Two Information Sessions | Hideyuki Tokuda (Dean, Graduate School of Media and Governance)
2007.07.30
In early July, I attended a graduate school information session for the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Mita Campus, and in mid-July, I participated in an undergraduate information session for the Shonan Fujisawa Junior and Senior High School held at SFC. While I often have opportunities to provide an overview of Media and Governance, it had been a very long time since I had participated in an undergraduate information session for high school students. In fact, it was the first time since I paired up with Professor Heizo Takenaka, then of the Faculty of Policy Management, for an information session held at the Keio Academy of New York many years ago.
The day of the graduate school information session coincided with SFC's annual Homecoming Day and Tanabata Festival, so I had a tight schedule that involved heading to SFC as soon as the first half of the session was over. I began by giving an introduction to the graduate school as a whole, after which we adopted a format where attendees could consult individually with two faculty members, one from policy and one from information media. Following the introduction to the Graduate School of Media and Governance, I received several questions from the attendees. While there were questions about the master's program admission process and the Ph.D. program, what left an impression on me was the high level of interest in the program for working professionals. One question was, "SFC is quite far, so is it really possible to be enrolled in the Ph.D. program while working?" It was a candid question, mixing anticipation for the Ph.D. program with anxiety about the distance to SFC. I explained that many working professionals have already enrolled, and that communication with supervisors has become easier through various information tools and networks, so there is not much to worry about. By the time I returned to SFC to join the Homecoming Day, it was already past 4:20 p.m.
For the second information session, the one for undergraduates, I paired up with Professor Takahiro Kunieda of the Faculty of Policy Management. The venue, the θ (Theta) Building: Main Lecture Hall 2, was filled not only with students from the Shonan Fujisawa Junior and Senior High School but also with many of their parents. They listened very intently to the presentation, which was followed by a lively Q&A session. I was in charge of explaining the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies. In addition to covering SFC's history, curriculum features, areas of education and research, student life, and post-graduation career paths, I made a conscious effort to emphasize aspects not written in the pamphlets. A list of course names in the curriculum only provides lecture-based information about *what* courses can be taken. I explained that a major feature of SFC is its emphasis on practice and the *how* of learning, such as through research projects, seminars, and group work. I also touched upon the "hidden curriculum" not listed in the official one, such as the Open Research Forum (ORF), Tanabata Festival, Aki-sai (Autumn Festival), and Homecoming Day, as well as SFC's unique scholarships like the SFC Education and Research Encouragement Fund, the Overseas Fieldwork Scholarship, and the Masatada Kobayashi Scholarship, and the Policy Research Support Organization. I feel I was able to successfully fulfill my duty. I hope that many of the students will take an interest in SFC.
Through these two information sessions, there is something I have come to recognize anew. It is that:
SFC is a place where one can experience and carry on the spirit of Fukuzawa and improve oneself through various practical experiences.
I sincerely hope that the future leaders of our society will come to our campus.
(Date Published: 2007/07/30)