podium


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.

To stay informed of SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Mia Kimura MBA

Mia Kimura is a Curriculum Consultant at the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE).

Prior to joining SPICE, Mia worked in marketing communications, supporting foreign firms in the Japanese market, and Japanese organizations in the United States. She has also served as Principal at Poppins Active Learning School, an international program for early childhood education in Tokyo. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science from Brown University, and a Master of Business Administration from The Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo. She was born in San Francisco and lived in Tokyo for 25 years before returning to the Bay Area.

Mia’s role at SPICE represents the culmination of decades of experience bridging Japanese and American business and social cultures. She also draws from background as an executive coach, defining her role of instructor as an enabler of students’ own curiosity and abilities to question, reflect, and learn.

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Applications opened recently for the Fall 2023 session of the Stanford University Scholars Program for Japanese High School Students (also known as “Stanford e-Japan”), which will run from the end of September 2023 through the end of February 2024. The deadline to apply is August 12, 2023.

Stanford e-Japan
Fall 2023 session (September 2023 to February 2024)
Application period: June 30 to August 12, 2023

All applications must be submitted at https://spicestanford.smapply.io/prog/stanford_e-japan/ via the SurveyMonkey Apply platform. Applicants and recommenders will need to create a SurveyMonkey Apply account to proceed. Students who are interested in applying to the online course are encouraged to begin their applications early.

Accepted applicants will engage in an intensive study of U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations. Government officials, top scholars, and experts from Stanford University and throughout the United States provide web-based lectures and engage students in live discussion sessions.

Stanford e-Japan is offered by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), Stanford University. Stanford e-Japan is generously supported by the Yanai Tadashi Foundation, Tokyo, Japan.

For more information about Stanford e-Japan, please visit stanfordejapan.org.

To stay informed of news about Stanford e-Japan and SPICE’s other student programsjoin our email list or follow us on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter.


SPICE offers separate courses for U.S. high school students. For more information, please visit the Reischauer Scholars Program (online course about Japan), the Sejong Korea Scholars Program (online course about Korea), and the China Scholars Program (online course about China).

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Interested students must apply by August 12, 2023.

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