8
cultural backgrounds. The course emphasizes group work and discussion, and
students learn communication and consensus-building skills through experience.
It leads to the award of two credits.
Over 15 lectures, this course examines the environmental problems that Asia is
experiencing and discusses how we can foster a growing society with fi nite resources
and space. At the same time, it helps develop the environmental leadership and
other skills needed for building a sustainable society by taking up case studies of
Asian environmental issues. One example: students are required to bring academic
articles and books that they feel are the most important for the construction of a
sustainable future. By sharing these reading materials, students become aware that
perceptions of a sustainable future can differ widely. In addition, discussions among
students help hone capabilities when developing cooperative relationships based on
mutual understanding. In a sense, students in this compulsory course learn how to
learn from others. The details of the compulsory course, Environmental Challenges
and Leadership in Asia, are outlined in Chap. 3 .
1.3.2 Field Exercises: Developing Essential Skills
for Environmental Field Sites
APIEL has a strong focus on fi eld exercises. The fi eld exercises take place several
times each year in cooperation with collaborating partners in Asia in loc.tions where
there are environmental problems. A small number of students and faculty members
form a group (a unit) and carry out hands-on exercise. Each fi eld exercise setting is
intended to broaden the perspectives of students and to cultivate an on-the-ground
ability to identify and resolve problems in several ways, including pre-visit study
and preparation, fi eldwork, on-site experiments, discussions with stakeholders from
many backgrounds including local educational institutions or governmental offi -
cials, a fi nal presentation and report writing to solidify the vision and develop practical skills. Participants stay in the fi eld for 1–2 weeks, with students receiving
fi nancial support for travel expenses. Overseas and domestic exercises lead to the
award of two credits and one credit, respectively.
Tables 1.1 , 1.2 , 1.3 , and 1.4 provide a list of the fi eld exercises implemented to
date. All fi eld exercises have the following characteristics; they are (1) interdisciplinary in nature, (2) involvement of a number of different stakeholders, (3) fostering student initiatives, and (4) featuring practical issues that lack a prepared solution.
Although the fi eld study takes place over a relatively short period, it is possible for
students to examine real-world environmental issues on-site and discuss them with
the stakeholders. This interaction is made possible through the participation of local
governmental agencies and companies and through the cooperation of collaborating
universities/research institutions. Furthermore, this educational program is designed
to ensure the diversity of participants (i.e., to avoid an overconcentration of Japanese
graduates). This design feature then pushes students to improve their ability to communicate with people from other cultural backgrounds.
T. Akiyama et al.
cultural backgrounds. The course emphasizes group work and discussion, and
students learn communication and consensus-building skills through experience.
It leads to the award of two credits.
Over 15 lectures, this course examines the environmental problems that Asia is
experiencing and discusses how we can foster a growing society with fi nite resources
and space. At the same time, it helps develop the environmental leadership and
other skills needed for building a sustainable society by taking up case studies of
Asian environmental issues. One example: students are required to bring academic
articles and books that they feel are the most important for the construction of a
sustainable future. By sharing these reading materials, students become aware that
perceptions of a sustainable future can differ widely. In addition, discussions among
students help hone capabilities when developing cooperative relationships based on
mutual understanding. In a sense, students in this compulsory course learn how to
learn from others. The details of the compulsory course, Environmental Challenges
and Leadership in Asia, are outlined in Chap. 3 .
1.3.2 Field Exercises: Developing Essential Skills
for Environmental Field Sites
APIEL has a strong focus on fi eld exercises. The fi eld exercises take place several
times each year in cooperation with collaborating partners in Asia in loc.tions where
there are environmental problems. A small number of students and faculty members
form a group (a unit) and carry out hands-on exercise. Each fi eld exercise setting is
intended to broaden the perspectives of students and to cultivate an on-the-ground
ability to identify and resolve problems in several ways, including pre-visit study
and preparation, fi eldwork, on-site experiments, discussions with stakeholders from
many backgrounds including local educational institutions or governmental offi -
cials, a fi nal presentation and report writing to solidify the vision and develop practical skills. Participants stay in the fi eld for 1–2 weeks, with students receiving
fi nancial support for travel expenses. Overseas and domestic exercises lead to the
award of two credits and one credit, respectively.
Tables 1.1 , 1.2 , 1.3 , and 1.4 provide a list of the fi eld exercises implemented to
date. All fi eld exercises have the following characteristics; they are (1) interdisciplinary in nature, (2) involvement of a number of different stakeholders, (3) fostering student initiatives, and (4) featuring practical issues that lack a prepared solution.
Although the fi eld study takes place over a relatively short period, it is possible for
students to examine real-world environmental issues on-site and discuss them with
the stakeholders. This interaction is made possible through the participation of local
governmental agencies and companies and through the cooperation of collaborating
universities/research institutions. Furthermore, this educational program is designed
to ensure the diversity of participants (i.e., to avoid an overconcentration of Japanese
graduates). This design feature then pushes students to improve their ability to communicate with people from other cultural backgrounds.
T. Akiyama et al.