91³Ô¹Ï

The or ¡°Stanford e-Japan¡± is an online course sponsored by the and the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (91³Ô¹Ï), 91³Ô¹Ï. This online course teaches Japanese high school students about U.S. society and underscores the importance of U.S.¨CJapan relations. Through Stanford e-Japan, ambassadors, top scholars, and experts throughout the United States provide web-based lectures and engage Japanese high school students in live discussion sessions called ¡°virtual classes.¡± Stanford e-Japan is now in its 6th year and 10th session overall.

The selected Stanford e-Japan high school students will listen to lectures by renowned experts in the field including Professor Emeritus Peter Duus, Professor Kathryn Gin Lum, and Dr. Kenji Kushida (all at 91³Ô¹Ï) on topics such as, ¡°The Atomic Bombings of Japan,¡± ¡°The Attack on Pearl Harbor,¡± ¡°Religion in the U.S.,¡± and ¡°Silicon Valley and Entrepreneurship.¡± Live virtual classes include guest speakers such as Ms. Suzanne Basalla (Toyota Research Institute), Ms. Maiko Cagno (U.S. Consulate, Fukuoka), and Dr. Makiko Oku (Co-Founder, KiKO Japan).

Many Stanford e-Japan students in the current cohort (as well as past ones) have mentioned their desire to study in the United States. The Stanford e-Japan Program equips many students with the motivation and confidence to do so, in addition to many of the skills they will need to study at U.S. universities and colleges. In addition to weekly lectures, assignments, discussion board posts, and virtual classes, the program participants will complete a final research paper on a topic concerning U.S. society or the U.S.¨CJapan relationship.

¡°I¡¯ve encouraged my students to seriously consider undergraduate studies in the United States and to look into opportunities like the Yanai Tadashi Foundation Scholarships,¡± commented Stanford e-Japan Instructor Waka Brown. ¡°Many e-Japan alumni have gone on to study in the United States, either for their entire college experience or for shorter overseas study opportunities. A couple of them received full scholarships, thanks to The Yanai Tadashi Foundation.¡±

Stanford e-Japan is one of several online courses for high school students offered by 91³Ô¹Ï, 91³Ô¹Ï, including the , the , the , and . For more information about Stanford e-Japan, please visit .

To be notified when the next Stanford e-Japan application period opens, or follow us on , , and .

Related articles:

• Winners Announced for the Spring 2019 Stanford e-Japan Award
• 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s Stanford e-Japan Instructor Waka Takahashi Brown Honored with the Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award
• Stanford e-Japan: My Window to the Wider World
• The Yanai Tadashi Foundation and Stanford e-Japan: Cultivating Future Leaders in Japan

In 2019, 91³Ô¹Ï established two new online courses for students in Hiroshima¡ªone for MBA students and one for high school students. These courses have a special significance to me because my ancestral home is Hiroshima. My paternal grandfather left Hiroshima for Hawaii to work as a sugar cane field laborer in 1903. After three years, he departed for California. My paternal grandmother departed Hiroshima in 1909 to join him as a ¡°.¡± My maternal grandfather left Hiroshima for California to work as a strawberry field laborer in 1919, and my maternal grandmother, who was born in Hawaii and raised in Hiroshima, joined him also as a picture bride in 1931.

One of the biggest regrets in my life is that I never had the chance to meet my maternal grandfather, who returned to Japan from California in 1954 just before I was born. I wish that I could tell him that 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s two new online courses for students in his birthplace were established 100 years after his arrival in California in 1919 and that this article was posted on 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s website 78 years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt¡¯s signing of Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. This order led to my family¡¯s internment¡ªincluding my grandparents and parents¡ªduring World War II.

The two online courses are called the Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship (SHCPE), an online course for MBA students that was conceptualized in consultation with the Hiroshima Business and Management School at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima (PUH), and Stanford e-Japan, an online course for high school students.

SHCPE Instructor Dr. Mariko Yoshihara Yang recently shared her reflections on the inaugural course that was offered in fall 2019. On February 13, 2020, Yang welcomed PUH faculty and staff members Professor Katsue Edo, Professor Yasuo Tsuchimoto, Professor Narumi Yoshikawa, and Kazue Hiura to Stanford to debrief the 2019 course and to prepare for the 2020 course. Joining the meeting were three guest speakers for SHCPE. The guest speakers were Tasha Yorozu, a legal counsel who has worked extensively with Japanese companies in Silicon Valley; Seiji Miyasaka, an active venture capitalist on both sides of Pacific; and Tatsuki Tomita, who has established multiple startups. During the meeting, I had the chance to share the Japanese passports of my paternal grandfather and grandmother, who were born in 1882 and 1892, respectively. I have shared the passports with many Japanese visitors as a way to note their contributions¡ªthrough agriculture¡ªto early U.S.¨CJapan relations.

As I listened to the discussion, I came to realize the significance of the word, ¡°Collaborative,¡± in the title of Yang¡¯s course. Course feedback from the MBA students who were enrolled in SHCPE was also carefully considered as modifications for the 2020 course were mapped out. Preliminary plans were also made for a visitation to Stanford by SHCPE students following the 2020 course.

