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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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Teachers in front of the Japanese Garden, East-West Center; photo courtesy East-West Center.
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East-West Center President Suzanne Vares-Lum delivers welcoming comments.

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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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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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Encina Hall; photo courtesy Andrew Broadhead
Encina Hall; photo courtesy Andrew Broadhead
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Interested students must apply by August 12, 2023.

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Jonas Edman
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SPICE takes great pride in honoring the exceptional academic achievements of students participating in its regional programs for high school students in Japan.

This year, SPICE launched the Stanford e-Wakayama program, which joins the previously established regional programs, Stanford e-Hiroshima, Stanford e-Kawasaki, Stanford e-Kobe, Stanford e-Oita, Stanford e-Tottori, and Stanford e-Fukuoka*. These online courses—developed in collaboration with local government and school officials in Japan—encourage students to explore and think critically about global themes centered around U.S. society and culture, as well as U.S.–Japan relations.

After an enriching academic journey throughout the 2022–2023 term, it is with immense pleasure that SPICE announces the names of the two student honorees from each program who will be recognized for their exemplary performance. These exceptional individuals have demonstrated a remarkable dedication to their studies and have shown exceptional promise in their research projects.

We extend our warmest congratulations to the following 12 honorees for their remarkable academic achievements:

Stanford e-Hiroshima (Instructor Rylan Sekiguchi) 

Student Honoree: Yoshino Dake
School: Hatsukaichi High School
Project Title: What Can Japan Learn from the History of Discrimination Against Immigrants in the U.S.?

Student Honoree: Haruka Koga
School: Hiroshima High School
Project Title: What We Can Do to Reduce Food Waste

Stanford e-Kawasaki (Instructor Maiko Tamagawa Bacha)

Student Honoree: Miho Ebisawa
School: Tachibana High School
Project Title: Possibility of Entomophagy 

Student Honoree: Aoi Yagi
School: Kawasaki High School
Project Title: Forest Fires in the U.S.

Stanford e-Kobe (Instructor Alison Harsch)

Student Honoree: Kiyoka Ueda
School: Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School
Project Title: Multiculturalism of Cuisine in Japan and the U.S. 
~How Washoku Influences Food Culture in the U.S.~

Student Honoree: Jaine Haruka Buck
School: Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School
Project Title: LGBTQ+ History: Japan vs. USA 

Stanford e-Oita (Instructor Kasumi Yamashita)

Student Honoree: Sae Higashi
School: Usa High School
Project Title: Gender Inequality in Schools

Student Honoree: Nanako Hara
School: Kusu Miyama High School
Project Title: “A Pantry for Everyone” Project 

Stanford e-Tottori (Instructor Jonas Edman)

Student Honoree: Miyoko Mabuchi
School: Tottori Nishi High School
Project Title: How to Stop Depopulation in Tottori with Uber Taxis  

Student Honoree: Marin Okabe
School: Yonago Higashi High School
Project Title: How to Make the Rate of Foster Parenting Increase 

Stanford e-Wakayama (Instructor Makiko Hirata)

Student Honoree: Hanako Tanose
School: Seirin High School
Project Title: Education Support in Southeast Asia

Student Honoree: Sena Ishibashi
School: Hashimoto High School
Project Title: On HSP, Highly Sensitive People

This summer, SPICE will host several in-person and virtual events where the student honorees from each program will present their final research projects. Each student will be given the opportunity to make a formal presentation to members of the Stanford community, the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, and the Japanese community in the San Francisco Bay Area.

* Please note that Stanford e-Fukuoka ends later this summer so the honorees will be announced at a later date.



SPICE also offers online courses to U.S. high school students on Japan (Reischauer Scholars Program), China (China Scholars Program), and Korea (Sejong Korea Scholars Program), and online courses to Chinese high school students on the United States (Stanford e-China) and to Japanese high school students on the United States and U.S.–Japan relations (Stanford e-Japan) and on entrepreneurship (Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan).

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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Students with Yasuhiro Fukano, Manager at the Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education, and Makiko Hirata
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Encina Hall, Stanford University, home of SPICE
Encina Hall, Stanford University, home of SPICE; photo courtesy Irene Bryant
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Congratulations to the 12 student honorees from Hiroshima Prefecture, Kawasaki City, Kobe City, Oita Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, and Wakayama Prefecture.

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Gary Mukai
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In March 2022, SPICE released Introduction to Issues in International Security, an online lecture series that was developed by Irene Bryant in consultation with the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). Four CISAC scholars are featured in accessible video lectures that aim to introduce high school students to various global security issues. 

