Faculty information

International Strategy Section

HASEGAWA, Kenji

■ Message to students

I teach various classes related to Modern Japanese History, many of them open to both international and Japanese students. To international students, I’d like to emphasize the value of the diversity of your backgrounds and perspectives which contribute greatly to the learning experience on our campus. To Japanese students, I’d like to emphasize the same thing. I’d also like to encourage your participation in dialogues and exchanges with our international students inside and outside the classrooms.

KAWACHI, Kumiko

■ Message to students

My first destination of study abroad was Ecuador in South America. The experience of living with Ecuadorian host family and attending a local high school impressed me with the wonderful culture and society of the Latin American region. At the same time, I became also interested in the structures/systems that create inequalities between nations, ethnicities, genders, and cultures, including those of Japanese society. Discussions with students always provide me with a lot of learning and inspiration. I would be happy if we could work together to tackle with various social issues we face today.

YAMASHITA, Yoko

■ Message to students

I took a course on the history of Islam that was taught by a Muslim woman scholar when I was studying in Canada as an undergraduate student. It was when I first learned about the treatment of Muslim minorities in Europe, which has had such a lasting impact on my life that I decided to pursue my postgraduate studies in perceptions and representations of Muslims in post-9/11 liberal democratic societies, including Japan. I hope that my classes will challenge you to think critically and creatively as we think of ways to build a more just and sustainable world. I am looking forward to meeting you all.

TAKINANA Anuantaeka

■ Message to students

Addressing environmental issues is a major challenge of the 21st century. My speciality focuses on a multi-stakeholder perspective and approach to environmental issues. Studying about environmental studies empowers students with a foundation to making a difference in society. Students will need to be open minded, think from an interdisciplinary perspective when learning about environmental issues. I hope to foster this mindset in my students and together make a difference in our communities.

JUNG, Hyomin

■ Message to students

My area of expertise is development studies. I teach courses focused on development and governance. I studied abroad in Japan, where I engaged with friends from all over the world through university classes and various activities, fostering an interest in global issues. This interest has led me to continue studying development studies. In classes, I hope to grow together with my students through studying, thinking, and discussing various global challenges and issues on development. I wish for everyone to have a fulfilling campus life, learning new things and interacting with people through various activities.

Basic Education Section・Japanese Language Education

OGAWA, Yoshimi

■ Message to students

It is said that all who live in other cultures equally become children again. In fact, there will likely be times when you need help from those around you just to do something easy or times when you feel helpless, having difficulty making yourself understood like you can in your mother tongue. However, this is actually the time when you can discover another aspect of yourself by returning to the origin in the face of hardship. When you hit a barrier in Japan, a culture different than your own, you should squarely face the issue. Remember that we are always here to support you to help you make your study abroad in Japan, which you chose to do, and your student life on the YNU campus truly fruitful. I hope all of you will find new dreams and rise up to challenges you face, and I wish you the best of luck.

NAKAGAWA, Kenji

■ Message to students

I imagine that the reason each of you came to Japan to study and learn the Japanese language varies from person to person. Some of you have already experienced many different things in the Japanese language, while others have not and thus have many new experiences in store. In this regard, the Japanese language can be said to be part of your character building. I hope I can be of help to each of you in gaining experience and making your lives even richer.

KIM, Ranmi

■ Message to students

I first came to Yokohama National University in 2003. Like you, I arrived in Japan as an international student. I had participated in a one-year student exchange program in Japan in 2000, and the experience made me decide to come back to Japan as an international student; this made me want to stay in Japan, to directly communicate with Japanese people, to experience Japanese culture first-hand, to learn more about the country, and to improve my Japanese skills. Actually, it is not too much to say that the student exchange program changed my life forever. I suppose that all of you have your own reasons for coming to Japan. I understand how important it is for you to develop the knowledge required to become global leaders in the future during your study abroad here. In my opinion, however, the most important thing for an international student is to communicate with people in the host country. I hope that you will enjoy active exchanges with Japanese people, and make the most of being in this country. If you have any questions or needs, feel free to contact me for help. As a former YNU international student, I am looking forward to help you.

HANZAWA, Chiemi

■ Message to students

Visiting my relatives in Australia while a high school student was what first ignited my interest in teaching Japanese as a second language. You can gain broader access to the world by learning another language and coming to know more about your first language. I hope I can support the international students to know more about Japanese language and culture as well as provide Japanese students with opportunities for intercultural exchanges and entice them to learn about their first language.

Fan, Yinan

■ Message to students

In Japan, there are not only Japanese people but also people from various countries, with various cultures and values. By experiencing these, you can come to a deeper understanding of yourself and see things from different perspectives. This can lead to personal growth and changes in your outlook on life. I believe that studying Japanese can lead you to that stage. Through learning Japanese, you can create many wonderful memories that can only be made now and have a fulfilling study abroad experience. We want to support and assist you in achieving this.

XU, Haoyuan

■ Message to students

I have been planning, building, and managing information networks and ICT services to support university education and research for many years and hope to provide some advices in this area. In recent years I have been planning and promoting international exchanges between universities. I am always ready for a casual exchange of opinions regarding issues in student exchange and cooperation programs between Yokohama National University and overseas universities. In this highly diverse world, it is extremely important to communicate directly with people who have different values, cultural backgrounds and to deepen understanding of the world through first-hand experience. I wish international exchanges will give all of you invaluable experiences that will aid in your future career development.