2012.07.06
On June 8, 2012, over 100 second-year high school students from Beijing No. 4 High School visited SFC.
Beijing No. 4 High School, founded in 1907, is said to be the most famous public junior and senior high school in all of China. Ninety-six percent of its students advance to nationally designated key universities, centered around Peking University and Tsinghua University. After graduating from university, 70% become executives in the State Council (government), the Communist Party, or the People's Liberation Army, and many graduates also go on to become prominent entrepreneurs, scientists, writers, and artists.
This visit to Japan was part of their "2012 Japan School Trip," and the "Tokyo Group" of students visited SFC.
Upon arriving at SFC in the morning, the group received a warm welcome from Keio students, mainly from SFC. In the Theta Building, they listened to an introduction to Keio University and SFC by Jiro Kokuryo, Dean of the Faculty of Policy Management, and an introduction to the GIGA (Global Information and Communication Technology and Governance Academic) Program by Professor Tatsuya Hagino of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies. A student from Beijing No. 4 High School asked a sharp question: "What are the strengths and selling points of Keio University compared to top universities in Europe and the United States?" Another question was, "The GIGA Program is described as a research area that integrates ICT and governance, but how is that useful in the real world?" The two professors explained that the significance lies not in simply learning ICT as a technology, but in considering how to use ICT to solve the complex, intertwined problems facing modern society, testing those solutions in the real world, and engaging in problem-solving through a process of trial and error.
Next, the students split into 10 groups for a campus tour guided by Keio students. The students, who had looked nervous in the Theta Building, were now smiling in the bright sunlight, listening cheerfully to the explanations from the Keio students.
Moving to the Omega Building, a discussion with Keio students was held as part of the activities of the SFC Japan Platform Lab, Keio Research Institute at SFC . First, Associate Professor Tomoki Kamo of the Faculty of Policy Management (co-representative of the lab) used slides with graphs and other data to pose a question: "The value of imports and exports and the level of personal exchange between Japan and China have rapidly increased since the year 2000. Based on the historical empirical rule of international relations, a deepening of mutual dependence between two nations should lead to closer ties. However, this has not been the case for Japan-China relations, and in recent years, Japanese perception of China has worsened. What are your thoughts on this?" Following this, discussions were held in each group, joined by Keio students. Perhaps because the discussions were with Keio students, mainly international students from China, allowing them to converse in their native language with people close to their own age, the discussions were very lively for both the high school and university students. Everyone felt that it would have been even better if there had been more time.
In addition to visiting historical sites, the "Tokyo Group's" school trip reportedly included customer service and other work experiences, a high school visit, and a visit to the Prime Minister's Office. Among these activities, the visit to SFC seems to have been particularly stimulating and meaningful for the students.
Posted by: Academic Affairs Office, International Group