The Program

What do you really know about Japan beyond Pokemon, video games, fashion and Fuji? Explore contemporary Japan while learning Japanese and earning university credit. The Summer 2005 Institute is an academic experience abroad where students will:

· Study the Japanese language and modern Japanese society in this age of globalization.

· Visit businesses, cultural events, and regional attractions in the Tokyo area.

· Spend a few days touring the historic city of Kyoto.

· Live with a Japanese family for a week.

· Meet Japanese university students through the buddy program which matches like-minded Japanese students with program participants.

Dates

• Depart US: June 6, 2005
• Arrive Japan: JUne 7, 2005
• Depart Japan: July 11, 2005

Curriculum and Daily Schedule

• Classes are held at the campus of Kanagawa University in Hiratsuka, Japan. A total of 6 credit hours, 3 in Japanese language study and 3 in the study of Contemporary Japan are offered at the undergraduate (300) and the graduate (500) level.

• Language instruction is generally held three hours a day, four mornings a week. The class assignments will supplement language training and help students gain an overall appreciation of Japanese culture. Students in the Intermediate and Advanced level class can enhance their conversation skills by using the campus and city as their language laboratory.
• The Contemporary Japan course will meet at least two afternoons per week for lectures and discussions. Each week, there will be at least one field trip to nearby cultural, community or business sites as well as impromptu excursions during evenings, free days, and weekends.

Accomodations


• Students will stay in a municipal guest-house located within a spacious city park complex. Its amenities include athletic stadiums, a gymnasium with a swimming pool, a Japanese garden, jogging areas, tennis courts, and a small zoo. Students will also experience a one-week home stay with a Japanese family.

Course Offered

All students will enroll in two 3-credit hour courses: Contemporary Japan, and either Beginning Japanese or Intermediate/Advanced Japanese in Context.




• JPN 100 Beginning Japanese. (3 credits) This class stresses the basic vocabulary and structural patterns of the language needed to navigate daily life in Japan. Students also learn to read hiragana and katakana syllabary, and some essential Japanese characters.




• JPN 226/326 Intermediate/Advanced Japanese in Context. (3 credits) This class offers practice and improvement of language skills in classroom lessons and through direct experience in interviews and guided practical applications on campus and in the city of Hiratsuka.




• EALC 350/590 Exploring Contemporary Japan (3 credits)
  Japan remains a beguiling mixture of old and new as it faces accelerating changes prompted by the economic and cultural challenges of globalization. The popular new Prime Minister is trying to lead the way to renewed economic prosperity. Ordinary people are finding that society is beginning to offer less security, but more freedom.
  

Through lectures and field trips, we will examine the changing structures of various institutions in Japan: industry, education, the family, politics, transportation, religious practice, etc. In addition to traditional academic activities of lectures and readings, each student will select a topic for independent study based on interviews and observation. Possible topics include business practices, education, envrionmentalism, gender roles, health care, sports, religion, technology, etc. Course requirements include active participation in the classroom and field trips, and oral and written report of the results of the independent study topic.

Application and Acceptance

Eligibility

• The Institute is open to undergraduate and graduate students from accredited U.S. colleges and universities, as well as teachers, KU alumni and professionals seeking intensive short-term immersion into Japanese culture and society. No previous Japanese language training is required. Minimum 2.50 GPA is required (exceptions considred on a petition basis).

Credit

• The University of Kansas will grant six hours of academic credit for successful completion of the courses.

Cost

• The program fee is approximately $4,100 includes KU tuition, lodging and breakfast, entry to group cultural events, a group trip to Kyoto, several group dinners, local transportation, local field trips, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation services, and administrative costs. Students should budget an extra $2,375 to cover airfare, lunches and dinners, passport fees, textbooks, personal expenses optional cultural events and excursions. A designated travel agency will coordinate travel arrangements for the Hiratsuka program.

Financial Aid

• KU students may apply financial aid toward the cost of this program. Limited scholarships are available to KU students who have a 3.25 GPA (3.5 for graduate students), who qualify for financial aid, and who apply by March 1st. Non-KU students should check into the resources available at their home institutions.

Application Procedure

• Application forms are available from the KU Office of Study Abroad. The application deadline is March 1. Late applications will be considered on a space-available basis.

Useful Links

• Visit the Hiratsuka homepage: http://www2.gol.com/users/csr-kts/hiratsuka/

• Visit the Hiratsuka-Lawrence website: http://www.hiratsuka-lawrence.net/