UNews - Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

U of L professors soak up Japanese culture at Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

caroline.zentner — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 21:08:03 +0000

Drs. Jason Laurendeau, a sociology professor, and Carly Adams, a kinesiology professor, along with their five-year-old son Quinn, have been absorbing Japanese culture for the past four months as part of an exchange program with Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Sapporo.

Dr. Carly Adams and Dr. Jason Laurendeau and their son visited the site of the 1972 Sapporo Olympic ski jump.

Laurendeau is a visiting professor at Hokkai Gakuen where he is spending the fall semester teaching courses in Canadian Nature and Society to students from a variety of faculties.

“This is a great opportunity for me to teach in another university culture but also for us as researchers to spend a semester abroad,” says Laurendeau.

The family lives on campus and Quinn attends a Japanese kindergarten. Hokkai Gakuen has provided them with opportunities to attend university functions and participate in cultural excursions.

“This past weekend we were guests at the Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Alumni Reception,” says Adams. “It is the 60^th anniversary of the university and this was an important event to celebrate this milestone.”

Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ President Kazunori Kimura and U of L professor Jason Laurendeau pose for a photo.

They’ve also had the chance to explore the city and surrounding area, including the Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium and Museum where the 1972 Sapporo Olympic ski jumping competition was held. The visit was particularly interesting for Laurendeau and Adams as they both do research and write about sport, gender and embodiment and they have jointly published on the topic of Olympic ski jumping.

Quinn adopted the traditional Japanese photo pose during one of the family's outings.

The U of L and Hokkai Gakuen have had an exchange program for 33 years. Designed to promote cross-cultural understanding, the first faculty exchange took place in 1981 and the first student exchanged followed five years later.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ signs collaboration and exchange agreement with Japanese women's college

trevor.kenney — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:33:15 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has signed a collaboration agreement with Gakushuin Women's College in Tokyo, Japan that will create new opportunities for faculty and staff at both institutions.

The agreement will see the two institutions develop study abroad programs, exchange students and faculty members and promote cooperation in academic activities. Signed by U of L President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon, and President of Gakushuin Women’s College, Yasuharu Ishizawa, the agreement was made official earlier this week.

“This will create tremendous opportunities for our students,” says Mahon. “Gakushuin Women’s College, like the U of L, places great emphasis on creating a supportive and personal learning environment. This agreement will go a long way in promoting better international and intercultural understandings among the students of both institutions.”

Gakushuin Women's College is a four-year undergraduate institution that also offers a two-year post-graduate Master of Arts program in Intercultural Studies in its Graduate School.

Gakushuin includes a university, women's college, boys' junior and senior high school, girls' junior and senior high school, elementary school and kindergarten. While the history of Gakushuin dates back to March 1847, when Emperor Komei established an institution named Gakushuin in Kyoto in order to educate the children of the nobility, Gakushuin Women's College was established in its current form in 1998.

The U of L has experienced great success in developing partnerships in Japan. The U of L has enjoyed a reciprocal relationship with Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for the past 33 years, which has facilitated many faculty and student exchanges. In addition, the Faculty of Management International Programs has exchange partnerships with Kansai Gaidai ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Nagoya ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Foreign Studies and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Building international connections is a key component of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s strategic direction to enhance relationships with external communities, as detailed in Destination 2020 – the U of L’s strategic plan.

Exchange hits 30-year milestone

trevor.kenney — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:58:34 +0000

There are many barriers to running a successful exchange program, challenges far beyond the obvious cultural differences and language issues that exist between two nations. It is even more impressive then to recognize the 30-year relationship between Japan's Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, one that has seen participation by both faculty and students.

"It is an important achievement for a university to have such a long-standing partnership that has affected so many students, faculty and staff in a positive manner," says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge president Dr. Michael Mahon. "The U of L should be proud of this friendship and the goodwill it has promoted between two cultures and two nations, much less two universities."

The first faculty exchange between the two universities took place in 1981, followed five years later by the start of a student exchange program. Designed to promote cross-cultural understanding between the two nations, the exchange relationship has succeeded on many levels.

