91³Ô¹Ï

Stanford e-Tottori is a distance-learning course sponsored by the Tottori Prefectural Board of Education and the  (91³Ô¹Ï) at 91³Ô¹Ï. Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai and Superintendent Hitoshi Yamamoto of the Tottori Prefectural Board of Education were instrumental in its establishment. Offered for the first time in 2016, Stanford e-Tottori presents a creative and innovative approach to teaching Japanese high school students about U.S. society and culture. Stanford e-Tottori Instructor Jonas Edman recently wrote these reflections on his work with students in Tottori.

While visiting Tottori Prefecture during the summer, I came to realize that Tottori, which once seemed like a distant and isolated place in my mind, has become a central part of my life¡¯s neighborhood. In early August, I attended the closing ceremony for the third-year course offering of Stanford e-Tottori. On the same day, I attended the opening ceremony for the fourth-year course offering of Stanford e-Tottori. During the ceremonies, student representatives from several high schools in Tottori¡ªSeishokaichi High School, Tottori Nishi High School, and Yonago Higashi High School¡ªoffered very meaningful messages. While listening to them, I felt so fortunate to be living in a time when technology affords me the opportunity to work in real time with students on the other side of the Pacific.

We are now in the midst of the fourth-year course offering, and I am already noticing significant growth in the English abilities and critical thinking skills of my 30 students. We have discussed topics ranging from studying at universities in the United States to the popularity of Japanese manga (comics or graphic novels) in the United States. My colleagues Rylan Sekiguchi and Naomi Funahashi led a very engaging discussion on studying at universities in the United States, and my students shared thoughts on what they perceive to be similarities and differences in studying at universities in Japan. The discussion of manga led to feelings of pride among my students, having come to realize the prevalence of Japanese manga in the United States. Tottori is very famous for its manga artists.

Whenever I work with my students in online classes from Stanford on topics like manga, I feel like I have been transported back to Tottori as I see the 30 familiar faces of students whom I first met in Tottori. This inevitably prompts me to reflect upon several key observations that I have made during my several visits to Tottori. First, while traveling in Tottori, one can almost feel that Tottori is the least populated prefecture in Japan. Perhaps correlated with this fact is how I have always been struck by the attention the students receive from their teachers. This infectious dedication to educating the next generation of leaders has had a ripple effect across the Pacific to us at 91³Ô¹Ï and my guest speakers for Stanford e-Tottori. For example, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Takeshi Homma, who hails from Tottori, puts his heart and soul into his talk on ¡°Entrepreneurship and Silicon Valley¡± each year. Second, Tottori is known for its nature and agriculture, and the importance of preserving the environment seems foremost on people¡¯s minds. This is a global mindset that I wish others in the United States and Japan would share. Our online class on the environment has always prompted spirited discussions. Third, since I spent 16 years of my youth in Tokyo, I cannot help but notice the slower pace of life in Tottori. Magically, the slower pace helps me to take notice of each valuable moment that I spend with my students not only in person but virtually as well. Topics like aging and population decline are ones that have drawn interest and critical attention not only in Tottori but across Japan.

• Inaugural Stanford e-Tottori Day
• Honoring Stanford e-Tottori students
• From Sand Dunes to Detective Conan

This fall, the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (91³Ô¹Ï) began its ninth offering of Stanford e-Japan, an online course that introduces U.S. society and culture and U.S.¨CJapan relations to high school students in Japan. Stanford e-Japan is made possible through the support of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation, Tokyo. The fall 2019 Stanford e-Japan online course has continued the tradition of enrolling students from various parts of Japan; engaging students with leading American and Japanese academics, entrepreneurs, and community leaders as guest speakers; and encouraging students to study in the United States.

