授業紹介

This survey course aims to provide a general introduction to the terminology, topics, and theories that comprise the foundation of futures studies.
Students will be invited to imagine what peaceful, just, pleasant yet sustainable future societies might look like; to consider the plausibility of each possible future; and to envision their own preferred future in the light of such debates. Given the interdisciplinary nature of future studies, students will encounter a range of different perspectives, beginning with the philosophies and methodologies of scholars such as Dator, Inayatullah, and Lum.

These seminars offer a first opportunity for in-depth study in one of the fields that shape the GS Programme, namely history, literature, politics, applied linguistics, sociocultural anthropology, Japan studies, communication studies, transnational studies, or future studies. Under close guidance from a faculty supervisor, initial steps in research are taken through the framing of questions, engagement with key concepts, and the selection of disciplinary tools appropriate to the topic. Depending on the seminar, work may involve textual or discourse analysis, qualitative or quantitative approaches, fieldwork, or introductory experimental work. Across all seminars, core academic skills are strengthened, including independent and collaborative learning, rigorous evaluation of sources, and confident, well-structured presentation of research in English.

Since the emergence of COVID-19, hate crimes against Asians have been reported in the United States and beyond. This “scapegoating” echoes similar attitudes towards Asians from a century ago.
In this course, students will explore Asian American literature and history to understand global racism against Asian communities in the present day, examining theoretical concepts and using these to analyze pieces of literature and film from the mid-nineteenth century through to the contemporary era. Students will become able to define key concepts related to Asian immigrants and Asian Americans and look critically at works of art.

In this practical course, students will be able to try a variety of English language learning strategies introduced by the instructor and choose the strategy that suits them best. The first semester involves learning the four skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, along with various strategies related to acquiring vocabulary and understanding and using grammar, while in the second semester, students will combine these learning strategies in accordance with their own objectives to formulate individual learning plans. After taking this course, students will be able to continue learning English and other foreign languages independently.