As Director of the Japan Studies Institute (2001 – 2005), funded by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities – AASCU) I was responsible for all aspects of the program. This included curriculum development, staffing, and organization of site visits throughout Southern California and Baja Mexico. Sample programs and projects developed by the Institute Fellows may be accessed below.

The Program was multi-disciplinary in content and designed for faculty without prior experience in Japanese studies who sought to incorporate information about Japan into their courses. In addition to the preparatory readings that were made available prior to the Institute, Fellows received an Institute Pack containing bibliographical and Internet resources related to Japan, as well as copies of source materials to complement the seminars and lectures that constituted the core of the Institute.

The Institute involved four weeks of intensive seminars, lectures, readings, films and discussion groups and cultural activities related to Japanese history, culture, literature, government, business, language and education. While modern Japan served as the focus for the program, Fellows were provided with a firm foundation in the pre-modern history and culture of Japan. The program included topics as diverse as wartime and occupation Japan, social relations and the changing role of women in Japan, Japanese foreign policy and regional relations, Koto music, calligraphy, survival Japanese, film, manga (Japanese comics) and Japanese labor-management relations. The formal program was complemented by a number of off-campus and evening activities, including visits to museums and Japanese operated Maquiladoras in Tijuana. Institute faculty include scholars, representatives from the local Japanese business community, artists, journalists, and government officials.

For more program details, kindly explore the links below:

Japan Studies Institute 2005
Japan Studies Institute 2004
Japan Studies Institute 2003
Japan Studies Institute 2002

Details regarding the Institute, including on-line application forms can be obtained from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)