The Future | Fumitoshi Kato, Dean of the Graduate School of Media and Governance
2020.12.01
The experimental initiative known as the "Camp for Designing the Future" began in the summer of 2011. I can still vividly recall that year. The graduation ceremony was canceled (postponed), and the new semester started in May. To ensure we had enough class sessions for the spring semester, I went to campus even on holidays. It was during that summer, when we were enveloped in a sense of powerlessness and hesitant to do anything, that the "Camp for Designing the Future" began.
Do not resist change. And no matter what, face the situation before you. We ourselves were being tested on how much spirit and ability to execute we possessed. It was with this feeling that I became involved in the "Camp for Designing the Future." The night before, the faculty in charge were so excited they couldn't sleep, and we talked all night.
There are many ways to learn about the campus. In addition to websites and guidebooks, events like the open campus also offer "mock classes." The "Camp for Designing the Future" is an experiential program that further closes the distance with high school students. Since we spend the day together from morning to evening working on challenges, we naturally end up showing each other our individual personalities. In the case of the residential workshops we've held in recent years, we literally spend our time eating and sleeping together. Where, with whom, and how to learn. Through this "camp," we can see how well we get along with each other.
This year marked the 30th anniversary of SFC's founding, and it was also a milestone for the "Camp for Designing the Future," its 10th year. Although I missed one opportunity to participate due to a special research period (sabbatical), I have been involved since the very first time. My "participation rate" is probably the highest after Mr./Ms. Takashio's. Perhaps because of this pride, I might have been a little stubborn. In any case, I was hoping we could hold it again this year. The combined wishes of the faculty, staff, and SFC students made the online "Camp for Designing the Future" a reality.
Together with Yujun Wakashin , I was in charge of the "Sabori (Slacking Off) Workshop." The idea for this theme was not unrelated to the restrictive situation of the past six months (I am currently compiling a separate summary of the overview and progress). Since the spring semester began, our physical movement has been severely restricted, and the way we spend our days has changed considerably. As we grew accustomed to the shift online, it seems our timetables and schedules became more streamlined, with no wasted time. While there are many welcome aspects to this increased efficiency, the "yohaku" (blank space) and "ma" (pauses) that should arise from breaks and travel have been stripped away. I have come to appreciate anew the importance of things like brief standing chats or chance encounters with someone. In the same way, I wondered if the meaning and value of "saboru" (slacking off) might also be changing. That was the starting point. When you "saboru," you probably need courage and a spirit of adventure. You might need companions. Whether it's good or bad depends on the situation, but perhaps "saboru" is not simply about running away, but about mobilizing your imagination in pursuit of freedom and translating it into action. I wanted to discuss these kinds of things with the high school students.
Until now, the "Camp for Designing the Future" has been held in the intense heat of August. It's hot and tiring, and every time it ends, I think about taking a break the next year, but I'm drawn in by the enthusiasm of the high school students and the high spirits of my colleagues, so I end up participating again the following year. This has been going on for a long time. This year, it was a single day in autumn. It was the first time it was held online, but there were no major problems, and we were able to reach the finale safely. The voices coming through the screen were all fresh and vibrant. I haven't seen the results of the questionnaire summarizing the opinions and impressions of the participating high school students yet, but the overall feeling was positive. Above all, the faculty and SFC students were radiating a sense of exhilaration after completing a major task.
As Mr./Ms. Tsuchiya (Dean of the Faculty of Policy Management) also mentioned, the participating high school students didn't seem to feel inconvenienced by the online format; in fact, it even seemed to have become "normal" for them. They set their background images as if it were "normal," operated their microphone's mute button quite naturally without having to ask "Can you hear me?," and spent their workshop time moving freely between the open breakout rooms.
The high school students, who are beginning to envision their future as university students, already understand intuitively that various course delivery modes are possible, including both on-campus and online. They are surely also aware that taking courses online reorganizes the nature of time and space. The "new normal" that adults talk about is not new at all to the high school students we met online this year. They are all prepared and are already in the future. I encountered such a future.