  • Biosecurity, by Dr. Megan J. Palmer, Executive Director of Bio Policy and Leadership Initiatives at Stanford University, Adjunct Professor in the department of Bioengineering, and Affiliate of the Center for International Security and Cooperation
  • Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide, by Dr. Norman Naimark, Professor of History and Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
  • International Security and North Korea’s Nuclear Program, by the Honorable Rose Gottemoeller, former Deputy Secretary General of NATO and Frank E. and Arthur W. Payne Distinguished Lecturer at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
  • Terrorism and Counterterrorism, by Dr. Martha Crenshaw, Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies 


In spring 2023, Dr. Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez, teacher at San Jose’s Willow Glen High School and lecturer at the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity at Stanford, introduced Introduction to Issues in International Security to a group of students at Willow Glen High School. Rodriguez’s course culminated in the second International Security Symposium that was held on May 24, 2023. Three representatives of CISAC gathered online with the students. The representatives were Professor Naimark, Post-Doctoral Fellow Dr. Laura Courchesne, and Associate Director of Administration and Finance Kelly Remus. The objectives of the symposium were to offer students a chance to interact with scholars in the field of international security and to learn from the scholars about careers in the field.

During the symposium, Naimark and Courchesne shared thoughts on a teacher(s) in high school or a specific event(s) in high school that had a significant impact on their academic careers and professional careers. This was followed by student presentations, during which the students were given the opportunity to present on one of the four topics covered in Introduction to Issues in International Security. Each student presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session with Naimark, Courchesne, and Remus. 

After the symposium, Rodriguez commented:

I was thankful for the opportunity to provide this educational outreach and collaboration with SPICE. The students are enrolled in the Two-Way Bilingual Immersion program at Willow Glen High School and are highly skilled, analytical, and critical thinkers. They were inspired by the opportunity to learn from Stanford scholars and experts in international security. I look forward to providing more outreach and continuing to collaborate.  

Given the success of the second symposium, CISAC and SPICE hope to expand on the lecture series, which is part of their DEI-focused efforts, and reach more underrepresented minority students. CISAC and SPICE are grateful to Rodriguez for his extraordinary work with the students and to SPICE Event Coordinator Sabrina Ishimatsu for her meticulous planning of the symposium. 

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

 

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Top row (left to right): Gary Mukai, Sabrina Ishimatsu, Kelly Remus, Laura Courchesne; second row (left to right) Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez, Norman Naimark, Carissa Garcia, Tadeusz Jose; third row (left to right): Jace Lopez, Gael Sanchez, Isabel Young, Carmen Young; fourth row: Spencer Blitchok.
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Willow Glen High School students from San Jose—enrolled in a course taught by Dr. Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez—participated in the second annual International Security Symposium.

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Gary Mukai
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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 K12 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. 

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

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EPIC Fellows with Jonas and Gary
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Applications opened this week for Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ), an all-English online course 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 SPICE and the non-profit organization e-Entrepreneurship in Japan. The instructors are Irene Bryant (fall) and Makiko Hirata (spring). It is open to Japanese students in their first and second years of high school. The spring 2023 course will run from early July through September.

The application form is now live at https://forms.gle/C8gTBAae71yHi5bZ8. The deadline to apply is June 19, 2023 23:59 Japan Time.

Participating in the program has broadened my world enormously.
Yura Mizutani, fall 2022 participant

SeEJ offers students an opportunity to engage with impactful entrepreneurs from California and beyond through its virtual classes offered twice a month on Sundays. The course will culminate in an individual research paper and final group research projects, the latter of which will be presented at the last virtual class of the course in September. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion from SPICE, Stanford University, and NPO e-Entrepreneurship.

Testimonials from recent alumni attest to the transformative experience that the course has offered students since its inaugural year in 2020. Yura Mizutani (fall 2022 SeEJ) wrote about how the course introduced her to more complex, layered, and multidisciplinary approaches to addressing social issues. “Before joining Stanford e-Entrepreneurship, I was passionate about solving social problems from a public policy perspective. Participating in the program has broadened my world enormously, as I have learned that there are many ways to solve social problems from an entrepreneurial perspective as well.”

For more information about Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, visit the program webpage. To apply, submit the online application by June 19.

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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

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Encina Hall, Stanford University; photo courtesy Irene Bryant.
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Applications are now being accepted for the spring 2023 session. Interested high school students in Japan should apply by June 19, 2023.

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Gary Mukai
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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.

Makiko Hirata at TEACH conference

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.” 

