NEWS

ICU Graduate Student Received the Excellent Presentation Award from the JSAER

Update: November 2, 2026

Our Master's student, Miku Nakamura (Education and Psychology Program, Area of Concentration in Education), received the excellent research presentation award from Prof. Mikiko Nishimura, the president of Japan Society for Africa Educational Research (JSAER) at University of Hyogo on October 25, 2026. Miku Nakamura's presentation titled " Knowledge Production of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in Ghana: Perspectives of Heritage Tour Guides and Curriculum Development Officials " examined how the history of Ghana's Transatlantic slave trade is conveyed in the secondary school curriculum and by tour guides at sites associated with the slave trade, and how knowledge is produced in these contexts through qualitative research based on original fieldwork. The case study was commended for challenging the difficult theme from contested theoretical lenses of post-colonialism, neo-colonialism, and post-modernism.

Comments by the Awardee

I am truly honored to have received the Excellent Research Presentation Award from the Japan Society for Africa Educational Research (JSAER). I was extremely nervous during my presentation, so I never imagined that I would receive such an award... It honestly feels like a dream! First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my academic advisor, Professor Mikiko Nishimura, for her continued guidance and support, always challenging me while also offering warmth and encouragement. I am also deeply grateful to my seminar members, with whom I constantly learn, challenge one another, and grow together. I hope my research will encourage people to reflect on the narratives surrounding "difficult histories," including the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and the power dynamics that shape how these histories are understood and communicated. Beyond that, I hope it will also inspire further reflection on why it is important to learn about difficult histories in the first place.