2021/11/15

An online symposium “Envisioning the Asian Union: Exploring Global Citizenship Education in the Asia-Pacific” was held on Saturday, October 30th, bringing together participants from Tokyo, Kyoto and Busan (South Korea) via Zoom.

This event was held as a part of a joint research project on Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and Multicultural Education (by Professor Takuma Nagahama of the Faculty of Foreign Studies’ Department of Japanese Studies and Professor Michiko Kato of the Faculty of Foreign Studies’ Department of Global Affairs from KUFS, and Professor Makoto Kobayashi from Tamagawa University’s College of Education). Some 30 participants attended the symposium, including students of the UNSECO Club at Tamagawa Universtiy’s College of Education, KUFS’s Department of Japanese Studies, British and American Studies, Spanish Studies, German Studies and Chinese Studies, international students from China, and students from the Busan University of Foreign Studies.

The symposium began with a PowerPoint presentation on each of the universities and seminar courses. Then, after listening to Professor Kobayashi speak about the rapprochement of cultures, each group gave a presentation on what aspects are necessary and doable for the establishment of the Asian Union, followed by a panel discussion.

It was inspiring to see the students believe in the necessity of establishing the Asian Union instead of discussing about the topic as an idealistic theory. Students also spoke honestly about topics that are hard to bring up, sharing a range of interesting ideas that sprung from their young minds, and exchanged a variety of constructive opinions.

As one student said “Let’s keep this exchange going” in the end, the event seemed to inspire the students to create a community that may possibly grow from here on.

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