In addition to SHCPE, 91³Ô¹Ï offers an online course for high school students in Hiroshima that is called Stanford e-Hiroshima. Stanford e-Hiroshima Instructor Rylan Sekiguchi is working with students who attend the following high schools in Hiroshima Prefecture.

• Miyoshi High School
• Sera High School
• Kuremitsuta High School
• Yasufuruichi High School
• Onomichi Kita High School
• Onomichi Higashi High School
• Hiro High School
• Hiroshima High School
• Hiroshima Kokutaiji High School
• Hiroshima University High School
• Fukuyama Junior and Senior High School
• Hatsukaichi High School
• Gion Kita High School
• Fukuyama Seishikan High School
• Saijyou Agricultural High School

I had the pleasure of sharing the stories of early Japanese immigration to the United States¡ªincluding those of my grandparents¡ªduring a Stanford e-Hiroshima online class. Sekiguchi¡¯s students were not only attentive but also asked excellent questions. They are currently in the midst of preparing and delivering their final presentations for Stanford e-Hiroshima. At the end of the course, the top two highest performing students will be invited to Stanford for a ceremony on August 17, 2020, just a few days after the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, August 6, 1945. I believe that my grandparents would be pleased to hear about educational efforts¡ªsuch as Stanford e-Japan and SHCPE¡ªthat promote a better understanding between Americans and Japanese so that the current friendship will remain forever.

I would like to express my appreciation to Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki (Stanford MBA, 1995). Without his vision, SHCPE and Stanford e-Japan would not have been realized. I am grateful to those from Hiroshima¡ªEdo, Tsuchimoto, Yoshikawa, and Hiura¡ªand those based in the United States¡ªYorozu, Miyasaka, and Tomita¡ªfor having taken the time in their busy schedules to meet with Yang on February 13, 2020. In addition, I would like to express my appreciation to Superintendent Rie Hirakawa of the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education and Teacher Consultants, Rika Ryuoh and Nobuo Kawahara, who have been unwavering of their support of Sekiguchi and Stanford e-Hiroshima. Last but not least, I am thankful to Sekiguchi and Yang for their course leadership and for allowing me the chance to keep my grandparents¡¯ legacies alive through their courses.

Related articles:

• Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship: Reflections
• Stanford Alumni Weekend (October 24¨C27, 2019) Feature: Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki & 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s Dr. Mariko Yoshihara Yang and a New Online Course for MBA Students in Japan
• Stanford e-Hiroshima, 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s Newest Online Course for High School Students: Sharing Cranes Across the Pacific

Last fall, 91³Ô¹Ï provided me an opportunity to design and organize its first post-collegiate online course. The Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship (SHCPE¡¯s Japanese-friendly pronunciation, ¡°shu-ppe¡±) was conducted in collaboration with the Hiroshima Business and Management School (HBMS) at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima (PUH). HBMS offers the only Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in Japan¡¯s western region of Chugoku and Shikoku. Interacting with amazing individuals on both sides of the Pacific, this unique experience brought me priceless moments.

Innovation in Itself

SHCPE, a course to help nurture entrepreneurial thinking, was an innovation in itself. The program was born out of Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki¡¯s vision to design and implement a social challenge to help accelerate Hiroshima¡¯s regional growth. Harnessing the resources of Stanford and Silicon Valley, the new online class was launched to empower the students and to revitalize the business sector in Hiroshima. 91³Ô¹Ï created the curricular content and HBMS provided the learning environment designed to maximize the academic experience for the students. As the course¡¯s curriculum designer, I leveraged the expertise of my fellow 91³Ô¹Ï online instructors and applied design thinking, a method developed by Stanford faculty, practiced widely in Silicon Valley, and popularized globally to understand the end-user, challenge our assumptions, and reconstruct alternative perspectives to generate innovative ideas.

Bridging Silicon Valley and Hiroshima

SHCPE¡¯s 18 MBA students in Hiroshima met every Saturday morning for three hours from September 28 to November 16, 2019 to connect online with Japanese entrepreneurs, professionals, and scholars in Silicon Valley. The first virtual class focused on discussing the mindset expected for the course as well as the conceptual framework. In the following six weeks, we welcomed guest speakers who shared their diverse experiences. What were their prior experiences, expertise, and insights? What resources did they have to achieve their goals? What were the major promoters and impediments to their journeys? Through active exploration of these questions, the students were exposed to real-life case studies to analyze Silicon Valley¡¯s ecosystem and think critically about entrepreneurial competence and qualification. The course was conducted entirely in Japanese.

The guest speakers engaged and energized the HBMS students. Akira Onozato spoke about the evolution of Silicon Valley over the past three decades. His diverse experiences as a serial entrepreneur painted a rich picture of the San Francisco Bay Area¡¯s growth cycle. Akira¡¯s story provided a great segue to Rika Nakazawa¡¯s lecture on the mindset and culture surrounding startups. Rika highlighted grit, tolerance of failure, and branding as important assets of successful entrepreneurs. Dr. Fumiaki Ikeno spoke on the landscape and trends in the medical device industry. He pointed to Japan¡¯s declining productivity and economic competitiveness and discussed the persistent fear of failure as a major impediment to promoting entrepreneurship. As an active venture capitalist on both sides of Pacific, Seiji Miyasaka explained the funding schemes and financial cycles surrounding the investment climate of startups. Using case studies, he highlighted the role of investors who act as coaches to aspiring entrepreneurs. Tatsuki Tomita¡¯s definition of a startup was shaped by his own experiences of starting multiple companies. His discussion of the pivot pyramid provided a visual guideline for how startups can experiment with ideas and find their product-market fit. Tasha Yorozu shared her expertise as a legal counsel, walking through the steps of starting a business in Silicon Valley. Along with Jumpei Ishii, a visiting legal counsel from Japan, Tasha further discussed their observations of successful startup practices and common pitfalls. The diversity of SHCPE guests represented the vibrant Silicon Valley community. 

