What is the FIRST Program?
FIRST is an acronym for the "Freshman Intercultural Relations Study Trip". As the name suggests, this program is designed for first year students to spend the
inter-quarter*1 vacation visiting a new area, either in Japan or abroad, to experience Asian culture and society through research projects and interaction with local people. In June 2013 a group of recently enrolled first year students took part in the four-day/three-night FIRST Program in Korea.
Deciding the destination by lucky dip!?
The biggest feature of the FIRST Program is the hands-on approach to research in an unknown land, culture and language. Divided into small groups, students have to use the Korean language skills they acquire before departing Japan and make their way to a destination decided by lucky dip. Upon arrival they begin their research and carry out surveys based on a theme decided prior to arrival in the country.
Discovering your study direction for the next four years through "Intercultural Orienteering"
The aim of "Intercultural Orienteering" is to help participants discover a direction for their studies during their four years at APU. Each group is accompanied by a senior Korean APU student
Teaching Assistant (TA)*2 However, apart from crisis or emergency management, the TA leaves the group to think and work for themselves. Although teams sometimes experienced being ignored by locals or had difficulty finding people to complete their questionnaires, they managed to overcome these difficulties through teamwork. This experience taught them decision making skills, how to take responsibility for their actions, and how to be proactive. Working in groups also helped students to see things from other people's perspectives and to build interpersonal relationships.
One in five students has experienced FIRST!
As students can enter APU in either spring or autumn, the FIRST Program is offered twice a year. The Spring FIRST Program is held in Korea for
domestic students**3 whereas the fall program is held in Japan for
international students*3 . Since the program was launched in 2007, a total of 754 students have taken part. It has since developed into a very popular program in which one in five Japanese students has taken part since AY2011. A total of 154 students took part in the AY2013 trip to Korea.
The FIRST Journey
- Pre-departure classes (one month prior to departure)
Under the guidance of faculty members, students decide their research themes, receive crisis management guidance and prepare themselves for departure. With the help of Korean TAs, the students also brush up their Korean language skills.
Examples of research themes from AY2012
- A comparative look at Japanese and Korean nationalism
- A comparative look at senior/junior hierarchical relations
- PM2.5 awareness survey
- Female/gender equality awareness survey
- Investigating the Korean and Japanese education systems
- The project gets underway! (Four days)
As soon as students arrive in the country, they decide their destination by lucky dip. It's a moment of suspense for all!
- Armed with a map, a few words of Korean and teamwork, the groups set off for their destinations.
The end of Day 1
At the end of the day, students look back on the day's events, share their thoughts and reflections, and prepare for the next day.
Arriving at the target destination!
Upon arrival, students begin their survey and research based on a theme decided prior to departure. Approximately 500 people need to be approached in order to complete the 200 questionnaires.
Returning to Japan
Upon arrival in Japan, students announce the results of their research and receive feedback from their professors. Through this program, participants develop their intercultural communication skills and discover a direction for their studies at APU.
OKA Momoka(College of Asia Pacific Studies, Japan) "I participated because I wanted to become more proactive and develop leadership skills. During our research we interviewed 200 people. I really felt the language barrier. International exchange of this kind has taught me that communication, even through body language, is possible when both parties have a desire to communicate and the willingness to meet half-way. Building on this experience, my next goal is to improve my language skills. Also, by serving as group leader I became more aware of, and sensitive to, my surroundings. This was a great learning experience that helped me to be proactive and take on challenges that I had thought were impossible. Taking part in this program has given me the courage to more actively interact with international students, make more international friends and someday visit their home countries and learn about their culture and heritage.
"Active Learning" is a term used at APU to describe FIRST and other practical learning programs. APU actively encourages students to make the most of the opportunities these programs offer. Active Learning programs are offered throughout the year ranging from short term cross-cultural exchange and language immersion programs, to long-term study abroad programs at any of our partner institutions around the world.
Please visit our Exchange Programs webpage for more details.
https://www.apu.ac.jp/home/exchange/
*1 The Quarter System
The APU academic calendar is divided into 2 semesters. Each semester consists of 2 quarters (approximately 8 weeks per quarter) and an intensive 2-month Session. Classes held during each semester are offered twice a week and are completed in approximately 2 months. This intensive calendar structure ensures positive learning outcomes and encourages students to apply themselves to their studies. Quarter breaks occur between quarters during which time classes are not held. APU offers intensive study abroad opportunities to take advantage of the quarter breaks.
【 The APU Academic Calendar 】
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*2 Teaching Assistants (TA)
TA are students that provide support for faculty both inside and outside the classroom. The Korean TAs described in this article provided assistance during the pre-departure training including language learning support, cultural awareness, and also local emergency assistance in Korea.
*3 International & Domestic students
The term "International Student" denotes those students who possess a "college student visa". The term "Domestic Student" includes international students with non-Japanese nationality possessing residential status in Japan other than "college student".