Trish Jackson, director of the International Centre for Students, says each exchange offers a unique experience for those taking part.

"We have faculty members coming from all different kinds of backgrounds at Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," she says. "They come here for one semester to teach common content as part of a Japanese Culture class. Likewise, we will send faculty members from all of our departments to teach their students about Canadian culture. You get a different flavour every time you have a different faculty member because they have their own way of looking at their culture through their own discipline and background."

This semester, Dr. Osamu Seto, a physicist, is the Hokkai Gakuen visiting professor. At 36 years old, single, well traveled internationally and at ease with the English language, he's brought an entirely new perspective to the exchange. He's wont to rent a car and take a day trip to Waterton and has no problem being thrust into new situations, such as an interview or being recognized at Convocation for the exchange's 30-year anniversary.

Dr. Osamu Seto is visiting the U of L from Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as part of this year's faculty exchange.

"I did not know that I was going to have to go on stage," laughs Seto. His intrepid spirit led him to Lethbridge when his department supervisor at Hokkai Gakuen said he was looking for exchange candidates.

"I didn't have anything stopping me so I decided to do it," he says. "It has been very enjoyable."

The student aspect of the relationship involves one student per year coming to the U of L and taking a semester of English for Academic Purposes, followed by one semester of undergraduate studies. Every two years, a group of 15 to 20 students comes for a summer program, the focus being to learn English. A group of business students also makes the trip every few years, studying English but with specific business related content. Likewise, the U of L sends a group of 15-20 students to Hokkai Gakuen every two years for a summer cultural program.

Dr. Ed Jurkowski of the Faculty of Fine Arts music department took part in one such exchange.

"There were obviously many experiences and memories that the students will forever carry with them," he says in a commemorative book celebrating the exchange. "However, the most far-reaching were the homestay opportunities the students had. Each student spoke at length about how much these relationships allowed them to understand Japanese culture on a far deeper level than as a simple observer."

It is those observations that keep the relationship between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Hokkai Gakuen alive and thriving, and speak to the value of the program.

"This is the type of interaction that encourages our students to become global citizens," concludes Mahon.

This story first appeared in the November issue of the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Exchange hits 30-year milestone

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:44:59 +0000

Trish Jackson, director of the International Centre for Students, says each exchange offers a unique experience for those taking part.

Dr. Osamu Seto is visiting the U of L from Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as part of this year's faculty exchange.

"I didn't have anything stopping me so I decided to do it," he says. "It has been very enjoyable."

Dr. Ed Jurkowski of the Faculty of Fine Arts music department took part in one such exchange.

It is those observations that keep the relationship between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Hokkai Gakuen alive and thriving, and speak to the value of the program.

"This is the type of interaction that encourages our students to become global citizens," concludes Mahon.

This story first appeared in the November issue of the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Peer partners sought for exchange

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:12:08 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's International Centre for Students (ICS) is looking for peer partners as it once again hosts exchange students from Japan this fall.

The U of L has had a longstanding exchange agreement with Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, hosting a number of exchanges over the years. This August, another group of students from Japan will be coming to campus and ICS is in need of peer partners to accompany the students while they are here.

Peer partners will be invited to participate in some of the group's activities (including a day trip to Waterton), and will be asked to commit approximately three hours per week during the month of August.

For more information on this program and how you can participate, visit Laura Ferguson in the International Centre for Students (SU040) or contact her via e-mail at laura.ferguson2@uleth.ca.

Peer partners sought

trevor.kenney — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:28:07 +0000

The International Centre for Students is looking for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students who are interested in becoming peer partners for Japanese students visiting the U of L this August. The visiting students will be participating in a one month exchange program from Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Peer partners will be invited to accompany the group on certain planned activities, like a day trip to Waterton, and will be encouraged to socialize with their partner outside of the regular program hours.

A peer partner should be able to commit approximately four hours of their time each week throughout the month of August.

For more information, or to register, contact Laura Ferguson at laura.ferguson2@uleth.ca.

UNews - Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ

U of L professors soak up Japanese culture at Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ

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U of L professors soak up Japanese culture at Hokkai Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ signs collaboration and exchange agreement with Japanese women's college