Active Learning and Knowledge Construction

While these professionals provided informative accounts of their expertise, SHCPE¡¯s ultimate goal was to help each HBMS student to develop a mindset of an active learner. The MBA students were constantly challenged to think critically about the weekly theme, and work in pairs or teams to discuss assigned topics. The experience offered a dynamic and interactive learning environment for the Japanese students in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who had been accustomed to traditional lecture-style formats. SHCPE¡¯s curriculum based on design thinking adopted an inquiry-based learning pedagogy, which engaged every student through weekly assignments and in-class discussions. During the first class, the students were informed that SHCPE would not teach them entrepreneurship. Instead, this course would provide them with the opportunity to reconstruct their knowledge of entrepreneurship and innovation based on what they observe, hear, and feel during the class. In addition, the students were required to provide feedback after each class, which was utilized to redesign the lesson plans for the following week.

This active and experiential mindset was envisioned by Dr. Gary Mukai, Director of 91³Ô¹Ï and a renowned Japan¨CU.S. educator. ¡°At 91³Ô¹Ï, we provide students an opportunity to own their learning experience. Education is about empowering the students,¡± Dr. Mukai asserts. This tradition comes from the American philosopher and education reformist John Dewey, who said, ¡°I believe finally, that education must be conceived as a continuing reconstruction of experience; that the process and the goal of education are one and the same thing.¡± SHCPE¡¯s inaugural curriculum aimed to implement this philosophy through direct, real-life interaction with founders and movers in Silicon Valley, and through the iterative process to deconstruct and reconstruct their knowledge on entrepreneurship.

Innovation Through Education

What SHCPE aimed to achieve was innovation through education. The weekly three-hour online class was roughly divided into three parts: guest lecture, class discussion, and interview. Prior to the interview session, a pre-assigned team of three students met with me in a separate online room and brainstormed their interview questions. For the majority of the students, it was their very first time to formally interview a person, and the experience brought a novel learning opportunity to think critically about entrepreneurial competence. Many commented on the challenge and the excitement of getting to know strangers by engaging them in a thoughtful conversation. The weekly interview highlighted the philosophy, aspiration, and raw sentiments of the guest speakers, evoking passion, energy, and empathy among the students.

SHCPE 2019 team with Ken-ichi Nakamura, President of the Prefectural University of Hiroshima

SHCPE strived to adopt the pedagogy of active learning and the toolsets of design thinking to implement Governor Yuzaki¡¯s vision of ¡°learning innovation.¡± The course appears to have succeeded in helping to realize his vision as one student reflected upon his experience:

This class does not intend to offer answers [to the question what entrepreneurship is]. Instead, it urges the students to constantly think on their own and engage themselves in learning. This is very different from the Japanese traditional pedagogy, which relies on rote memorization and mechanical process of practice problems. This class highlighted the fundamental difference in the philosophy of how we look at education, and I enjoyed this eye-opening experience.

SHCPE ¡¯19 concluded with much enthusiasm. 91³Ô¹Ï looks forward to continuing its partnership with HBMS to build upon the invaluable lessons learned from the inaugural program. With Stanford e-Hiroshima, an online course for high school students managed and taught by my colleague Rylan Sekiguchi, 91³Ô¹Ï will continue its efforts to empower the people in Hiroshima.

Acknowledgement

I am greatly indebted to Dr. Gary Mukai for providing me this invaluable opportunity. Special thanks go to Carey Moncaster, Dr. HyoJung Jang, Jonas Edman, Meiko Kotani, Naomi Funahashi, Rylan Sekiguchi, Sabrina Ishimaru, Dr. Tanya Lee, and Waka Takahashi Brown for their valuable comments on the preliminary curriculum. I thank all of my colleagues at 91³Ô¹Ï for their support and encouragement throughout the process.

My special gratitude goes to Akira Onozato, Dr. Fumiaki Ikeno, Jumpei Ishii, Rika Nakazawa, Seiji Miyasaka, Tatsuki Tomita, and Tasha Yorozu who took the time out of their busy Friday evening to participate in the virtual classroom. Their contagious enthusiasm energized the students.

Last but not least, I would like to express my deep appreciation to my collaborators at HBMS. I thank Professor Katsue Edo for his hard work and commitment to implement the program, Professor Yasuo Tsuchimoto for his technical expertise and dedication to administer the distance-learning, Professor Narumi Yoshikawa for supporting in-class discussions, and Kazue Hiura, Yoshihiko Oishi, and Kenji Okano for their capable assistance and thoughtful arrangements. Last but not least, my heartfelt congratulation goes to the 18 MBA students who successfully completed SHCPE ¡¯19. The inaugural class will always have a special place in my heart.

