Ikumi Waragai, Professor, Faculty of Policy Management

The Waragai Laboratory consists of two main activities: collaborative learning and individual research.
What we aim to advance through collaborative learning is media comparison research. The only condition for belonging to my lab is to be able to collect and survey material in a language other than one’s mother tongue. News content that appears in the media differs according to the language it is released in. The difference in language does not only result in a different method of expression, but also leads to a different interpretation of the world. In class, each working group makes a presentation, and a passionate discussion is held on the content of each one. At SFC, you can study 11 foreign languages, and there is no limit to the number of language communication course credits you may acquire, so if students are strongly motivated, they will be able to reach quite a high level of proficiency. Furthermore, using their skills in different languages and sharing with their lab peers the knowledge they have acquired leads to an awakening of a perspective that one could not have seen on one’s own.

The other main activity is individual research. The rule in my lab is to find a research theme based on one’s own perspective and understanding, a topic that makes them think “This is really interesting!” or “I could just get lost in this!” From theater to sports, advertising, literature, foreign language acquisition, and even animation, the research themes of my students are extremely wide-ranging. The diverse research themes are categorized into three fields, and Research Working Groups (RW) are formed. In parallel with their individual research, students spend a lot of time on discussions within the RW, and this sometimes results in new joint research projects.

Every year, we participate in the SFC Open Research Forum, a forum held for the general public, where we introduce our research at our booth and through poster presentations. Every year, we compile all research into one research journal and this helps students actualize and execute their research plans in which they specify how they are going to achieve their goals. My role is to create an environment for collaborative learning, a place where diverse members from first-year students to graduate students study together–a place for learning while teaching, teaching while learning.

Student's Voices
Yu Hiramatsu
Third-year student, Faculty of Policy Management
Studying something that I love–A dual approach of theory and practice

My research theme is on the stereotypes of the Takarazuka Revue Company. The specific subject of my research is the performances of the Takarazuka Revue, a company that stages original musicals based on a unique world-view.
Outside class, I myself am actually involved in the production of musicals, where I have hands-on experience in various tasks including stage production and script writing.

In the Waragai Lab, everyone decides on a research theme that they are fond of. In my case, by studying theater-related activities that I have been putting my heart into since I entered university, I am able to approach my theme from two perspectives which were made possible through the accumulation of practical experience and knowledge obtained through both practice and theory. I feel that this will allow me to express my originality in my research.