2015.08.03
Yoshihiko Nishino, a second-year master's student at the Graduate School of Media and Governance, has been awarded the 34th Showa Ikeda Prize, sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
The Showa Ikeda Prize was established by the Showa Ikeda Memorial Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation established with the private funds of SMK Corporation's founder, the late Heishiro Ikeda, and his wife, the late Shizuko Ikeda. The foundation conducts projects such as supporting the development of talented university students (including graduate and junior college students) through scholarships and calls for papers.
Yoshihiko Nishino chose the theme "What Do You Think of This Course for Japan?" from six optional themes and won the Showa Ikeda Prize, the grand prize, for his paper titled "A Study on Citizenship Education in Conjunction with the Lowering of the Voting Age to 18: With Reference to the Case of Germany." Mr. Nishino was presented with a certificate of commendation, a cash prize, and a scholarship from the foundation's chairman, Akitaka Ikeda.
Comment from Yoshihiko Nishino
I am greatly honored to receive the Showa Ikeda Prize, which has a tradition of over 30 years, as the third person from Keio University in five years (and the first from SFC). In anticipation of the introduction of the "18-year-old voting right," this paper introduces the activities and research I have conducted in educational settings both in Japan and abroad, and discusses the future of "citizenship education." I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my academic advisor, Professor Hiroshi Suzuki, and to everyone who has cooperated with my research. Taking this award as an opportunity, I will continue to devote myself to making further contributions to the research and practice of "citizenship education."