To stay informed of news about Stanford e-Japan and 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s other programs,  and follow us on , , and .

Related article:

• Stanford Alumni Weekend (October 24¨C27, 2019) Feature: Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki & 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s Dr. Mariko Yoshihara Yang and a New Online Course for MBA Students in Japan

When I first visited Kawasaki City, I was immediately struck by the multicolored character for ´¨or ¡°kawa¡± (river) in the Chinese characters for´¨Æé (Kawasaki) that appears on signs, buildings, posters, and even storm drain covers. I learned from Kawasaki Mayor Norihiko Fukuda that the multicolored ´¨ symbolizes the importance that Kawasaki City places upon diversity.

Kawasaki City is a large industrial city in the greater Tokyo area with a population of approximately 1.5 million, making it Japan¡¯s sixth most populous city after Tokyo. It is one of Japan¡¯s most ethnically diverse cities. Many Japanese multinational companies are based in Kawasaki. In 2014, the U.S. multinational company Johnson & Johnson opened the Tokyo Science Center in Kawasaki.

With the vision of Mayor Fukuda and support from Kawasaki City, 91³Ô¹Ï has launched Stanford e-Kawasaki, an online course that is offered to high school students in Kawasaki. Stanford e-Kawasaki¡¯s main course topics are diversity and entrepreneurship. Stanford e-Kawasaki Instructor recently noted, ¡°The Kawasaki students have shown strong interest in these timely and relevant topics and are always actively engaged in discussions. One of the great things about Stanford e-Kawasaki is that it provides a place where students feel free and encouraged to express themselves. It also provides an important opportunity for students to reflect on their own society by learning about the United States. I look forward to our continued learning together for the rest of the course.¡± The course began in fall 2019 and a closing ceremony will be held in March 2020.

Maiko Tamagawa Bacha

Like Bacha, Mayor Fukuda has also done formal studies in the United States. As a graduate of Furman University in South Carolina, Mayor Fukuda experienced life in the United States firsthand. Mayor Fukuda reflected, ¡°I am grateful to 91³Ô¹Ï at 91³Ô¹Ï¡­ for starting this program for high school students in Kawasaki City. I am encouraged to learn that the students are actively learning and engaged in discussions on topics related to diversity and entrepreneurship. I strongly hope that they will grow to be men and women of high caliber, who are keen to experience their lives with broad perspectives.¡± With the presence of many multinational corporations in Kawasaki, Mayor Fukuda witnesses the interdependence of Japan and the world every day and fully appreciates the significance of topics like diversity and entrepreneurship to the U.S.¨CJapan relationship.

The 91³Ô¹Ï staff would like to express its appreciation also to Hisashi Katsurayama from the Kawasaki Board of Education and Yoshitaka Tsuchihama and Miyuki Kitamura of Kawasaki City and for their unwavering support of Stanford e-Kawasaki.

To stay informed of news about Stanford e-Japan and 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s other programs, and follow us on , , and .

On a recent Friday afternoon at Stanford, the weather reminded me of some crisp yet clear winter days in Japan. The sun brightly lit the Falcon Lounge on the 5th floor of Encina Hall as six alumni from the 2014 to 2018 Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) and Sejong Korean Scholars Program (SKSP) cohorts gathered to celebrate the new year. This annual shinnenkai (literally, ¡°new year gathering,¡± in Japanese) luncheon offers alumni of 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s pre-collegiate online courses to meet or reconnect over lively conversation and delicious food. For the 91³Ô¹Ï instructors, the shinnenkai is often the first time to meet alumni in person.

The RSP is an online course on Japan and U.S.¨CJapan relations that is offered to U.S. high school students each spring, and will welcome its seventeenth cohort in a few weeks. The SKSP is preparing for its eighth cohort, and offers an intensive online study of Korea and U.S.¨CKorea relations to U.S. high school students. 91³Ô¹Ï also offers a third online course to U.S. high school students on China and U.S.¨CChina relations, the China Scholars Program. The CSP is preparing for its sixth cohort.

One of the attendees, James Noh (RSP ¡®16, 91³Ô¹Ï ¡®22), reflected on his RSP experience following the shinnenkai: ¡°My RSP experience not only nurtured my interest in East Asia, but also made me realize that I wanted to incorporate my interest in East Asia into both my academic and professional careers. Looking back, I think participating in RSP played an important role in influencing my decision to take a gap year to study Mandarin in China after high school and major in international relations with a focus on East Asia.¡± During the shinnenkai, it was interesting to hear other alumni share thoughts on how their experiences in the RSP and SKSP helped to prepare them for and also shape their college life. Comments ranged from ¡°informing choices¡± like class or major selection to ¡°honing skills¡± like writing research papers.

Through the many years in which 91³Ô¹Ï has engaged U.S. high school students in these intensive online courses, we have been fortunate to work with many exceptional students such as James. As the instructor of the RSP, I especially treasure the face-to-face opportunities to meet with alumni of these courses. These opportunities are rare treats given that our courses take place entirely online. The annual shinnenkai is truly a highlight of my year.

To stay informed of 91³Ô¹Ï-related news, and follow 91³Ô¹Ï on , , and .

