I have become quite fond of the Asian Studies program at Kansai Gaidai in resent weeks. Maybe it’s the teachers, the diversity in the classroom, or simply the fieldtrips that play an integral role in the syllabus. At the moment, I’m leaning towards the fieldtrips. I don’t say this because I’m a slacker or dread going to class. I say this because learning must take place outside the classroom in a real world setting in order to connect the dots between theory and actuality. A well-integrated fieldtrip can take the place of half a dozen readings and half as many lectures.
This semester I am fortunate to have two class, which use out-of-the-classroom learning as an essential part of the education process. My Peace, Conflict, and Democratization: The Asian Challenge class, in particular, has managed to implement this educational strategy with an astonishing lineup of trips. We travel to the Peace Osaka Museum, a Prison in Shiga-ken, and I recently returned from my trip to Hiroshima to hear an atomic bomb survivor talk (there are only 29 survivors left giving public talks). This was a rare and powerful experience that most could never dream of having, and in a few years, no one will be able to, but thanks to Professor Paul Scott I had a once in a lifetime experience.
These experiences and the faculty are the things that make the Asian Studies Program standout at Kansai Gaidai. If you are looking to see the other side of Japan or just have a few doors unlocked, look no further that Kansai Gaidai.