The 28 students of the fall 2019 cohort were selected from among a competitive group of applicants from throughout Japan. The selected students represent the prefectures of Chiba, Ehime, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Nara, Okayama, Saitama, and Tokyo. Stanford e-Japan Instructors Meiko Kotani and Waka Brown have noted that their students not only continue to learn important content and perspectives from the guest speakers but also important perspectives from their fellow students. Brown recalled, ¡°¡­last year, I was particularly struck by the impact a student from Okinawa had on the other students in his cohort as he shared insights on the U.S. military presence in Okinawa from his personal experiences.¡±

The fall 2019 course recently featured guest speaker Suzanne Basalla, who has become a regular speaker for Stanford e-Japan. Basalla is Chief of Staff at the Toyota Research Institute in Silicon Valley and a former officer (Lieutenant Commander) of the U.S. Navy. Following her naval career, Basalla served as Director for Japan in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and as Senior Advisor to U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos, serving at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo from 2010 to 2012. During her talk with the students, she touched upon her work with security-, economic-, political-, and cultural-related issues in the U.S.¨CJapan relationship and also offered keen insights into her current work as a leading entrepreneur in Silicon Valley.

Speakers like Basalla as well as Instructors Brown and Kotani have been encouraging Japanese students to consider studying in the United States. Many Stanford e-Japan alumni have enrolled in summer programs in the United States, spent a year studying abroad in the United States, and several have enrolled in four-year colleges in the United States. Among the latter are Jun Yamasaki (Fall 2017 Stanford e-Japan cohort) and Hanako ¡°Hannah¡± Tauchi (Spring 2017 Stanford e-Japan cohort), who are recipients of . The following is noted on the scholarship¡¯s website.

[The] Yanai Tadashi Foundation Scholarship aims to provide promising young people with leadership potential the opportunity to study at world-class universities in the United States. The scholarship enables recipients to mix with an internationally diverse student body to cultivate their entrepreneurial skills and enhance their global perspective, encouraging their development as future drivers of a better society.

Yamasaki, a freshman at Northwestern University, and Tauchi, a freshman at the University of California, San Diego, recently commented on how Stanford e-Japan helped them as high school students to prepare for undergraduate studies in the United States. Their comments follow.

Yamasaki: As an institution, Northwestern places a great emphasis on interdisciplinary studies and learning¡ªa characteristic that is apparent in both its research and the academic interests and aspirations of its students. The structure of the Stanford e-Japan program itself encouraged me to examine the U.S.¨CJapan relationship through multiple perspectives, ranging from sports to entrepreneurship. In addition to furthering my understanding of the dynamics of the U.S.¨CJapan relationship, Stanford e-Japan helped me identify the intersection between my past interests and the potential future needs and topics pertaining to the U.S.¨CJapan relationship, and construct my future goals accordingly. This in turn has allowed me to better plan out how I can take full advantage of Northwestern¡¯s unique characteristics and offerings, which I am extremely thankful for. 

Tauchi: The Stanford e-Japan Program was an amazing opportunity for me both to consider undergraduate studies in the U.S. as a realistic option and to improve my English skills overall. As a student who was schooled in Japanese for my entire life, the course¡ªlectures, reading assignments, discussions, and essays¡ªwas at first quite challenging, but looking back the half a year I worked on the program, I would definitely say that the program is one of the most important experiences that I had during my high school life. Offered by one of the most renowned colleges in the world, I could feel and imagine how college life in the U.S. would be like. Of course, the contents of the course¡ªthings that students do not normally learn in Japanese high school¡ªwere all interesting and motivated me to learn more about the U.S.¨CJapan relationship and beyond. 

Kotani and Brown hope that Stanford e-Japan alumni like Yamasaki and Tauchi will continue to play roles in U.S.¨CJapan relations beyond their college years. Kotani recently shared that ¡°the Stanford e-Japan guest speakers like Suzanne Basalla, with such fascinating careers, are such excellent role models for the students. My hope is that many alumni of Stanford e-Japan will consider working for businesses in places like Silicon Valley and other organizations in Japan and the United States that focus on the U.S.¨CJapan relationship.¡± Brown, who will be recognized with the Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award at a ceremony at 91³Ô¹Ï on December 5, 2019, has noted that, ¡°I feel so honored to be recognized with the 2019 Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award for my work as the Instructor of Stanford e-Japan and am especially looking forward to seeing one of my former Stanford e-Japan students, Ryoga Umezawa, who is studying at the Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute in San Francisco.¡±

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• Honoring High School Students from Japan and the United States: A Glow for Global Peace
• 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s Waka Takahashi Brown Receives 2019 Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award
• Yanai Tadashi Foundation and 91³Ô¹Ï/91³Ô¹Ï

Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki (MBA, 1995) and Dr. Mariko Yoshihara Yang (MA, 1995, PhD, 2000) participated on an education-focused panel at 91³Ô¹Ï on August 26, 2019. The panel was part of the California-Japan Governors¡¯ Symposium that was co-hosted by the U.S.-Japan Council and the Silicon Valley Japan Platform, which is co-chaired by , founding director of the . One of the objectives of the education panel was to encourage educational collaborations between Japan and California.