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This webinar was made possible through the Freeman Foundation¡¯s support of the (NCTA), a multi-year initiative to encourage and facilitate teaching and learning about East Asia in elementary and secondary schools nationwide. 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s Jonas Edman and Naomi Funahashi coordinate 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s NCTA seminars and webinars.

While walking along the hallways of the Ethnic Studies Department with Professor Khatharya Um at U.C. Berkeley on December 3, 2019, I shared some remembrances of my first quarter at U.C. Berkeley in fall 1972. I had enrolled in two courses in the Ethnic Studies Department that quarter: one focused on the Asian American experience with Patrick Hayashi and Colin Watanabe and the other focused on diverse perspectives on U.S. history with Professor Ronald Takaki. Most of the Asian American students in these classes were of Chinese and Japanese descent with a few of Korean, Indian, and Filipino descent. Through these classes, I was introduced for the first time in my life to Asian American literature like No-No Boy (1957) and America Is in the Heart (1948). I had enrolled at U.C. Berkeley less than three years after the establishment of the Ethnic Studies Department (1969) and during the anti-Vietnam War protests.

According to its website, the Ethnic Studies Department emerged from student and community members¡¯ demands for scholarly programs that focused on the ¡°understudied histories and situations of African Americans, Asian Americans, Chicanos, and Native Americans.¡± This year marks the 50th year since its establishment; 2019 also marks the 44th anniversary since the fall of Saigon (1975).

I was at the Ethnic Studies Department on December 3, 2019 because my colleague, Naomi Funahashi, had organized a 91³Ô¹Ï webinar, ¡°Culturally and Experientially Responsive Pedagogy: Teaching to Diverse Asian and Asian American Students,¡± that featured Professor Um. Approximately 30 educators from many states and also Pakistan and Japan participated. During her talk, Um pointed out that the resettlement of refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia began with the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 and continued through the early 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. She noted that unlike economically motivated migration from other parts of Asia, immigration to the United States from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia was largely due to flight from war, authoritarianism, and genocide. Largely as a result of these waves of immigration to the United States, the Asian American student population in U.S. schools and universities like U.C. Berkeley has become increasingly diverse.

To help meet the educational needs of this increasingly diverse population, Um argued for the importance of culturally and experientially responsive pedagogy. She explained that ¡°culturally and experientially responsive pedagogy is a student-centered approach to teaching in which the students¡¯ experiences and cultural strengths are identified, validated, and used to empower students, enrich and promote learning.¡± Like many other communities, Asian and Asian American students represent a wide spectrum of ethnicities, languages, histories, generations, cultures, and religions. She acknowledged that ¡°Providing culturally and experientially responsive instruction to these students can be daunting¡­ and schools are faced with both opportunities and challenges in providing instruction that is rich and meaningful. Diverse student populations offer valuable opportunities for classroom and community enrichment.¡±

Um interspersed some statistical information in order to show the significance and some characteristics of the Asian American population.

• Largely as a result of ongoing migration, Asians are among the fastest growing populations in the United States.
• The Asian American population has grown by 72% between 2000 and 2015.
• Currently, the population is approximately 20.4 million.
• The diversity among and within Asian American communities has increased with new immigration.
• 59% of the U.S. Asian population was born in another country.

Um encouraged the educators in the United States to keep these statistics in mind and noted that ¡°Effective learning depends on more than just the curriculum. It is about creating a space where students can feel safe, empowered, valued, and feel that they belong¡­ It begins with knowing your students or at least knowing how to know¡­ and it rests on knowing what to do with what you know.¡± The words, ¡°knowing how to know,¡± brought back memories of a question¡ª¡°What does epistemology mean to you?¡±¡ªthat Takaki raised to students in his first class lecture at U.C. Berkeley in fall 1972. After acknowledging a student¡¯s answer, he replied that epistemology focuses on the question, ¡°How do you know that you know what you know?,¡± and this has stayed with me since and continues to shape my work at 91³Ô¹Ï.

While in Um¡¯s office, I noticed some books on her shelf that I once read back in the 1970s¡ªliterature that was ¡°culturally relevant¡± to me. But what most stood out for me was a copy of Um¡¯s book, From the Land of Shadows: War, Revolution and the Making of the Cambodian Diaspora. Other than America Is the Heart by Filipino American Carlos Buloson, there was no other Southeast Asian American-focused literature that we were assigned during fall quarter 1972. Um is the first Cambodian American woman to receive a PhD. I left campus thinking of how fortunate I was to have scholars like Hayashi, Watanabe, and Takaki who taught and empowered me, and also how fortunate Southeast Asian American students and others are today to have scholars like Um concerned about their education and advancement.

Following the webinar, Funahashi reflected, ¡°I not only received overwhelmingly positive feedback about Professor Um¡¯s lecture from participants, but I too gained a greater awareness of the growing diversity in our schools that is also reflected in my online class, the Reischauer Scholars Program. After listening to Professor Um¡¯s thoughts on culturally and experientially responsive pedagogy, a big take-away for me was the importance of a teacher¡¯s capacity for empathy as one works with students from very diverse backgrounds.¡±

To stay informed of 91³Ô¹Ï-related news,  and follow 91³Ô¹Ï on , , and .