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

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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Marie Fujimoto at Tsuda Elementary School, Yokohama City
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Music Beyond Boundaries

Graduate student Marie Fujimoto reflects on a course co-taught by SPICE Director Gary Mukai and former CASEER Director Hideto Fukudome.
Music Beyond Boundaries
Students with Yasuhiro Fukano, Manager at the Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education, and Makiko Hirata
Blogs

SPICE Launches New Course for Students in Wakayama Prefecture

Instructor Makiko Hirata reflects on the launch of Stanford e-Wakayama, SPICE’s newest regional program in Japan.
SPICE Launches New Course for Students in Wakayama Prefecture
Yo-Yo Ma and Kinan Azmeh
Blogs

Kinan Azmeh and Yo-Yo Ma: Art in a Time of Crisis

On April 6, 2022, Silkroad will be performing at Stanford University.
Kinan Azmeh and Yo-Yo Ma: Art in a Time of Crisis
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Makiko Hirata speaking at the TEACH Conference on May 5, 2023
Makiko Hirata speaking at the TEACH Conference on May 5, 2023; photo courtesy Gary Mukai.
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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.

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Applications opened this week for the China Scholars Program, an intensive, college-level online course on contemporary China for U.S. high school students. The China Scholars Program (CSP) is offered by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) at Stanford University, and is open to rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders across the United States. The Fall 2023 online course will run from late August through December. Applications are due June 15, 2023.

Stanford University China Scholars Program for high school students
Fall 2023 session (late August through December)
Application period: May 8 to June 15, 2023

Accepted applicants will engage in a rigorous academic exploration of key issues in China, spanning politics, economics, social issues, culture, and the arts, with an emphasis on the relationship between the United States and China. In real-time conversations with leading scholars, experts, and diplomats from Stanford University and other institutions, participants will be exposed to the cutting edge of U.S.–China relations and scholarship. CSP students will also have an opportunity to meet online with Chinese students in our Stanford e-China Program. Students who complete the online course will be equipped with a rare degree of expertise about China and international relations that may have a significant impact on their choice of study and future career.

“CSP was one of the best academic programs that I have attended,” said Michelle Jin, a recent alum of the program. “By engaging with CSP’s rigorous and unique curriculum, I explored aspects of contemporary China that were not covered in my high school curriculum and had meaningful discussions with invited professors and cohort peers. The curriculum culminated with an independent research paper that allowed me to delve deeper into understanding China’s ‘Rust Belt,’ a topic of immense personal interest. I would highly recommend CSP to any student willing to challenge themselves and grow!”

More information on the China Scholars Program is available at http://chinascholars.org. Interested high school students should apply now at https://spicestanford.smapply.io/prog/china_scholars_program/. The deadline to apply is June 15, 2023.

The China Scholars Program is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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Project 17 co-founders and executive directors hold up the number “17” during a Zoom meeting
Blogs

China Scholars Program and Stanford e-China Alumnae Launch Project 17

Project 17 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization connecting students around the world to address the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN.
China Scholars Program and Stanford e-China Alumnae Launch Project 17
Santiago Calderon at Harvard University for debate tournament
Blogs

How SPICE’s China Scholars Program Accelerated My Love for International Relations

The following reflection is a guest post written by Santiago Calderon, an alumnus of the China Scholars Program, which is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2021 course.
How SPICE’s China Scholars Program Accelerated My Love for International Relations
group of students taking a photo in front of a building
Blogs

China Scholars Program: East Asia Through a STEM Lens

The following reflection is a guest post written by Mallika Pajjuri, an alumna of the China Scholars Program and the Reischauer Scholars Program. She is now a student at MIT.
China Scholars Program: East Asia Through a STEM Lens
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Cityscape of Guiyang at night, Jiaxiu Pavilion on the Nanming River.
Cityscape of Guiyang at night, Jiaxiu Pavilion on the Nanming River; photo by aphotostory/iStock via Getty Images
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Applications are being accepted for the Fall 2023 session. Interested students should apply by June 15, 2023.

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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.

Man and woman holding a Stanford University pennant
Governor Hirose and Kasumi Yamashita

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.

