j-conference report 2013

J-Center Conference Report

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-The Honorable Norman Mineta

Chair, J-Center Advisory Council

Table of Contents

Letter from Director - - - - - - - - 2

Conference Schedule - - - - - - - 4

Executive Summary - - - - - - - - 7

K-12 Summary - - - - - - - - 10

Higher Ed Summary - - - - - - - - 14

Note on Included Slides - - - - - - - 16

Opening Plenary Slides - - - - - - - 17

Closing Plenary Slides - - - - - - - 25

Conference Survey Results - - - - - - - 32

1HZ�*OREDO�&LWL]HQ�Article - - - - - - - 33

Advisory Council List & Contact Information - - - - 37

Note From the J-Center Director

Dear Partners, Supporters, Colleagues, and Friends,

Thank you to the individuals and organizations that participated in our second J-Center conference

in October of 2013. It was the thoughtful leadership and years of experience of the conference

speakers, panelists, and participants that made this event a success.

As you know, the J-Center is a Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP) grant-funded

program of the Center for Citizen Diplomacy at PYXERA Global. Established in March of 2011,

the J-Center serves the 12 states of the American Midwest and acts as a clearinghouse of nearly

600 organizations, schools, universities, and community groups that celebrate Japanese culture,

language, and the arts. The J-Center promotes the great work of existing organizations, connects

individuals to opportunities to become involved in their local communities, and FRQYHQHV the

leaders driving this grassroots work of growing the bonds between Japan in the American Midwest.

This year’s J-Center conference, hosted at Waseda University in Tokyo, was an opportunity for

leaders from K-12, higher education, community based exchange programs, and culture and the

arts groups to come together and discuss issues of common interest in their work promoting the

U.S.-Japan relationship.

The two-day event in Tokyo was also a chance for leaders to network and consider ways they can

collaborate in order to better engage the communities they serve. In a time when budgets are tight

and interest in Japan is in competition with emerging world cultures, it is as important as ever for

the leaders committed to strengthening the bond between Japan and the U.S. to share their ideas,

resources, and time to move the collective work forward.

Americans are attracted to Japan for many reasons. The language, food, music, art, and people of

Japan make Japanese culture a compelling one to explore. The J-Center makes it easier for people,

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Japan in their local communities.

2

In addition to playing this role of promoter, connecter, and convener, the J-Center also serves as

a champion of the larger cause in which we are all united. The relationship between the United

States and Japan is an important model for 21st century cooperation. When our students, teachers,

neighbors, friends, and colleagues spend time and energy investing in the special friendship

between Japan and the United States, we are investing in the next generation of global peace and

prosperity.

In this capacity, the J-Center strives to be a vehicle for more engagement between the people of

the United States and Japan that results in increased global collaboration and the development of

new innovations. As a program of the Center for Citizen Diplomacy, the J-Center is positioned to

inspire a new generation of citizen diplomats in the Midwest and across Japan.

For so many of us, this work is a true pleasure that brings personal joy along with professional

satisfaction. It is an honor to support all of you in the work you do every day.

Again, many thanks to all of the people that made the J-Center conference a success. Here’s to more

years of continued progress.

Arigatou gozaimasu,

Matt Clark

J-Center Program Director, Center for Citizen Diplomacy

PYXERA Global

3

Executive Summary

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Summary

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international education relating to Japan. The J-Center established itself as the convener of this type

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Introduction

The conference convened various stakeholders in general talks and workshop sessions. The

introduction by Satoshi Hasegawa provided an opportunity for the Japan Foundation to describe its

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within its broad range of programs. The same was true of Pamela Fields’ presentation of the

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organizations themselves. The information was helpful and well-presented.

Higher Education: Panel 1

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program, for which the University is actively recruiting English-speaking students from outside

Japan. Professor Yaguchi described a key challenge faced by the university not only in setting up a

high quality English course, but also in developing a recruiting culture. The University of Tokyo has

never had to recruit students. Professor Yaguchi asked for the attendees’ help with this challenge.

The second example was provided by Professor Kendall Heitzman of the University of Iowa, who

7

described an interesting opportunity/challenge his university faces with enrollment in Japanese

language classes. The number of students enrolled in Japanese courses has jumped dramatically in

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attributed to Chinese students who are attempting to balance rigorous science courses with more

“familiar” courses in Japanese language. Professor Heitzman wonders if this will lead to increased

enrollment in more advanced courses related to Japanese culture.