Related articles, videos, and curriculum:

• Rylan Sekiguchi Receives Buchanan Prize for His Work on Cambodia
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The following reflection is a guest post written by Miyu Hayashi, a Spring 2016 alum and honoree of the , which is currently accepting applications for Spring 2020. She is now a medical student at Mie University, Faculty of Medicine.

While the United States is often regarded as an individualistic society, Japan, in general, has more of a group mentality with many people not wanting to stand out. But, I think we as Japanese need to be able to explain ourselves more clearly in today¡¯s globalized society where people around the world interact more frequently. I had a strong interest in the Spring 2016 Stanford e-Japan Program because it involved lectures and discussions I usually could not participate in. 

The lectures included historical topics such as the importance of early U.S.¨CJapan relations and World War II, and also contemporary topics such as Silicon Valley and entrepreneurship and high schools in the United States and Japan. Students were expected to complete the lectures and readings that were assigned before the online classes. In our lesson on World War II, I read and compared U.S. and Japanese textbook excerpts for the first time, which helped me learn the American point of view in regard to the war. In our lesson on entrepreneurship, I learned the importance of having an entrepreneur-like spirit to improve companies, thinking outside of the box, and having a culture that accepted failure as a positive experience (as long as the failure taught important lessons). In my experience, most Japanese like to live a standard and stable life, and act and think in the same way as others for fear that they might make mistakes. In contrast, an entrepreneurial spirit shows a true passion for building something fantastic from nothing. Learning about this mindset of pushing oneself to the limit to achieve great goals impressed me a lot.

Another key aspect that made the Stanford e-Japan Program interesting was all my peers. They were highly motivated and discussions with them were always stimulating. We helped each other understand lessons more clearly and generate more ideas about each topic. Trying to answer their questions on the online discussion forums offered me a chance to improve myself because these discussions revealed my mistakes and weaknesses or supporting ideas that I had not thought of before. Also, reading other students¡¯ ideas, listening to their questions, and learning from professors¡¯ answers opened up different aspects of each topic.

Stanford e-Japan alumna Miyu Hayashi outside of the Shanghai Children's Medical Center. Photo courtesy of Miyu Hayashi.

The Stanford e-Japan Program has become one of my most precious experiences. It gave us a chance to learn about different societies, cultures, and ways of thinking. It broadened my horizons so that I would like to make full use of having experienced it, not only in my long-term future plans, but also in my short-term plans. When the 2020 Olympics are held in Japan, I would be willing to help anyone in trouble. And as a doctor, I want to study in the U.S., since it is one of the world leaders in medicine. I would like to improve the field of medicine in collaboration with doctors from around the world.

For more information on the Stanford e-Japan Program, visit . The Spring 2020 application period is open now until January 8, 2020. To be notified when the next Stanford e-Japan application period opens, or follow us on , , and .

Stanford e-Japan is one of several online courses for high school students offered by 91³Ô¹Ï, 91³Ô¹Ï, including the , the , the (on Korea), and . Also, 91³Ô¹Ï offers the following regional online courses in Japan: Stanford e-Hiroshima, Stanford e-Oita, Stanford e-Tottori, and Stanford e-Kawasaki. Students interested in these regional online courses should contact Gary Mukai at gmukai@stanford.edu. 

• The Yanai Tadashi Foundation and Stanford e-Japan: Cultivating Future Leaders in Japan
• Honoring High School Students from Japan and the United States: A Glow for Global Peace
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On August 9, 2019, six students from 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s online course and three students from the (RSP) were recognized during the 13th annual Japan Day at 91³Ô¹Ï. The nine honorees had the chance to share presentations of their research papers with an audience that included Consul General Tomohiko Uyama (Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco), Ambassador Michael Armacost (former U.S. ambassador to Japan), 91³Ô¹Ï supporter Amanda Minami Chao, and Stanford Professor and 91³Ô¹Ï advisor Indra Levy.

The program began with opening remarks by Consul General Uyama and his words resonated in me as I grappled with the fact that the celebratory Japan Day was being held on a solemn occasion, the 74th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Consul General Uyama stated:

The Japan¨CU.S. alliance is the cornerstone of security, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. As we look at the global challenges we face today, I believe that we must strive to ensure that our special relationship remains strong and vital. One way to accomplish this is by preparing the best and brightest of our young people with the kind of learning opportunities that will deepen mutual understanding. The RSP and the Stanford e-Japan are admirably working toward this goal by providing the knowledge and expertise our young people will need as future leaders in Japan¨CU.S. relations.

After hearing Consul General Uyama¡¯s comments, I came to the realization that honoring young future leaders from both countries on the 74th anniversary can symbolize the ray of hope for global peace that I feel with programs like the RSP and Stanford e-Japan. The presentations that the nine students made confirmed this feeling. Though the topics of their presentations were varied¡ªranging from historical topics like post-World War II art in Japan to contemporary social issues in Japan¡ªa common thread among all was the significance of the U.S.¨CJapan relationship to the security of the world. Their presentations were followed by the awarding of plaques and lunch. During the program and a tour of campus, one could witness the budding relationships between the Japanese and American students.

