The UTokyo-Yale Initiative Hosted Junior Scholar Conference

Attendees (photo courtesy of TYI)


On March 29, 2012, the UTokyo-Yale Initiative (TYI) Junior Scholar conference “Discovering Japan in the United States: The fruits and the future of academic exchange at Yale and UTokyo” was held at Yale University under the joint sponsorship of JSPS (The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science)’s International Training Program (ITP) and Friends of UTokyo, Inc. (FUTI),
Twelve young scholars (six from Yale, two current and four former TYI scholars from UTokyo) were divided into three panels and each of them made a presentation relating their current research to their experiences in international exchange. The three panels were titled “Politics and Society,” “History,” and “Culture,” and were chaired by Yale professors.
After the panel presentation, the participants exchanged their views in a round-table format regarding desirable directions of the Japan studies program at Yale as well as the junior scholar exchange program.

Round table discussion (photo courtesy of TYI)


Prof. Hiwatari commented on the value of the present workshop: “At this meeting I received valuable suggestions concerning how to develop and structure research collaboration and exchange programs between Yale and UTokyo. I reaffirmed my belief that it is important for the two universities to support graduate students in the exchange program with keen awareness that their participation in the program is critical to their professional growth as scholars. I was pleased to recognize a fresh and futuristic possibility for an inter-university collaboration to the extent that both universities will integrate the junior scholar exchange program as a significant part of our general scholar collaboration and exchange and will ‘organically’ strengthen it. “
For further details, please visit http://todai-yale.jp/activities/news-events/post_18_jp.html.


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