David Leslie is a Public Defender in Castle Rock, Colorado He is a graduate of the American School in Japan (ASIJ), Tufts University, NYU Law School and – not least of all – was a One Year Regular (OYR) at ICU In 2005. David was kind enough to take some time on his Sunday afternoon to give short interview on what it meant to study abroad at ICU and tell us a bit about his life now.
Megan Dick, a graduate of Pomona College (’12), spent six months studying abroad at ICU from July-December 2010. In this interview, Megan talks about her time at ICU and how her life-changing experiences in Japan shaped her outlook and career.
In 1964, ICU became the University of California Education Abroad Program’s first partner institution in Asia. Since the program’s historic first year, over 800 ICU students have studied at one of the many UC campuses, and more than 1,100 UC students have studied at ICU. Today, the partnership continues to be just as vital as both partners look ahead to the next 50 years. To celebrate this 50-year collaboration and discuss how best to carry out another 50 years of such exchange, ICU held a 3-day anniversary event from 24 to 26 June, welcoming many UC administrators, alumni and friends to campus to hold a variety of activities.
Sometimes small events happen which we know we will vividly remember for the rest of our lives. Such an event happened for me on May 24, 2013, when I found myself in the small circle of a support group for disaster survivors, listening to eight courageous young women share the traumas they had experienced during and after the triple disasters—earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear—in northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. It was incredibly moving to witness these stories and emotions that had never before been shared. The young women were amazed to learn that others too felt as they did. Immediately, they moved to support each other, in a deepening bond. It was sacred space indeed…
Dr. Yasuyuki “Yash” Owada is a member of ICU’s first graduating class in 1957, and currently the chair of the Japan ICU Foundation’s board of trustees. In this interview, Dr. Yash talked with us about his life at ICU and gave his message to current students.
The third and final of Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka’s Global Peace Forums took place May 17-18 in Hiroshima. The theme“Peace Begins with You” asked Rotarians and participants to think about what individuals can do to make a more peaceful world. The first two forums were held in Berlin and Honolulu, culminating in the final forum in Hiroshima. President Tanaka personally selected those three sites because they were directly affected by World War II and now represent the very real reconciliation between one-time enemies. More than 2,700 people from over 52 countries attended the forum, including Rotarians, local leaders, current faculty, students and alumni of Rotary’s global Peace Centers. In a show of solidarity with the group, the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture and the Mayor of Hiroshima City also attended.
Takefumi Hayashi is a junior student at ICU, and currently studying abroad at Cardiff University, England. He now is dedicating his time to creating a new communication platform for ICU students. This is an interview of his time abroad, his project and thoughts about ICU.
