Study Tour/Summer School 2017
The programme has been designed as a full package, including pre-departure and post-tour workshops in CityU; and a 39-day educational tour in Japan. It aims to broaden students’ global outlook and allow students to have a systematic learning of a new culture (i.e., the Japanese language, contemporary art, people, traditional architecture, social entertainment, festival and lifestyle).
On 29 June 2017, our group of 20 students started the study tour in Japan. This credit-bearing course included 80-hour language tutorials, visiting activities, exchange activities, and cultural experiencing sessions. During 39 days of intense academic exchange programme at Kanagawa University, participants learnt the target language and applied the language skills practically when experiencing different Japanese cultures. These included Japanese Tea Ceremony, Calligraphy, Ikebana (Japanese Flower Arrangement), Kabuki (Japanese Traditional Theater) and so on.
This study tour also provided opportunity for participants to learn different important issues in Japan through lectures and discussions. Each participant has to choose a topic which he/she is interested in about Japan. Academic lectures in English included Japanese Pop Culture, History, Economics and Politics. This enabled students to engage in their interested research area during the study tour and apply their knowledge in social science research acquired in their major courses (e.g. AIS2012 Social Research Methods).
Before returning to Hong Kong, students took an overnight trip to Hakone. With a range of beautiful natural sites, museums and onsen (hot-spring), participants experienced and discovered the increasingly globally significance of the mountainous Hakone. So close to Tokyo, yet so far from its frenetic atmosphere.