These two practical examples represented more general trends and issues related to study abroad

and the internationalization of curriculum. They provided a nice counterpoint at the operating level

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discussion ensued among the participants and audience members.

K-12: Panel 2

The second panel was ambitious in that the panelists represented a more diverse set of experiences

and interests than the higher education panel. The purpose was to leverage existing networks and

to create new ways of contributing to K-12 education, with an emphasis on the Midwest. The JET

experience exists “within the system” of Japanese education, while Teach for Japan and Teach for All

are interested in presenting alternatives to the JET model. While the session searched for a project

or initiative, this participant again found the information exchange to be the most interesting. The

JETs teaching examples described by Kay Makishi and fellow teachers were fascinating, and the

challenges faced by alternative examples in Japan were illuminated.

Final Work Sessions

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on how to address practical issues as described by Rosie Edmond, Yujin Yaguchi, and Kendall

Heitzman. I felt a strong sense of cooperation develop. For example, there were discussions on how

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Public-Private Partnerships Panel

The PPP panel provided a very good exchange. The U.S. Embassy and TOMODACHI Initiative have

a pre-existing relationship and are complementary organizations. Bringing both organizations

together allowed participants to understand the compatible nature of their work. This was

8

especially relevant for the Midwest participants, who have somewhat less exposure to these

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Conclusion

Adding value in an education-oriented conference is not easy. When the objectives include covering

higher education and K-12, involving U.S. and Japanese educators while maintaining a regional

focus, and introducing new ideas such as virtual learning exchange, the task looks impossibly

ambitious. I felt the conference succeeded by limiting the participants to actual practitioners and

combining informative talks with participatory workshops to identify next steps. The informal but

determined atmosphere fostered by the J-Center aided this interaction, both for American and

Japanese participants.

The overall purpose of the J-Center conference was for the J-Center to obtain information and

initiatives it can pursue in the Midwest. In my opinion, this goal was advanced by the conference.

I eagerly await the outcome of the J-Center’s deliberation and look forward to participating in next

steps.

�3HWHU�.HOOH\President of the National Association of Japan-America Societies

and an Advisor to the J-Center

9

K-12 Sessions Notes

Maurice L. Rabb

Director, Partner Engagement | Teach For Japan | Teach For All

1. AJET

a. What JETs want to see

i. Smartphone applications

ii. Utilizing technology in the classroom

iii. Social media platforms

iv. Comprehensive website/database

1. Modules for lesson ideas

2. Classroom management

3. Tools for engagement

b. Emphasized that activities are voluntary

2. JETAA

a. Use Google Groups to connect

b. Generally volunteer – want to create paid positions

c. Link to current JETs and alumni of JET program

d. Ideas

i. Lesson plans for JETs

ii. Skype Lesson

iii. Advanced Pen-pal Program

3. National Association of Japan-American Societies – (37 current societies 9 in the Midwest)

a. Origin—culture curiosity

b. Why still exist?

i. Culture curiosity

ii. Economic ties

iii. Support by (national) Foundations

iv. Local management capabilities

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4. JEARN Japanese Class, iEARN Japan

a. Example of volunteers in Japan

b. Kobe, Kansai, Kinki – (Potential Recruits)

c. Active Learning Programs

d. Students having a chance to teach their culture as well

i. Hyogo Youth Summit – enjoy games and share their ideas

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Public” Summits

5. Thought Generators

a. What kind of program will have the deepest impact?

i. Fostering a “Global Mindset” has a chance to be very impactful

b. What is the low hanging fruit that is easy to do, but that is impactful?

c. How have you changed Japanese “inward” thinking?

d. How to be better storytellers?

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i. Both Homogenous

ii. Iowans have remained very open to other cultures

iii. Iowans know that they have to adapt for a global society

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i. Facilitation of more exchanges, particularly via video

1. Ask students to prepare before the conference

6. Potential Solutions

a. Utilizing JETS & JET Alumni

i. 4,372 persons – 90% (about 4,000 are in ALT)

ii. How can we better utilize?

iii. AJET – volunteer and give it a try/how to promote within Japan

b. Creating a “Collaborative Community”

i. Modernizing of the – “Japan in the Suitcase” -- Small curriculum

c. Collaborating on Project(s) (“Making international teams”)

d. How to use the Olympics to make Japan more Global minded?