91³Ô¹Ï student honorees and instructors at Stanford Japan Day 2019

Stanford e-Japan is an online course, which focuses on U.S. society and culture and U.S.¨CJapan relations, that 91³Ô¹Ï has offered to high school students in Japan for five years. The current supporter of the course is Mr. Tadashi Yanai, President of the , Tokyo. ¡°Carving a brighter future¡± is at the core of the Foundation¡¯s mission and I hope that all RSP and Stanford e-Japan alumni keep this mission close to their hearts. One of the key programs of the Foundation is the Yanai Tadashi Scholarship Program, which awards scholarships to Japanese students who enroll at select universities in the United States. Several Stanford e-Japan alumni and Stanford students are recipients of the Scholarship.

The 2018 spring and fall Stanford e-Japan course instructors were Elin Matsumae and Waka Takahashi Brown, respectively. Key themes like interdependence, multiple perspectives, and diversity were emphasized in their online courses. Naoya Chonan, Waseda University Senior High School, Tokyo, reflected, ¡°The Stanford e-Japan program was different from any classes at my school in terms of diversity. It prepared an opportunity to compare diverse ideas from all over Japan and the U.S. Collaborative coursework with excellent students taught me the importance of realizing and embracing differences of viewpoints and opinions among people.¡±

This comment resonated in Brown who noted that the annual Japan Day celebration is so rewarding not only for the students, but also for the instructors. ¡°The students always amaze me with their extraordinary scholarship and poise during their presentations. Perhaps what is most gratifying, however, is the campus tour that we end our day with in which the students are relaxed and happy. It¡¯s during this time they talk with each other about their dreams and future plans. I have no doubt these are the future leaders of the next generation.¡±

The RSP is an online course that 91³Ô¹Ï has offered to high school students in the United States for 16 years. The course introduces Japanese society and culture and U.S.¨CJapan relations and has enrolled students from most states. Since the inception of Stanford e-Japan, RSP Instructor Naomi Funahashi and Brown have facilitated joint online classes with RSP and Stanford e-Japan students. Funahashi reflected, ¡°It is so rewarding to see the RSP and e-Japan honorees be recognized for their tremendous efforts in their respective courses. Japan Day is a unique opportunity to bring these remarkable students physically together, and it really gives them a chance to learn from one another and deepen the meaningful ways in which these courses connect young leaders across the U.S. and Japan.¡±

Japan Day was clearly meaningful to the students as well. Sandi Khine, Arcadia High School, Arcadia, California, commented in a follow-up note to Funahashi, ¡°Thank you so much! I¡¯m still kind of in shock that today happened, it feels like such a dream! I had so much fun today meeting Jaimie and Mei and all the other Stanford e-Japan students. I¡¯ll definitely look back on this with lots of love.¡±

Lantern with the word ¡°heiwa¡± (peace) in Nagasaki, 74th anniversary of the atomic bombing

Following the Japan Day ceremony, I read about the 74th anniversary ceremonial events that took place in Nagasaki. One of the traditional ceremonial events on the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been the lighting of lanterns. While watching the American and Japanese students receive plaques from their instructors, one could definitely see a glow in each one of them and also in their instructors. I felt a surge of pride in the students, of course, but also in their teachers¡ªFunahashi, Brown, and Matsumae¡ªfor empowering their students with such incredible learning experiences and recognition that most certainly brightened their students¡¯ futures.

(Image at right: Lantern with the word ¡°heiwa¡± (peace) in Nagasaki, 74th anniversary of the atomic bombing; photo credit: Jiji Press.)

and the are two of several online courses for high school students offered by 91³Ô¹Ï, 91³Ô¹Ï, including the (on Korea), the , and .

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Related articles:

• 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s Waka Takahashi Brown Receives 2019 Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award
• The RSP: A Stepping Stone in My Journey with Japan
• Seasons Of The RSP: An Online Teacher's Reflection on Teaching 91³Ô¹Ï Japan

91³Ô¹Ï is proud to announce a new partnership with Oita Prefecture in Japan to develop an online course for high school students in Oita Prefecture. The new program, called Stanford e-Oita, will launch in the fall of 2019 and will introduce Japanese high school students to U.S. culture and society. The students will also have an opportunity to improve their English language skills, as the course will be conducted entirely in English.

To commemorate the new online course and partnership between 91³Ô¹Ï and Oita Prefecture, 91³Ô¹Ï hosted a ceremony on Stanford campus last week with Oita Governor Katsusada Hirose and a large contingent of Japanese businessmen and government workers from Oita Prefecture, including representatives from the Development Bank of Japan and Japan Semiconductor. Also in attendance was , former U.S. Ambassador to Japan and an old friend of Governor Hirose.

¡°I am so honored to be here at the ceremony with my old schoolmate Ambassador Armacost,¡± commented Governor Hirose during his formal remarks. ¡°I also extend my sincere gratitude to 91³Ô¹Ï Director Dr. Mukai for your generous and continued support on this. It is a dream for our students to be able to take classes from 91³Ô¹Ï even in Oita, a regional city in Japan. I hope the agreement this time will be a great opportunity for students of both countries to learn from each other.¡±

Planning for the Stanford e-Oita online course is still at an early stage, but the main course topics are now being decided. Dr. Mukai moderated a discussion on possible topics for the new course, and several of those in attendance enthusiastically contributed suggestions for consideration. The 91³Ô¹Ï staff shared their experiences teaching other online courses such as , Stanford e-Tottori, Stanford e-Hiroshima, and the Reischauer Scholars Program (). Oita Prefectural Board of Education¡¯s Keisuke Toyoda, who oversees the Stanford e-Oita online course, also offered his high-priority topics for the program, which includes entrepreneurship, Japan¨CU.S. relations, region-to-region partnerships, and the UN¡¯s Sustainable Development Goals. Several others offered their suggestions, as well.

