In 2014 the Japan ICU Foundation launched two programs, Global Link and Rethinking Peace Studies. Global Link is a summer program for ICU students in New York City and Rethinking Peace Studies is an academic program that has involved ICU faculty along with scholars and practitioners from around the world.
The Japan ICU Foundation is happy to announce that we have hired a new Director of Communications. Starting this month, Ms. Aki Takada will join the staff and continue her active role with JICUF. We asked Aki to share her background with our readers
A couple of times per year I have the privilege of visiting ICU. This year, I was fortunate enough to schedule my first visit in early April during sakura season.
We are pleased to present our new organizational brochure available in both Japanese and English.
Emily Kariya is a former OYR (’92-93) and an accomplished Japanese Language Teacher at Santa Monica High School in Southern California. She welcomed a combined ICU-JICUF team to her classes this past autumn as part of our September Admissions school visits. JICUF had the chance to follow up with her and learn about her own specific connections to Japan and ICU.
We are pleased to announce that under our new grants initiative for ICU students and faculty, we have now awarded 12 grants totaling ¥3,016,000 and $10,200, respectively. We received 24 grant inquiries this term, and 16 were invited to submit grant proposals. This is a very encouraging start to what promises to be a dynamic new initiative for the JICUF.
Rethinking Peace Studies (RPS), a global academic initiative that the JICUF has funded and organized over a span of 3 years, is coming to a close. With our partners, ICU and Rutgers University, we invited scholars and professionals from diverse disciplines to participate in these discussions.
JICUF Program Director Tara DeWorsop moved on from her work at the Japan ICU Foundation at the end of last month after a five-year tenure.
The current edition of Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science is a selection of papers written by scholars from China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan for a conference held March 18–23, 2015 at the Dialogue House on the ICU campus. Dr. Thomas John Hastings, former JICUF Senior Research Fellow in Science and Religion, planned and convened the conference and co-edited a special issue of Zygon.
The Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Distinguished Professor of Sciences at ICU was established through a generous bequest from Professor Donald Othmer, and his wife, Mildred Topp Othmer, of Brooklyn, New York. This honor is bestowed upon top scholars in Japan.
Professor Hiroshi Kouchi was awarded the Othmer Distinguished Professorship in April, 2013.
