The Nippon Foundation Fellows Program at The Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies (IUC)
Scholarship Opportunity — advanced Japanese language training for graduate students with Japan-focused career goals in academia, business, diplomacy/government service, journalism, and law

The IUC is pleased to announce generous sponsorship from The Nippon Foundation of a 10-month fellowship program at the IUC. The Nippon Foundation Fellows Program at the IUC aims to provide the most promising students with the deep linguistic and cultural knowledge needed to become leaders in their fields, and to foster strong collegial bonds and intellectual exchange among themselves and with their IUC senpai.

Eligibility: PhD students in all fields of Japanese studies, currently enrolled in universities from North America, Europe, Australia, or New Zealand; MA, MS, MBA & JD students with Japan-focused career goals in business, diplomacy/government service, journalism and law currently enrolled or recently graduated from a North American university. Applicants must pass the IUC language exam.

Tuition: Fellows will receive a full tuition scholarship plus a modest living stipend to attend the 10-Month immersion program in advanced Japanese at the IUC in Yokohama.

The Nippon Foundation Fellows will:

Meet with each other and the IUC Resident Director on a monthly basis to discuss their research interests and experiences in Japan,

Invite two IUC alumni to offer public lectures in Japanese in Tokyo, and
Deliver a presentation in Japanese at one of three Nippon Foundation Fellows conferences open to the public.

• Applications: http://web.stanford.edu/dept/IUC
• Deadlines: PhD applicants: December 12, 2014
• MA/MS/MBA/JD applicants: January 15, 2015

Inter-University Center
Encina Hall, Room C334
616 Serra Street
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305
Email: iucjapan@stanford.edu
Visit the website at web.stanford.edu/dept/IUC

On 30-31st October, the Japanese Programme at the University of Canterbury hosted a very successful mini workshop titled, “Tohoku/Christchurch: Reflections on the Socio-cultural Impacts of the Quakes”, in conjunction with colleagues from Tohoku University and Kobe University.

 Presenters came from a range of areas including Religious Studies, Folklore, Anthropology, Sociology, English & Digital Humanities, Japanese Studies, Political Science and Creative & Performing Arts. In addition, we were very fortunate to have presentations by Dr Ryan Reynolds from “Gap Filler” and Assoc-Prof Roy Starrs from Otago University.

The workshop provided an excellent opportunity for colleagues from both sides to share their work on the impact of the quakes on people’s lives, communities, cultural and religious practices and the like in Tohoku and Christchurch, and to exchange ideas. We thank and congratulate the presenters for their informative and inspiring talks. We thank also the participants from UC, CPIT, Lincoln and ECAN. All contributed to making this workshop a success.

Fortune Cookie in Love, NZ University version.  JSANZ project As a project of JSANZ, students learning Japanese at tertiary institutions in New Zealand danced to the popular pop song Koisuru Fortune Cookie in Love. This video is a symbol of collaboration between universities, and indicates the possibility of further academic and entertaining collaboration to promote Japanese Language Education.  Many thanks to all the dancers, and special thanks to Professor Thomson Kinoshita who represented universities in Australia.

Participating Tertiary Institutions:

• Auckland University of Technology
• Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology
• International Pacific College
• Massey University      
• Unitec Institute of Technology
• University of Auckland         
• University of Canterbury      
• University of Otago   
• University of Waikato
• Victoria University of Wellington

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GxEAcad7-gE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

A big thank you to Ogino先生。None of this would have been possible without your vision and energy.

IPC Tertiary Institute, in Palmerston North, has been running Japanese Intensive Weekends for a number of years, with the ultimate goal of giving high school students an exciting and interactive real Japanese experience, thereby increasing their motivation to continue on with their Japanese studies throughout school, and at tertiary level.

This year’s August event on the 23rd and 24th welcomed 42 Year 11, 12, and 13 students from high schools across the North Island to participate in two days packed full with Japanese classes and cultural activities. Students came from 11 different schools in the following areas: Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu, and Wellington. They were accommodated in IPC’s halls of residence, giving them a feel for student life at university and they dined in the on-campus dining hall, where they enjoyed Japanese soba, nanban chicken, and other options.

Throughout the weekend the high school students were taught in small classes by IPC’s three native Japanese lecturers. They built on vocabulary and grammar learned in school, practiced Japanese conversation, and learned about cultural norms in Japanese daily life.

Saturday afternoon saw students paired up with visiting Japanese high school students and their communication skills were put to the test as they worked together to complete a town scavenger hunt- answering Japanese questions at stations around the city centre, then racing to solve the mystery question. Students then put their trust in their partners in hoisting each other up rock climbing walls at Vertex Climbing Gym.

On Sunday students were kept busy mastering 対抗(Taiko drumming), making delicious 巻き寿司(maki sushi), perfecting their brush strokes in a 書道(calligraphy) class, and dressing in traditional 浴衣(yukata) and 甚平(jinbei) to take part in a 茶道(tea ceremony).

The weekend was a great success- 42 students went home on Sunday afternoon exhausted and buzzing after having made many new friends with students with a mutual love of all things Japanese! Due to the high demand for this weekend we will be holding a second Japanese Intensive Weekend this year, on October 11 and 12. All Year 11, 12, and 13 students, either learning Japanese currently, or interested in learning Japanese, are welcome to register.

Contact Heather at hdrinnan@ipc.ac.nz

Study grants are available for senior secondary and undergraduate students in New Zealand who have been accepted on exchange programmes to Japan.  The study grants are designed to encourage students to participate in exchanges to Japan and increase linkages between New Zealand and Japan.

The grants are provided by Nakashimato Co Ltd as a contribution towards study costs in Japan.

Applications close 11 December.

The annual Nihongo Festival will be held at University of Auckland on August 30, 2014, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. The venue is Pat Hanan Room, The University of Auckland (Level 5, Arts 2 Building)

For information contact: Lawrence Marceau, 2014 Nihongo Festival Co-ordinator
l.marceau@auckland.ac.nz

The event, hosted by the School of Language and Culture at Auckland University of Technology, was supported by NZJEP (New Zealand Japan Exchange Programme), the Japan Foundation, and the AUT Faculty of Culture and Society. The keynote speaker was Professor Tony Liddicoat, Professor in Applied Linguistics from the University of South Australia. In his plenary, Professor Liddicoat explored the nature of Intercultural Language Teaching and some of the core assumptions that lie behind adopting an intercultural perspective in language teaching and learning. His workshop the following day developed the ideas presented in the lecture, focusing on practical ways to integrate language and culture in the classroom to develop students’ intercultural understanding.

Participants also had the opportunity to join language specific workshops and hear of further professional development opportunities.

A copy of the Powerpoint slides can be sent to those interested. Please contact languages@aut.ac.nz

The University of Canterbury is organising a one-day Japanese NCEA workshop for Y11-13 secondary school students in Greater Christchurch on 11 June.We are expecting over 300 students from 15 schools along with their Japanese teachers.  

The programme includes learning sessions for NCEA assessments, a keynote talk by Jonathan Hendriksen (CEO and Founder of Shuttlerock) and a Japanese drum performance by Takumi.