Keeping many of the key discussion points from the education panel in mind, Yang recently conceptualized and launched a 91³Ô¹Ï online course for MBA students at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima (PUH) and other universities in Hiroshima. The course is called the Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship (SHCPE) and is offered under the leadership of Professor Katsue Edo, Hiroshima Business and Management School (HBMS), PUH.

Yuzaki shaped the rationale for the course. Yuzaki stated, ¡°We are now facing times when it is critical to design a new social system for accelerating the growth of Hiroshima Prefecture. In this environment, the government of Hiroshima is promoting various plans for enhancing a creative region and developing the economy and society of Hiroshima.¡± This sentiment has prompted Yuzaki to stay in close touch with his Stanford mentor, Okimoto, and involved with the Silicon Valley Japan Platform. Yuzaki continued, ¡°To achieve this goal, challenging students through education is one of the most important issues in Hiroshima. The Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship established by the HBMS at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima and 91³Ô¹Ï will deliver a very valuable program which offers knowledge and wisdom of the practitioners of business in Silicon Valley, which is an intense area of innovation near 91³Ô¹Ï. It will also foster entrepreneurship and management for the next generation of leaders, who will contribute to the further development of Hiroshima and Japan.¡±

SHCPE Instructor Yang has noted that the course ¡°provides a unique opportunity for the MBA students in Hiroshima to connect and interact with Japanese entrepreneurs, professionals, and scholars of Silicon Valley in a virtual setting. SHCPE¡¯s speaker lineup includes Stanford scholars as well as founders of a software startup, a social networking organization, and an educational non-profit as well as venture capitalists, a legal expert, and a policy advisor. Together with these guests, the students explore and analyze Silicon Valley¡¯s ecosystem and think critically about entrepreneurial competencies.¡±

Dr. Yang (on screen) with MBA students at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima.

Dr. Yang (on screen) with MBA students at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima. Photo credit: Kazue Hiura, PUH.    

In November, Yang will be visiting Hiroshima to meet with Yuzaki as well as PUH President Ken-ichi Nakamura. Yang will have the chance to share her initial assessment of the course with Yuzaki and Nakamura, who has emphasized the importance of inviting lecturers from universities outside of Japan to work with PUH¡¯s MBA students in order to underscore the importance of adding global perspectives to the curriculum. Nakamura has stated, ¡°For the students to step forward into the globalizing world, they must feel and experience the real challenges of an increasingly interdependent world and this course is providing exactly that.¡± Yang will also be offering the final SHCPE class in person and will meet her students in person for the first time.

SHCPE is an example of ¡°Engagement beyond our university,¡± which is one of the four key areas in Stanford¡¯s long-range plan and a timely topic of consideration during the upcoming Stanford Alumni Weekend. Yang has noted, ¡°SHCPE utilizes knowledge and methodologies developed at 91³Ô¹Ï. In the first session, students were introduced to techniques and mindset of by interviewing, ideating, and prototyping for their partners. Through the eight-week course, the students will not only acquire new knowledge on Silicon Valley¡¯s ecosystem, but also challenges themselves to hone their analytical skills, nurture entrepreneurial creativity, and develop a .¡± This resonated in Nakamura who reflected, ¡°The Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship was developed to be an opportunity for our students to learn the ways of thinking taught by the innovators of Silicon Valley and 91³Ô¹Ï. We are confident that this will be an exciting program which will contribute not only to promote academic research but also to promote business practices in Hiroshima.¡±

As 91³Ô¹Ï continues to strive to make Stanford scholarship accessible to students not only in the United States but also in other countries, 91³Ô¹Ï looks forward to continuing its partnership with PUH and other universities in Hiroshima for many years to come, and building upon lessons learned from the inaugural SHCPE course. Yuzaki and Yang crossed paths during their graduate school years at Stanford and Yang reflected that ¡°despite the passage of many years since the completion of our programs, it has been very much an honor to reconnect and work with fellow Stanford alumnus Governor Yuzaki to improve U.S.¨CJapan relations through educational channels across the Pacific¡­ and I would be remiss to not say that the reconnection would not have been possible without the vision of my academic advisor and mentor, Professor Okimoto.¡±