11

7. 5HȵHFWLRQV

a. Similarities between Iowa and Japan

b. Pool of knowledge that is coming back regularly through the JETs – how to get some of

that with fresh curriculum

c. Collaborative Community

d. KAC – American Student and Japanese becoming ALT – Involve JET Alumni

e. Clear and practical projects/lessons plans back to teachers in Japan

f. Japan Foundation – connecting JOI coordinators with JET participants

a. Another conference

8. Other Ideas

a. How do we use the sources and how do we coordinate and make lesson plans to

bring back to the classrooms?

b. How do your organizations currently collaborate?

i. NY – send 10 social studies middle school teachers to Japan; asking which

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iv. Mutual mission/values buy-in and very practical relationship (e.g., clear project) –

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1. Run in it but don’t prepare the content

v. Competing for same sources, then divided into small sources

vi. Consulates and Japan American Societies

vii. MOE

viii. Development of new things that are much better – value of collaboration is

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ix. Community programs – work with an ethnic community to share their

background to the broader community

x. More participants more classrooms/having students

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a. Fundraising fair

b. Human Talent fair

c. PR fair

d. Another conference

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a. Conference

b. Univ. of Tokyo – selling to English-speaking people

14. Kind of convening is the most valuable for you and your organization

a. K-12; MOE

13

Higher Education Panel Notes

Rosie Edmond, Education USA

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Presenters as well as participants representing several higher education institutions both in Japan

and the United States discussed their student exchange programs, challenges, and success stories.

Dr. Yaguchi, from the University of Tokyo, talked about the PEAK program and the University of

Tokyo’s institutional goal to globalize campus-wide. The other panelists also shared highlights about

their successful programs. U.S. institutions expressed the challenge of recruiting Japanese students

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1. Funding

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3. Lack of marketing (on both sides)

4. Government or Ministry of Education

5. Institutional recognition (rankings)

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a. cohort exchange

b. exchange based on other than reciprocity

2. Establish pre-academic programs that focus on English

3. Establish programs around Japanese academic calendar

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sector (to build in internships)

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institutional agreements with each other and agreed to follow up.

14

Midwestern universities and consortia outline their interest in virtual collaboration and explore how

online platforms might provide common ground for new cooperation between universities in the

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Each panelist shared their current involvement in MOOCs or online student engagement. The

programs ranged in sophistication, which led to the discussion of major challenges. Most of the

challenges were budgetary as well as the lack of university name recognition vs. the “Wasedas.”

Most of the discussion involved the challenge of engaging with brand names or brand names not

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Institutions discussed how online platforms have expanded their global presence and, in some

cases, how they hoped to expand further. The bulk of the conversations in this session focused on

funding, lack of human resources, and interest from faculty to engage partners in Japan through

virtual tools.

15

Slides from CULCON & TOMODACHI

All of the presenters in the higher education and K-12 working groups prepared slides to illustrate

the information they addressed during the conference. The following pages summarize material

presented during the opening and closing plenary sessions of the conference.

The conference opened with a presentation from Pamela Fields, Deputy Secretary-General of

CULCON. CULCON is a well-known and highly respected bi-national advisory panel that serves to

elevate and strengthen the vital cultural and educational foundations of the U.S.-Japan relationship,

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that the best of new ideas for cultural, educational, and intellectual activity and exchange are

implemented as operational programs.

Ms. Fields presented an overview of the current state of the U.S.-Japan relationship in education

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force, which were extremely useful in the subsequent K-12 and higher education sessions of the

J-Center conference.

The conference closed with a panel discussion about public-private partnerships, chaired by

Mark Davidson, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, and Alexia D’Arco, Program

Development Consultant for the TOMODACHI Initiative.

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conference participants. The included slides from the TOMODACHI Initiative work are excellent

examples of a public-private partnership that invests in the next generation of Japanese and

American leaders through educational and cultural exchanges as well as leadership programs,

which was a central theme of the 2013 J-Center conference.

16

CULCON Education Task Force Report

17


18


19


20


21


24

TOMODACHI Initiative

25


26


27


28


29


30


31

J-Center Conference Feedback

J-Conference participants were asked to rate each session on a scale of

1 (highly irrelevant) to 5 (highly relevant)

based on content and presentation. A graphic of aggregate data from the surveys is displayed

below. In addition to the high marks and positive survey comments about individual working

sessions and the plenary content, perhaps the most notable piece of information is that 100% of

participants responded “Yes, very likely” when asked if they would be inclined to participate in a

similar event convened in the future.

