A New Challenge at 24: It's Never Too Late to Learn

I once studied chemistry at another university. I dropped out after three years of study and then worked as a manager at a restaurant where I had been a part-time employee during my student days. When I first dropped out, I had no intention of re-enrolling in university. However, as I listened to the part-time university students at the restaurant talk about their activities, the desire to study again began to well up inside me.

With the vague idea of trying for a national or public university, I started attending a prep school to prepare for the entrance exams again, but I was determined not to fail this time. During a guidance counseling session at the prep school, I explained that I wanted to "study a wide range of subjects without being tied to a specific field." The first university they recommended as a match for my interests was SFC. As I researched it, I learned about SFC's interdisciplinary environment and highly flexible curriculum, and I became convinced that this was the only place for me! I was determined to enroll at SFC.

When I first entered SFC at the age of 24, I didn't have a specific field of study in mind. There were many classmates who had already achieved great things in various activities since high school, and at first, I felt insecure and anxious. But my worries were completely unfounded. I believe SFC is the perfect place for people like me who "want to try everything but don't have a concrete plan," or for those who "haven't found a field of interest yet but want to find something to be passionate about in university." At SFC, you can truly learn about so many different things, regardless of the field. My friends who enrolled with similar motivations have all found what they want to do and are now immersed in their research; some, for example, are now dedicated to music-related research.

Many students at SFC have come here through unconventional paths, so I think it's an easy-to-assimilate and comfortable environment even for people like me who have retaken exams or taken detours before enrolling. I am truly satisfied and glad that I came to SFC.

Now in my third year, my main research focus is on Islamic culture. I belong to the Yo Nonaka Lab and serve as an SA (Student Assistant) for the "Muslim Coexistence Project" and "Contemporary Southeast Asian Studies." Given my background in science, it might be hard to imagine how I ended up researching Islamic culture. The catalyst was choosing the Malay-Indonesian language as my second foreign language simply because it seemed interesting.

Indonesia is a country where 90% of the population is Muslim, and the Indonesian language classes provided opportunities to learn about Islamic culture. I used to have a strong image of Islam being associated with terrorism, violence, and fanaticism. However, upon actually learning about it, I realized it also has a side of religious tolerance and that my previous views were complete prejudice. I found the gap between my preconceptions and reality fascinating. After joining the Yo Nonaka Lab, I became even more captivated by the depth of Islamic culture and was drawn deeper and deeper into it.

Muslims now account for one in four people in the world's population, a number that is projected to continue to grow. In an era where a correct understanding of Islam is necessary, prejudice and misconceptions about Islam remain deeply rooted in Japan, partly due to the limited opportunities for direct interaction with Muslims. For this reason, the "Muslim Coexistence Project" conducts activities such as a food drive at "Masjid Otsuka," a mosque in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, to promote active exchange between local residents and Muslims. I view "Masjid Otsuka" as a successful example of community coexistence and am conducting research on the theme of "The Characteristics of the Relationship Between Masjid Otsuka and the Local Community from the Perspective of Community Collaboration."

In "Contemporary Southeast Asian Studies," I am researching the works of the film production company Marvel Studios. While many of their past works contained portrayals that could reinforce the stereotype of Islam being equated with terrorism, recent works have depicted it with a more realistic understanding. I feel that the context surrounding the portrayal of Islam is changing. In my research, I am investigating "how the portrayal of Islam in such visual works influences cultural perceptions."

Right now, my goal is to receive a job offer. One of the motivations for my research on Islam in film is my long-standing love for movies and anime, so I hope to find a job in the entertainment industry where I can be involved in film production. This career path, from Islamic studies to the entertainment industry, may seem disconnected at first glance, but my research at SFC has allowed me to bridge them. At SFC, it's possible to freely change or simultaneously pursue multiple fields of research. I also hope to get involved in projects like video production in the future, and I am currently auditing a programming research group. Normally, it would be difficult to study programming and religious studies at the same time at a typical university, but at SFC, it's possible. Furthermore, SFC has experts in various fields such as economics and business, so you can get advice from different perspectives. I think the environment at SFC, where you can learn from diverse viewpoints, is extremely rare.

The reason I can concentrate on my university life and research is thanks to the support from scholarships and research grants I receive from both inside and outside the university. I had financial concerns before enrolling, but SFC offered many support systems. The learning experience at SFC is a precious one that you can't get anywhere else. If I could do it all over again, I would have wanted to come to SFC from the very beginning. The tuition is by no means cheap, but it is well worth the cost. I want to tell prospective students to apply to SFC with confidence.