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Superintendent Okamoto, Gary Mukai, and 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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Visitors from Oita Prefecture visit Stanford for the opening ceremony of the Stanford e-Oita online course for high school students.
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Announcing Stanford e-Oita, a New Online Course for High School Students in Oita Prefecture, Japan

Announcing Stanford e-Oita, a New Online Course for High School Students in Oita Prefecture, Japan
Hotojima, Oita Prefecture
Blogs

Stanford e-Oita: Distance Learning Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic

Stanford e-Oita: Distance Learning Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic
Education session at the California-Japan Governors’ Symposium
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SPICE/FSI Serves as Stanford University Host of the California-Japan Governors’ Symposium

On August 26, 2019, SPICE/FSI served as the Stanford University host of the California-Japan Governors’ Symposium, which was co-hosted by the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) and the Silicon Valley Japan Platform (SVJP).
SPICE/FSI Serves as Stanford University Host of the California-Japan Governors’ Symposium
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Six men in suits sitting on a stage
Left to right: Professor Emeritus Daniel Okimoto, Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki (Hiroshima), Governor Heita Kawakatsu (Shizuoka), Governor Ryuta Ibaragi (Okayama), Governor Katsusada Hirose (Oita), and Vice Governor Yutaka Ota (Nagano) at the California-Japan Governors’ Symposium at Stanford University on August 26, 2019; photo courtesy Rylan Sekiguchi
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Professor Emeritus Daniel Okimoto, founding Director of the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, has collaborated with Governor Hirose since 1993.

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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.

In August 2023, three of the top students of the Fall 2022 Stanford e-Japan distance-learning course will be honored at a Japan Day ceremony through Stanford University. The three Stanford e-Japan honorees—Yukie Arashida (Yonezawa Kojokan High School, Yamagata), Yohkoh Hineno (Tokai High School, Aichi), and Ami Osaka (International Christian University High School, Tokyo)—will be recognized for their coursework and exceptional research essays that focused respectively on “Proposals for Appropriate Employment System: A Comparative Study of Employment Systems Between the United States and Japan,” “Gender Equality: The Potential Incentive,” and “Abortion: The Current System That Is Failing to Protect Women’s Rights in Japan and the United States.” 

Risa Fukushima (Senzoku Gakuen High School, Kanagawa) received an Honorable Mention for her research paper on “The Legitimacy of Implementing Electoral Gender Quota System in the United States and Japan.” Kotaro Tomita (Shibuya Junior and Senior High School, Tokyo) also received an Honorable Mention for his paper on “Saturday Night Live’s Leftward Shift and America’s Political Polarization: How SNL Can Help Unify Americans.”

In the Fall 2022 session of Stanford e-Japan, students from Hiroshima Global Academy (Hiroshima), International Christian University High School (Tokyo), Katoh Gakuen Gyoshu Junior and Senior High School (Shizuoka), Keio Girls Senior High School (Tokyo), Kumamoto High School (Kumamoto), Matsuyama East High School (Ehime), Mita International School (Tokyo), Municipal Urawa High School (Saitama), Okayama Prefectural Okayama Asahi Senior High School (Okayama), Otemaetakamatsu High School (Kagawa), Ritsumeikan Keisho Junior and Senior High School (Hokkaido), Sagami Koyokan High School (Kanagawa), Seikyo Gakuen Senior High School (Osaka), Senior High School at Otsuka, University of Tsukuba (Tokyo), Senzoku Gakuen High School (Kanagawa), Shibuya Junior and Senior High School (Tokyo), Shibuya Kyouiku Gakuen Makuhari Senior High School (Chiba), Shirayuri Gakuen Senior High School (Tokyo), Tochigi Prefectural Utsunomiya Chuo Girls’ High School (Tochigi), Tokai High School (Aichi), Tokyo Gakugei University International Secondary School (Tokyo), Tsurumaru High School (Kagoshima), Waseda University High School (Tokyo), and Yonezawa Kojokan High School (Yamagata) participated in the course.

For more information about the Stanford e-Japan Program, please visit stanfordejapan.org. The application period for the fall 2023 session will begin June 30, 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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Hana Kameyama, Miyu Kato, and Yuta Muraki
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Winners Announced for the Spring 2022 Stanford e-Japan Award

Congratulations to our newest student honorees.
Winners Announced for the Spring 2022 Stanford e-Japan Award
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

Congratulations to the 2021 Stanford e-Japan and 2022 RSP honorees.
SPICE Recognizes Top Students in Stanford e-Japan and the Reischauer Scholars Program
collage of Japanese students
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Empowering the Next Generation of Japanese Leaders

Yanai Scholars, Stanford e-Japan alumni, and EducationUSA representatives highlight a special session for the Spring 2022 Stanford e-Japan students.
Empowering the Next Generation of Japanese Leaders
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Yukie Arashida, Yohkoh, Hineno, and Ami Osaka
Yukie Arashida, Yohkoh Hineno, and Ami Osaka
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Congratulations to our newest student honorees.

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