“How likely are you to attend a similar event hosted by the J-Center in the future?” VERY LIKELY

100%SAID

Satisfaction with K-12 sessions

4.85 4.8Satisfaction with

higher ed sessionsSatisfaction with plenary sessions

4.2

32

SEEDS OF GLOBAL

LEADERSHIP

Y ume Hidaka, Program Director at The Laurasian Institution, stood before 50 thought leaders convened last month for a summit at Waseda

University in Tokyo, hosted by the Center for Citizen Diplomacy J-Center program. Yume, an advisory council member to the J-Center, manages student and young professional exchange programs between Japan and the United States. She delivered a simple and powerful summary of her organization’s mission that also spoke to the reason for the gathering in Tokyo she addressed.

“We are helping thousands of students become tomorrow’s global leaders.”

Dozens of scholars from primary, secondary, and higher education, leaders of international non-profit organizations, and representatives of U.S. and Japanese government agencies came together for the two-day summit. They explored ways their work can more purposefully achieve their shared objective: fostering globally competent leaders that will guide the next generation of the U.S.-Japan relationship.

The summit was facilitated by the J-Center program, an initiative that networks

organizations and resources that exist to promote Japanese culture, language, arts, and educational exchange in the American Midwest. The program was made possible with grant funds from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, a public-private foundation that promotes Japanese culture around the world.

The gathering in Tokyo created an opportunity for educational leaders in the United States and Japan to discuss issues of common concern, share best practices, and reaffirm their shared interest in fostering the next generation of American and Japanese

Leaders Convene at a Leading Tokyo University to Forge New U.S.-Japan Partnership in Education, Exchange

By Matt Clark

This article was originally published on the New Global Citizen | Read more at www.newglobalcitizen.com

partners. While these leaders all work in different disciplines of the field, consensus emerged that encouraging people of all ages to not only learn about one another, but also to learn with one another is a powerful force for global competency and cooperation.

That theme was front and center for the two-day summit in Tokyo. Working sessions were separated by panel and group discussions that focused either on primary and secondary or higher education. The elementary and secondary school leaders explored the idea of using virtual classroom partnerships, a low-cost way for schools to make connections globally, as a tool for international education. They also discussed how community groups, often interested in contributing to educational initiatives that connect students to world cultures, can be more purposefully leveraged to deliver educational experiences that have a lasting impact on students.

The higher education sessions explored issues of vital importance to colleges and universities in the United States and Japan. Institutions on both sides of the Pacific are interested in maximizing opportunities for their students to have meaningful cross-cultural experiences, both on their home campuses and while studying abroad. All participants embraced the idea of a continuum of

student engagement. A key question was central to their discussion: how do we engage students in meaningful ways before, during, and after their cross-cultural exchange experience?

The most impactful student programs meet three specific criteria. First, they ensure a thorough pre-program orientation that provides students with the tools necessary to succeed. Second, successful programs invest in timely monitoring of the program while it is unfolding to evaluate feedback in real-time. Lastly, they provide a post-engagement period of reflection that encourages the students to think about what they have taken away from the experience and empowers them to use those lessons moving forward.

Ultimately, cross-cultural educational exchange activities must be thoughtfully designed and implemented in ways that underscore the idea that these are not just one-off experiences, but the foundation for globally competent leadership.

Despite any number of associations and conferences that allow educators and administrators to network, these individuals have limited opportunities to engage with other community leaders outside of their specific educational

domain, even though their parallel work is often complementary.

The most impactful student programs meet three specific criteria:

1) Pre-program orientation2) Timely monitoring3) Post-engagement reflection


In addition to the ideas explored and suggestions made by the working groups, a fact that was evident during all of the sessions was a basic desire for more opportunities to discuss these issues and form more impactful partnerships. There was clear value in the simple act of convening these individuals who, together, can better connect classrooms, campuses, and communities across the United States and Japan.

The U.S.-Japan relationship has always been a unique one that has far-reaching implications in international politics, economics, and security. Japanese culture — both traditional and contemporary — has captured the imagination of Americans for generations, and the same is true of American culture for people in Japan. One need only look to the Japanese love of baseball and Lady Gaga to see the impact of U.S. cultural exports on Japanese society.

