Distinguished Service Professor Ted Schwalbe of the Department of Communication was selected to participate in the Japan Studies Institute held at San Diego State University on June 10 to 23.
He was one of16 faculty members from a variety of disciplines who were selected from universities all across the U.S. (in photo at right, Dr. Schwalbe is at top left). The goal of the program was to introduce faculty to a variety of issues related to contemporary Japan and to have faculty incorporate these issues into their classroom teaching.
There were a variety of topics covered during the two-week seminar. Among the topics were Japanese language, contemporary history, economic issues, current political issues, Japanese aesthetics, literature, popular culture, religion, and music. There were also several field trips including visits to a Buddhist temple, a Japanese garden, and a Japanese restaurant. Several classic Japanese films were also screened.
Dr. Schwalbe was particularly interested in Japanese media, especially manga and anime. He plans on incorporating this into several courses he teaches including International Media and International Films.
