SEASON’S GREETINGS
Dear Friends,
We hope this newsletter finds you managing well at the end of this challenging and tumultuous year. IUC students in the current class of 2021 continue to show resilience and dedication even as classes remain online due to the pandemic. Please join us in sending them messages of support and encouragement! You can post your messages via this webform. We continue to expand our online activities, including the recently launched Virtual IUC and Virtual IUC Alumni Club, as well as the new Alumni Talks series. Please check below for upcoming events, including our 2020 year-end virtual bōnenkai. We look forward to connecting with you in person there!
With best wishes to all and hopes for a better year around the corner,
Indra Levy, Executive Director
Giles Richter, Managing Director
Bruce Batten, Resident Director
CLASS OF 2021
The class of 2021 is the first full-year cohort to be studying completely online from start to finish. The class has 55 members, about par for the course in recent years. Thirteen students are in Japan, mostly because they were already there for work or study when the program began. The other students reside in China, New Zealand, Hawaii, the US mainland, Canada, and Brazil. The time difference makes for some predictable challenges in teaching—students on the US East Coast and Brazil take their classes at night. There is also the occasional computer or wi-fi glitch. But the online format also has some unexpected benefits. Logistic issues with classroom size or equipment have disappeared. It is far easier than in the past to “bring in” guest speakers. Students as well as teachers can share information on screen, making for a more bidirectional, communicative classroom experience. Communication outside the classroom has also improved thanks to our adoption of online tools such as Slack and Remo. Although we hope to revert to on-site teaching in Yokohama next year, we are also confident that the IUC has the resilience and flexibility to operate successfully in even the worst conditions such as those we face in 2020–21.
Thank You for Supporting IUC Students!
The IUC is grateful to our donor organizations, alumni, and friends for providing generous support for our students, especially during this extremely difficult year. Thanks to your support we were able to provide scholarship support to nearly all students in the class of 2021. We are especially grateful to those of you who despite quarantines and shutdowns have managed to reach out to us and send help. Thank you!
>> Read the fall fundraising letter written by alumna Emily Buttner (’20).
2020 VIRTUAL BŌNENKAI
December 19, 2020 @ 10:30 am JST *UPDATED*
This year, IUC alumni, regardless of location, are invited to join an online mixer to be held at the virtual IUC Alumni Club on Saturday, December 19 at 10:30 am JST. The event will be hosted by Sara Jessome (’14) of the IUC Tokyo Alumni Events Committee and Giles Richter (’92) via Remo.co, an online event networking platform where participants can roam freely between virtual tables to engage in conversation. The invitation will be posted on the IUC’s social media channels with instructions on how to connect and join the fun. Alumni can also use the link below to sign up now for a free Remo account and register for this exciting event!
This event will be closed to the public. Alumni and current students only.
IUC ALUMNI TALKS
January 23, 2020 @ 9:00 am JST
Please join the IUC Alumni Talks Committee for the third talk of the web series on Zoom on Saturday, September 23rd at 9:00 am JST. The guest speaker will be Jennifer Butler (’18), Manager of the Student Relations Team at the Tokyo headquarters of Ashinaga Foundation, one of the largest nonprofits in Japan. Additional information about the event and the speaker can be found on our flyer, and will also be shared on our social media platforms. IUC Alumni Talks is a new web series planned and executed by three alumni, Richard Sleboda (’03), Jessy LeClair (’18), and Lilly Hart (’19). The goal of these events is to help strengthen the IUC community by sharing the unique journeys of individual alumni. If you have any questions, please contact Lilly at lillyy.hart@gmail.com.
This event will be open to the public.
| |
|
|
○ Student News
○ 2020 Virtual Bōnenkai
○ IUC Alumni Talks
○ Recent Events
○ Call for Applications
○ Virtual IUC
○ COVID-19 Response
○ Alumni Recognition
○ Recent Publications
December is a critical month for the IUC, especially as we brace for further impact from the pandemic. It is also the last moment in 2020 when you can contribute toward our mission to support next year’s students and to strengthen the experience and quality of IUC training. We have made it easier and more economical for you to give by adding some smart new digital tools like FreeWill and IRA QDCs to our Donate page. Please help us reach our 2020 goals to support our next class of students!
HOLIDAY SHOPPING
Did the holidays sneak up on you, and you’re still searching for a gift for that special someone? Well, look no further. Check out Kasumisou Gallery’s online store for a vast selection of accessories, home decor, and more! This gallery, which is run by IUC alum Mark Rosasco (’98), gives a portion of proceeds from sales to IUC alumni and supporters back to the IUC. Thank you Mark!
FREEWILL
This year has brought difficult challenges for everyone in our IUC community. We want to highlight a free online tool for IUC alumni that may help you get essential paperwork taken care of while bringing you some peace of mind. Through IUC’s partnership with FreeWill, you can create your legal will in less than 20 minutes and check an important legal task off your list. California residents can also make a free revocable living trust. Protect your loved ones today!
MIIS SCHOLARSHIP
IUC alumni enrolling in degree programs at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies are eligible for a $12,000 scholarship!
