NEWS

On Saturday, February 25, Akita International University (AIU) and APU cohosted the forum, “The Globalization of Universities Post-COVID-19,” in which 120 people from all over Japan participated both in person and online. From AIU, President Monte CASSIM, who served as the second APU President, and from APU, Vice President Yutaka Yoneyama took the stage as panelists, and Takeo Goto, an educational activist, acted as a facilitator as they answered questions from the participants.

The forum began with the topic on the growth of students in a diverse learning space. It was a place for a lively exchange of opinions throughout, including presentations from alumni and current students, and question and answer sessions with high school students at the venue.

Among the many topics discussed, the forum panelists expressed that discussion and time outside of class among students of different backgrounds nurtured students’ sensitivity and reason, opening their worldview. Moreover, at both universities it easy possible to realize that Japan is not a monoculture as even Japanese students hail from different prefectures. In addition, there was an opinion that students can know themselves and choose their own priorities and future in such diversity.

At the end of the forum, Vice President Yoneyama said, “To open up an unpredictable future for yourself, you need to keep learning, and university education fully supports that.'' AIU President CASSIM, in closing, encouraged the high school students, “As long as you follow your curiosity, you can turn your anxieties into hope.”