Earlier this summer and fall, I had the pleasure of touring Japanese culture festivals around the Midwest. The region’s vibrant network of community organizations create regular opportunities for citizen diplomacy interactions between the two cultures. These festivals showcase the ways people in the middle of America learn more about Japan in their own backyards. Global engagement is not always a highly structured, scholarly interaction. Sometimes it takes the form of a child in Nebraska learning how to make an origami paper crane from a Japanese woman wearing a kimono, or a blonde Minnesotan toddler learning to use chopsticks, or even a skinny man in Missouri challenging a group of professional sumo wrestlers. After each of these simple interactions, people go home with more understanding of people and cultures different than their own. Their worldviews are forever changed.

Ultimately, cross-cultural educational exchange activities must be thoughtfully designed and implemented in ways that underscore the idea that these are not just one-off experiences, but the foundation for globally competent leadership.

Pamela F ie lds , Deputy Secretary-Genera l of CULCON, Ros ie Edmond, Regional D i rector of Northeast As ia & The Paci f ic for Educat ionUSA, Nor i taka Takezawa, Japan Director of K izuna Across Cul tures at the Japan Summit in Tokyo.


Between virtual classroom collaboration, university study abroad, sister-city exchange programs, and language learning, community members in the United States and Japan engage with one another in meaningful ways on a daily basis. In addition to being personally enriching, this engagement feeds the perhaps obvious but vitally important realization that increased cultural exposure enhances global understanding.

The leaders that recently spent two days in Tokyo exploring ways to strengthen and amplify their work together did so knowing that their efforts are important not just to the U.S.-Japan relationship, but also to creating a model of transnational cooperation.

When a Japanese high school student visits somewhere like Iowa as part of a

class trip, that student realizes the English she has studied for years was not just another subject to pass, but was indeed a tool of communication that now allows her to make new friends around the world. When an American college student spends a semester studying somewhere like Kyoto, he comes away from the experience feeling empowered by the fact that he knows he can operate in a society very different than his own. In other words, these experiences create individuals that are equipped to lead, regardless of the cultural context.

The fact that so many of these opportunities exist in the U.S.-Japan relationship is a testament to the strength of that particular international partnership. It also raises some questions worth reflection: Does the unique relationship that underlies U.S.-Japan partnerships through

cultural and educational institutions offer a model that could inspire cultural bridges between other parts of the world? Can we do more to leverage the power of citizen diplomacy and maximize the potential in existing relationships?

Rosie Edmond, Regional Director of EducationUSA in Northeast Asia and the Pacific, summarized the sentiments of the Tokyo summit. In her closing remarks, she called on those convened to consider the future of their relationship and the importance of individuals and institutions working in the U.S.-Japan space to re-realize their collaborative potential.

“In other words,” Rosie suggested, “Let’s not divorce and find new partners. Let’s honeymoon again.”


Published Daily At: www.newglobalcitizen.com

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J-CENTER ADVISORY COUNCIL

THE HONORABLE NORMAN MINETA | CHAIRVice Chair, Ret. | Hill & Knowlton

MS. YUME HIDAKA Program Director | The Laurasian Institution

DR. TOKO IGARASHI Professor of Clinical Psychology | Joetsu University of Education

MR. ROBERT W. KARR, JR. Principal | Masuda Funai Law Firm

MR. PETER KELLEYPresident | National Association of Japan-America Societies

DR. SACHIKO MURPHY Director of Japanese Program | Des Moines Public Schools

DR. DOWNING THOMAS Associate Provost & Dean of International Programs | University of Iowa

THE CENTER STAFF CONTACT

MATT CLARKJ-Center Director | The Center for Citizen Diplomacy

J-Center | The Center for Citizen Diplomacy

699 Walnut Street, Suite 400 | Des Moines

TEL 202.872.0933

www.j-center.org | www.centerforcitizendiplomacy.org

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The J-Center at the Center for Citizen Diplomacy was established with grant funds from the Japan Center for Global Partnership (CGP)

The Center is proud to work with the CGP toward achieving shared goals of strengthening the global U.S.-Japan partnership and cultivating the next generation of leaders necessary to sustain and grow this partnership.

j-conference report 2013

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