The Middlebury Institute educates professionals to advance understanding, promote peace, and drive change in pursuit of a more just world. For details, contact Jill Stoffers, Senior Director of Partnerships at MIIS, by email at jill.stoffers@miis.edu or by phone at (831) 647-6571.
|
|
|
RECENT EVENTS
IUC LECTURE SERIES No. 17
On October 24 (JST), IUC Leadership Board Member Glen S. Fukushima gave a fascinating online talk to the IUC community, complete with Q&A, exploring Japanese perspectives on the 2020 US presidential election and its potential implications for US-Japan relations. We send our heartfelt thanks to Glen, who is currently Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and previously served as Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Japan and China and President, American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. You can catch the sequel to Glen’s pre-election talk on December 17 (PST) hosted by Japan House Los Angeles.
IUC ALUMNI TALKS
The IUC Alumni Talks series has gotten off to a great start in bringing together IUC alumni and friends to share their stories about the IUC and their careers. The first speaker, on September 13 (JST), was Alex Melillo (’16), External Affairs Coordinator for US Government Affairs at the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ). Alex covered a range of topics, including her path to a job at ACCJ and recent ACCJ efforts to respond to the pandemic.
Our next guest speaker, on November 22 (JST), was Prof. Arthur Mitchell (IUC ’03) of Macalester College, who discussed his training at the IUC, questions about language and identity, and his recently published book, Disruptions of Daily Life: Japanese Literary Modernism in the World.
>> Video: IUC Alumni Talk with Arthur Mitchell
Each event consisted of a casual interview, followed by audience Q&A with the speaker, and concluded with a lively breakout session on Zoom where participants were able to chat with each other directly and get acquainted. Both were managed by alumni Richard Sleboda (’03), Jessy LeClair (’18), and Lilly Hart (’19) and attended by about 40 participants.
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
We are excited to announce that we are currently accepting applications for the 2021–22 10-month program, and will begin accepting applications for both the summer and kanbun programs soon. We would like to ask your help in spreading the news with anyone who may be interested in applying. If you have any questions, please contact Alice Kada at akada@stanford.edu.
○ IUC 10-Month Program: January 15, 2021 EST
○ IUC Summer Program: March 12, 2021 EST
○ IUC Kanbun Program: March 12, 2021 EST
○ IUC Professional Tutorials: Rolling admission
VIRTUAL IUC
This fall, a Virtual IUC was launched on the Remo remote conferencing platform as part of the IUC’s expanding online presence during the pandemic. Remo was initially introduced by Yokohama faculty following the emergency closure of the physical classrooms in March 2020. Because of its popularity, the Stanford office developed a customized interface to better resemble the actual layout of the IUC, complete with classrooms, library, offices, and conference rooms. The updated Virtual IUC was introduced in September 2020 and is available to students every day for 5 hours. They can sit in the library at “quiet” tables to study alone, or gather at other tables to chat, study together, or use virtual whiteboards. The Virtual IUC features links to Google Classroom, as well as a Japanese video newsfeed and a 24-hour webcam pointed at Pacifico Yokohama from nearby Landmark Tower. The Virtual IUC is also used every Friday fourth period for an open study hall for students and teachers alike, dubbed the “Terakoya” by Akizawa-sensei. Yokohama also uses the Virtual IUC for informal staff and faculty gatherings. A different customized interface for Remo is also being actively used to host alumni gatherings at the Virtual IUC Alumni Club.
>> Check out our Floorplans
COVID-19 RESPONSE
The IUC will continue to offer all instruction online through the end of the current academic year in June 2021. Our physical facilities also remain closed, with faculty and staff working from home. We plan to return to on-site instruction when conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic have sufficiently improved. We will provide updates as the situation evolves.
>> Center updates
ALUMNI RECOGNITION
NIHU INTERNATIONAL PRIZE
Andrew Gordon (IUC ’74), Lee and Juliet Folger Fund Professor of History at Harvard University, has been awarded the NIHU International Prize in Japanese Studies by Japan’s National Institutes for the Humanities for his outstanding achievements in the study of the history of labor in modern Japan; his wide-ranging endeavors in the study of Japanese modern history; his wide-ranging activities in education; and his contributions to bridging society and academia. Congratulations, Prof. Gordon, on this richly-deserved honor!
The NIHU International Prize was established in 2019 and Prof. Gordon is the second recipient. The first, Prof. Haruo Shirane of Columbia University, is also an IUC alumni. >> National Institutes for the Humanities
ORDER OF THE RISING SUN
In November, Susan Jun Onuma (IUC ’78), was awarded The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette for her contributions as President of the Japanese American Association of New York to the development of a strong, supportive network for the benefit of Japanese and Japanese Americans and to Japan-US goodwill through reconstruction assistance for Japan’s disaster-affected areas, together with her contribution through other institutions such as the US-Japan Council (USJC) to the promotion of Japan-US friendship and goodwill. Susan is the 17th IUC graduate to receive the Order of the Rising Sun. Congratulations, Susan! >> Consulate General of Japan in New York
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
So many of our alumni have published recently that we couldn’t feature them all in our newsletter. If you do not see your book listed in our full list of recent publications, please let us know so that we can add it. Many thanks to Jason Hyland (IUC ’79) for writing about his experience at the IUC in his newly published memoir, Gaikōkan no shimei (The Mission of a Diplomat)! >> recent publications list
OBITUARY
ANN WASWO (’61)
We are very sad to report that social historian Ann Waswo passed away on September 21. Dr. Waswo was a member of our very first class, back when the IUC was known as the “Stanford Center.” Dr. Waswo recalled her year at the Center in our Fall 2011 newsletter.
>> Oxford Nissan Institute
|