Assessing the Empowerment of International Exchange Students : the Globalization Support Internship

This paper concerns the assessment of the empowerment of international exchange students who worked as ‘International Tourism Guide’ in a local ship building museum while enrolled in the course entitled ‘the Globalization Support Internship’. International exchange students from Asia, Oceania, and Europe introduced the development of ship building technology and industry in the local town and its relation to the history of trade and diplomacy of Japan in Japanese and English. As international tourism guides cooperating with local city officials and local power actors, international student interns have had new opportunities for empowerment by being connected to local people in an equal power relationship. For international student interns, their knowledge about Japan and their international perspective was a key for taking initiative in their project which could contribute to the promotion of international tourism in unique ways. The international tourism guide internship provided international students with a unique learning opportunity to work closely with local government officials and experience local culture. It also created opportunities for promoting cross-cultural understanding and the development of multi-culturalism in the local society. The international student interns were empowered by various factors such as utilizing their knowledge of Japanese language and society; contributing knowledge from international perspectives, and contributing their unique skills. Mutual acquisition of cultural knowledge and also knowledge on the Japanese language usage by working in a multi-cultural team was also empowering. Interns expressed that their international experiential learning has brought a sense of self-efficacy in their relationship with local administration and people. Through the practicum the interns have also developed insight into the application of their knowledge to their future careers which are related to Japan in new ways

Interdisciplinary Study on Spirituality : Critical View on the Modern Scientific Paradigm and Suggestion for Global Education

This paper examines the development of research on spirituality in various academic fields, by introducing the criticism on the modem scientific paradigm and the conventional knowledge construction, including the feminist theoretical perspectives. I shall also connect the research development on spirituality with the global education and attempt to search for the direction of global education in the future. Research on spirituality has been actively promoted in various academic fields including science and education, and interdisciplinary study on connectedness of matters and spirit seems to be an universal phenomenon today. Research on spirituality in various fields has significant implications for the development of global education

Narrative of Japanese Graduate Students about their Consciousness Transformation through University Life in a Provincial University : From the Perspective of Qualitative Research

This article examines how consciousness of Japanese graduate students has been influenced and transformed through university education in a provincial university. University period is a transition time for students to prepare themselves to go out to the real world, by searching for their life path and finding the way to make a difference in the world For graduate students it is the time to end their moratorium period, and their search for the way to connect what they have learned as a graduate student with their future career becomes one of the most important themes in their lives. In their search for their future career, graduate students are seriously searching for the meaning of their university education. By conducting semi-structured interview with graduate students in various fields, I shall examine the factors which have influenced and transformed consciousness of graduate students. I have attempted to reveal 'students' real voices', by using qualitative research method.本研究は「グローバル社会におけるパラダイム・シフト：日本の高等教育とキャリアにおける意識変容」（研究代表者: 恒松直美, 文部科学省科学研究費補助金 2009-2011年度 基盤C21530881）の一環である

Creating Courses in English in the Exchange Program for Japanese Students : International Validity of the Curriculum and Lifelong Learning

This paper examines the possibility of offering courses taught in English within the exchange program to Japanese students from the perspective of developing an international curriculum. The Hiroshima University Study Abroad (HUSA) program contains courses taught in English which have been offered to international students who are proficient in English. However, most of these courses are particularly designed for international students in the program, and have not been offered to Japanese students. I shall examine the possibility of developing the international curriculum taught in English for Japanese students and the preparatory steps for it by relating them to the internationalization strategies of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. A university's competence in training students to contribute to the global society has been actively promoted by the Ministry, and it has become timely to examine the possibility of developing an international curriculum for Japanese students and its significance from the new perspectives of lifelong learning in the global context

The Development of 'Student Initiative Type Internship' Course for International Exchange Students in Japan

This article examines the new development of "student initiative type internship" course for international exchange students titled "Globalization Support Internship" at Hiroshima University. Aiming at the establishment of the mutual support system of international education of university and the local society, I shifted the paradigm of the course from "customer type" internship in which an intern tended to be an observer, towards the "student initiative type" internship in which interns take initiative to support the local society facing globalization. In this new internship course, international interns have challenged to conduct the market research for a local industry as "a globalization support research project", and to organize the international exchange tour to the local island as "a globalization support project''. Through the work experience and actual association with people in the local society, interns have developed leadership and sense of responsibility by cooperating with other interns to achieve the goals together

Narrative of Japanese Undergraduate Students about their Consciousness Transformation through University Life : From the Perspective of Qualitative Research

This article examines how consciousness of Japanese lU1dergraduate students has been influenced and transformed through lU1iversity education. University period is a transition time for students to prepare themselves to go out to the real world, and students tend to sensitively react to their experiences in their everyday lives. They are searching for the way to apply their academic learning to practical knowledge in the society, and are searching for their life path, meaning of their life, and what difference they can make to the world. How students spend their lU1iversity days significantly affects their worldview and how they relate themselves to the world. By using data based upon the semi-structured interview with each student, I will examine the factors which have influenced the consciousness of lU1dergraduate students from academic, social, and personal perspectives. I have attempted to reveal 'students' voices' about their lU1iversity lives, by using the qualitative research method.本研究は「グローバル社会におけるパラダイム・シフト：日本の高等教育とキャリアにおける意識変容」（研究代表者: 恒松直美, 文部科学省科学研究費補助金 2009-2011年度 基盤C21530881）の一環として行ったものである