KONAN UNIVERSITY International Student Workshop 2021

Konan University warmly welcomes all students navigating the path to a new normal to join an innovative three-part online culture and language exchange student workshop. Participants will explore critical elements of global citizenship and develop intercultural competence in the process. Reaching across physical borders, participants have a platform to voice their thoughts and share their perspectives and experiences in an international collaborative effort towards a sustainable global society.

Theme: Exploring Global Citizenship During and After Covid-19

The novel coronavirus has disrupted the lives of people across all parts of the world, significantly affecting the most vulnerable and their families and communities. Access to educational opportunities has decreased, and many students find it necessary at best to adapt to changes and limitations and at worse to put aside their aspirations. For students seeking to participate in overseas study abroad programs, their pursuits have been interrupted due to restrictions in physical mobility across borders. Until these restrictions are lifted, and physical mobility is no longer limited, efforts to promote the mobility of students’ lived experience and ideas are vital to broadening perspectives that sustain global citizenship education for students across the world.

Objective: To provide opportunities to students that promote culture and language exchange in English and Japanese, bring awareness to issues that people face in countries at the local level, develop intercultural competence, and foster global citizenship through meaningful student exchange.

Method: The three-part workshop will be conducted using a combination of virtual Zoom meetings and educational tools including Flipgrid and Padlet. The capstone presentation session that culminates the workshop can be attended remotely by students living abroad or in-person at Konan University in Kobe, Japan.

Important Dates and Deadlines (Japan Standard Time): ・Application Deadline: Saturday, March 14, 2021 ・Acceptance Notification: Late March ・Virtual Orientation: Saturday, April 10, 2021 (9:00am -12:00pm JST) ・4-Week Culture & Language Exchange: Sunday, April 11 – Saturday, May 8, 2021 ・In-Person & Virtual Presentation: Saturday, May 15, 2021 (9:00am – 13:00pm JST)

Eligibility: ・Students from Partner Universities* ・Students from Konan University

Presentation Types and Language: ・Individual presentations: Up to 5 minutes ・Team presentations: Up to 10 minutes

Students participating in the capstone presentation session are strongly encouraged to present their presentation in the language other than their native language (English or Japanese) to enhance communication skills in their target language.

Partner Universities* AU: Murdoch University, Edith Cowan University. CA: University of Victoria, Carleton University, Université du Québec à Montréal, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. CN: Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Xiamen University. FR: Université François-Rabelais de Tours, Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3. DE: Leipzig University. KR: Hanyang University, Kyung Hee University, Dong-eui University. TW: Tunghai University, National Taipei University, National United University. UK: University of Leeds. US: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Pittsburgh, and University of Arizona, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Weber State University.

PART 1: ORIENTATION

Virtual Orientation Session: Saturday, April 10, 2021 Meet your international peers and engage in refreshing icebreaker activities and socializing to kick-off the 4-week culture and language exchange segment of the workshop.

Schedule* (Japan Standard Time) 9:00 – 10:00 Introductions & Briefing 10:00 – 10:45 Icebreaker Activity 1 (Select your adventure - activities to be announced at a later date) 10:45 – 11:00 Break 11:00 – 11:45 Icebreaker Activity 2 (Select your adventure - activities to be announced at a later date) 11:45-12:00 Important Reminders & Announcements *Schedule subject to change.

PART 2: CULTURE & LANGUAGE EXCHANGE

4-Week Culture & Language Exchange: Saturday, April 11– Sunday, May 8, 2021 Be an active member in a virtual international student community and engage in culture and language exchange with your global peers in a secure and accessible virtual educational tool including Flipgrid and Padlet. Participate at your own pace during this segment of the workshop. Each week, a set of videos that serve as learning resources will be announced to participants. The resources function as a springboard to discussion and exchange. Choose at least one topic each week and contribute to meaningful dialogue in the form of a short video message that communicates your thoughts and perspectives anytime between Sunday through Wednesday. Then, respond to at least one video message posted by your global peer and add your perspective by sharing a thoughtful comment or asking a question anytime between Wednesday through Saturday. Video messages and responses should contribute to a positive learning environment and encourage mutual dialogue between all participants in English or Japanese. Weekly topics that touch on critical global issues are pathways to meaningful discussion and reflection and are intended to bring awareness to the challenges that people face in countries at the local level and, in the process, develop intercultural competence and in-depth understanding of global citizenship towards a sustainable global society for all.

PART 3: CAPSTONE PRESENTATIONS

Capstone Presentations at Konan University: Saturday, May 15, 2021 What does global citizenship mean to you? Share your thoughts in the form of an informal or formal presentation followed by an interactive Q&A session with participants and attendees.

Schedule* (Japan Standard Time) 9:00 – 9:30 Registration 9:30 – 10:00 Opening Remarks and Guest Speakers 10:15 – 11:00 Presentation Block 1 11:15 – 12:00 Presentation Block 2 12:15 – 13:00 Closing Remarks and Awards *Schedule subject to change.

Awards: ・Certificate of Global Citizenship* Participants who attend all workshop segments: orientation, 4-week culture & language exchange, and capstone presentation session will receive a Certificate of Global Citizenship from Konan University to recognize their dedicated efforts to develop the skills essential for intercultural competence and global citizenship and their meaningful contributions to the workshop.

*A checklist will be provided to participants in an information packet sent along with acceptance notices in late March to allow students to self-monitor their progress towards earning a Certificate of Global Citizenship from Konan University.

・Certificate of Participation Participants who cannot attend all workshop segments due to conflicts such as time differences between Japan and their home country will receive a Certificate of Participation from Konan University to recognize their efforts to develop the skills essential for intercultural competence and global citizenship and contribution to the workshop.

Application Information: https://bit.ly/3deVyL6 Complete the online application form to register for the workshop.

Contact Information:

Shari Yamamoto Chair of KU International Student Workshop 2021 Fellow, Konan International Exchange Center Lecturer, Center for Education in General Studies

Itsue Tanigawa Vice-Chair of KU International Student Workshop 2021 Japanese Language Instructor, Year-in-Japan Program

Konan University International Exchange Center Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.konan-u.ac.jp/kiec/