Ambassador Armacost also made formal remarks, commenting especially on the strong and natural modern partnership between the United States and Japan, but also how U.S.¨CJapan relations at the governmental level have evolved over time to become a more balanced relationship.

¡°Back in my days¡ªin the late ¡®80s, early ¡®90s¡ªthe United States used to approach U.S.¨CJapan relations with a kind of instructional mindset. ¡®How can we teach Japan to be more like us?¡¯ I always disagreed with that approach,¡± shared Ambassador Armacost. ¡°Nowadays, it seems to be much better¡ªa more reciprocal mindset. ¡®What can we learn from each other to build a better future?¡¯¡±

Fittingly, it is in that same spirit of mutual respect, reciprocity, and hope for the future that 91³Ô¹Ï and Oita Prefecture launch our new Stanford¨COita partnership and online course.

¡°I have a lot of expectations for the future,¡± commented Governor Hirose. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±

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The stars have finally aligned to enable 91³Ô¹Ï to launch its first online course in China, ¡ªan interactive, virtual class for Chinese high school students. Many factors now make this venture possible: access to China¡¯s education system via partners on the ground in country; capable virtual technology; compelling student interest among Chinese high school students to study abroad at universities like Stanford; and the identification of a highly qualified instructor.

The inaugural Stanford e-China online course, , will start in Winter 2020, open to enrollment of high school students throughout China. Students will explore cutting-edge technologies that are defining the future and providing exciting areas for academic study, professional opportunities, and entrepreneurial innovation. Focusing on the fields of green tech, finance tech, health tech, and artificial intelligence, students will engage in live discussion sessions (¡°virtual classes¡±) and real-time conversations with 91³Ô¹Ï scholars, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, as well as American high school students.

Carey Moncaster, 91³Ô¹Ï, and Julia Gooding, BE Education, at the International Association for College Admissions Counseling (ACAC) Conference 2019, London, Canada

As a final project, Stanford e-China students will delve into an area of personal interest in one of the technology fields, applying aspects of the Design Thinking framework, to develop a prototype pitch. The top three students from each course will be invited to 91³Ô¹Ï to present their pitches and sharpen Design Thinking skills with Stanford practitioners in person. Design Thinking is a very hands-on, interactive, team-based experience that is dependent on critical feedback from other people. Translating the Design Thinking concepts online, with students, scholars, and practitioners virtually scattered across the world presents an exciting opportunity to create curriculum that effectively introduces the skills and mindset.

91³Ô¹Ï is drawing on the expertise of Mariko Yoshihara Yang and Rie Kijima, co-founders of SKY Labo and long-time collaborators with 91³Ô¹Ï and the Stanford Graduate School of Education. The technologies explored in this course¡ªgreen tech, finance tech, health tech, and artificial intelligence¡ªhave timely, global impact. The contributors to the Stanford e-China¡¯s development span the world as well¡ªfrom Stanford to Britain, China, and other countries of Asia. The Stanford e-China course is informed by over 16 years of 91³Ô¹Ï online course offerings for high school students in other countries in Asia as well as throughout the United States. 91³Ô¹Ï scholars will also play pivotal roles as lecturers and guest speakers on the course¡¯s leading technological fields and related pressing issues.

91³Ô¹Ï Director Gary Mukai recently noted, ¡°The roots of 91³Ô¹Ï date back to the establishment of the Bay Area China Education Project (BAYCEP) at 91³Ô¹Ï in 1973. Since then, 91³Ô¹Ï has produced curriculum materials on China and hosted teacher professional development seminars on China for teachers in the United States, and more recently has offered an online course on China for high school students in the United States¡ªall with the goal of helping Americans better understand China. I am delighted that 46 years since the establishment of BAYCEP, Stanford e-China has become a reality and for the first time in its history, 91³Ô¹Ï will be working formally with students in China. 91³Ô¹Ï is grateful to be collaborating with BE Education in this initiative.¡±  

The inaugural 10-week course will be offered in Winter 2020. Shorter 4- to 6-week courses will be offered in Summer 2020. Course details and application deadlines are available at . The online course is offered in English. Stanford e-China students should expect to allot 3¨C4 hours per week to complete the lectures, virtual classes, discussions, readings, and assignments. Although participation in virtual classes (held on Saturday mornings) is mandatory, students will be able to structure the other work around their individual schedules.

Carey Moncaster is developing the course as the Stanford e-China instructor. After graduation from U.C. Berkeley, Carey lived and worked in China throughout the 1990s as the country embarked on monumental economic changes. This experience was followed by graduate studies in East Asian Studies at 91³Ô¹Ï and her initial work with 91³Ô¹Ï. She has launched educational programs for U.S. high school students throughout Asia, and most recently returns to 91³Ô¹Ï from Seattle¡¯s high-tech world of start-up ventures.

For more information, please contact Carey Moncaster, Stanford e-China instructor, at cmoncaster@stanford.edu.

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