NEWS
"Reconsidering Peace in Liberal Arts 2023" co-organized with Middlebury College -Workshop for senior high school students-
Update: October 27, 2023
A four-day program "Reconsidering Peace in Liberal Arts～Be the change you wish to see in the world～" was held at ICU between August 9 and 12.
This workshop is based on the Critical Issues Forum on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and disarmament held by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, graduate school of Middlebury College, a partner college of ICU ranked constantly in the top 10 liberal arts colleges in the U.S., arranged for Japanese senior high school students.
- Duration: August 9～12, 2023
- Format: in person on the ICU campus（three-night stay in the student dormitories）
- Quota: 30 students
- Program coordinators: Sanae Eda（Linguistics）, Kamala Frazier（MA Candidate, International Educaation Management at MIIS*）
- Guest speakers:
【ICU】Robert Eskildsen（History, Japan Studies）, Jeremiah L. Alberg（Philosophy and Religion, Peace Studies）, Kokoro Nishiyama（ICU alumni、Nonproliferation & Terrorism Studies at MIIS* （5-year Program Completed Master's Course））
【Middlebury College】Kristen Mullins（Intercultural and Global Programs）
*Middlebury Institute of International Studies
This was the first time for the ICU-Senior High School Collaboration Project participants stayed in the ICU student dormitories on campus during the entire duration of the program (3 nights, 4 days) for a summer camp to think about peace from various perspectives. The participants gathered from all over Japan to take part in discussions and lectures in English to think deeply about peace. They seemed a little tense at first as they were not used to discuss in English, but support from ICU student facilitators and friends of the same generation prompted an active discussion among the participants. When they could not figure out how to express ideas in English, the group members and ICU student facilitators helped them until they could understood each other. After the lecture, many participants gathered around the faculty to ask questions and dialogue took place everywhere even during the break time. On the final day, each group gave a presentation about their idea of peace. They developed their own style with innovative delivery using music, drawings, and adopting a quiz format to express their thoughts. In each evening, ICU student facilitators and participants took part in recreational games together. They seemed to have developed a special bond during the four-day program.
The high school students who took part in this program cultivated the ability to grasp the complex subject of peace from a liberal arts perspective by experiencing the academic skills necessary in studying, thinking and expressing in English at the university level.
【Comments from participants】
・The workshop met my initial expectations by not only expanding my own thoughts and ideas but also by facilitating the exchange of fresh perspectives. Engaging with knowledgeable lecturers, graduates and participants, gave me a better and new understanding towards peace.
・It was great to hear from the guest speakers which I truly believe broadened my knowledge and perspective. The opportunity of getting to collaborate with the other participants gave me the chance to practice expressing myself in English.