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In its 46-year history, 91³Ô¹Ï, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), has collaborated with numerous Stanford-affiliated organizations on educational programs. One of the most meaningful and significant collaborations has been with , an award-winning global leader in designing, producing, and distributing research-based health education. With programs used in 82 countries, TeachAids released its newest product, , seeking to decrease the stigma surrounding concussion reporting and empower youth athletes with much needed knowledge. All TeachAids education content is available for free.

The 91³Ô¹Ï staff highly encourages teachers in 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s network to access the CrashCourse Concussion Education content and share it with their colleagues in their school¡¯s science-, health-, and sports-related programs. The following is noted on CrashCourse¡¯s main webpage:

One in five high school athletes will get a concussion. With proper care, most concussions can heal within 10 days, but the overwhelming majority of students, parents, and coaches are unaware of the latest science about prevention and treatment of concussions. If not treated properly, a concussion may have lasting physical, emotional, and cognitive effects.

Since many schools are now in the midst of football season, this is an ideal time to raise awareness of the prevention and treatment of concussions. In particular, the content will be especially helpful if it can be shared with the school¡¯s athletic or health leadership. In less than a year, CrashCourse has gained great momentum and recognition throughout the country with leading organizations such as , , and (which offers free Certification for CrashCourse content) using the content to educate their young athletes and larger sports communities (, , ).

Through our special partnership, 91³Ô¹Ï will be distributing all CrashCourse products for free to our network of more than 10,000 schools reaching all major school districts in the United States.

The CrashCourse initiative was developed under the leadership of TeachAids Founder and Adjunct Affiliate at FSI¡¯s Center for Health Policy . Several other Stanford faculty members affiliated with FSI¡ªincluding , Director of Stanford Health Policy, , Chief of General Pediatrics, and , Richard E. Behrman Professor of Child Health and Society¡ªhave served as close advisors for TeachAids so teachers can feel extremely confident in its products. CrashCourse is an excellent example of ¡°engagement beyond our university,¡± which is one of Stanford¡¯s four long-range planning key areas.

91³Ô¹Ï looks forward to continuing its partnership with TeachAids as both organizations strive to continue to make Stanford scholarship accessible to students not only in the United States but also in many other countries around the world.

This summer, 91³Ô¹Ï Director Dr. Gary Mukai was interviewed at Stanford by The Education Newspaper of Japan about his long experience working with American and Japanese students. In particular, the two-part feature highlighted his impactful work in education and U.S.¨CJapan relations over his 40-year career.

In Part 1 of the ¡°close-up¡± interview, Mukai shares his educational philosophy derived from 40 years working with students in Japan and the United States. In Part 2 of the interview, he talks about , the , and 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s other Japan-focused projects and online learning courses for high school students.

¡°I feel honored to be interviewed by The Education Newspaper,¡± reflected Mukai. ¡°And I¡¯m grateful for the opportunity to share about some of the cross-cultural work we do at 91³Ô¹Ï to promote mutual understanding between students in the United States and Japan.¡±

Read the two articles here:

• Part 1: (in Japanese; full article behind paywall)
• Part 2: (in Japanese; full article behind paywall)

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From August 14 to 16, 2019, Stanford Global Studies (SGS) welcomed ten new (EPIC) Fellowship Program community college instructors as members of its class of 2019¨C20. 91³Ô¹Ï along with are SGS¡¯s EPIC partners. Jonas Edman will be working with five of the community college fellows during the upcoming academic year as they seek to increase the international, intercultural, and global dimensions in their curriculum.

Edman commented, ¡°The three-day intensive workshop seemed to help cultivate a strong professional learning community amongst the fellows. This should bode well for the upcoming online discussions. Since I began working with community college instructors about eight years ago, I have learned so much not only about the challenges that community college instructors face but also about many of the rewarding aspects of their teaching.¡±

The five instructors are:
Lauren Arenson, Pasadena City College
Dana Grisby, Laney College
Humberto Merino-Hernandez, Cerritos College
Soraya Renteria, Las Positas College
Citlali Sosa-Riddell, Pierce College

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Related articles:

• Symposium Focuses on Incorporating Global Themes into the Curriculum at Community Colleges
• The Stanford EPIC fellowship for community college instructors
• ¡°From Cold War to Hot Peace: An Ambassador in Putin¡¯s Russia,¡± a book talk for educators by Ambassador Michael McFaul

On August 26, 2019, 91³Ô¹Ï/FSI served as the 91³Ô¹Ï host of the California-Japan Governors¡¯ Symposium, which was co-hosted by the and the . Four governors and one vice governor from Japan were in attendance along with dignitaries from California.

The goal of the Symposium was to create an opportunity for leaders from Silicon Valley and Japan to come together, reinforce relationships, consider new ways of thinking, initiate dialogue, and catalyze outcomes that benefit both the United States and Japan. USJC President Irene Hirano, California State Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis, and Ambassador Roos set the context for the Symposium by highlighting the interdependence of Japan and California broadly¡ªand Silicon Valley specifically¡ªhistorically, economically, and socially.

The Symposium featured one panel and two sessions. First, Stanford Emeritus Professor, Co-Founder, and Co-Chair of the SVJP Executive Committee moderated a panel that featured the governors and the vice governor sharing some of the challenges and opportunities in their prefectures with a special focus on their prefectures¡¯ relationship with Silicon Valley and institutions of higher learning like Stanford. Second, 91³Ô¹Ï Director Dr. Gary Mukai moderated an education-focused session that explored issues at the intersection of education and global citizenship. Co-Founder Dr. Rie Kijima and SKY LABO Co-Founder and 91³Ô¹Ï Instructor Dr. Mariko Yoshihara Yang spoke about their work in fostering the next generation of innovative human resources in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education with special attention to girls¡¯ and women¡¯s education. They were followed by Governors Hirose, Ibaragi, and Yuzaki, who shared education-related priorities and concerns in their prefectures, e.g., declining school enrollment especially in rural areas, low numbers of Japanese students choosing to study abroad, and empowering Japanese students with global points of view. Third, Dr. Devang Thakor moderated a healthcare-focused session. Stanford , a cardiologist, and Dr. Caleb Bell, G4S Capital and Ikigai Accelerator, shared comments on the application of AI and machine learning to medical diagnosis and treatment. Also in the session, Governor Kawakatsu and Vice Governor Ota shared reflections on health-related topics such as aging societies, the rising cost of healthcare, and prevention and wellness.

In his closing comments, Okimoto noted that he hopes to convene another symposium with the governors from Japan in three to five years. The goal of the symposium would be to share and discuss the progress that has been made since last month¡¯s gathering.

Over the next three to five years, 91³Ô¹Ï plans to do its part¡ªin at least five areas¡ªin terms of building upon the discussion from the education-focused session. First, later this month, Mukai will be offering the first class of Stanford e-Oita, an online class on U.S. society and culture that 91³Ô¹Ï will offer to high school students in Oita this fall. Second, Rylan Sekiguchi, Instructor of Stanford e-Hiroshima, will begin instruction from this fall of an online class on U.S. society and culture that 91³Ô¹Ï will offer to high school students in Hiroshima. Third, Yang will be visiting Hiroshima in November to meet Governor Yuzaki as well as to offer the final class of the Stanford-Hiroshima Collaboration Program, which will be offered to MBA students at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima and other universities also from this fall. Fourth, 91³Ô¹Ï will continue to assist Okayama Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture on their educational efforts in areas like sister city school programs and engaging their students in Stanford e-Japan, a national online class that 91³Ô¹Ï offers to high school students throughout Japan. Stanford e-Japan is taught by Waka Takahashi Brown and Meiko Kotani. Fifth, SVJP Executive Director Kenta Takamori and Mukai recently shared reflections on the Symposium and their work with the prefectures on . They hope to continue to inform the broader Silicon Valley community of the outcomes of the Symposium.

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Related articles:

• Announcing Stanford e-Oita, a New Online Course for High School Students in Oita Prefecture, Japan
• Stanford e-Hiroshima, 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s Newest Online Course for High School Students: Sharing Cranes Across the Pacific