FY2017-18 ANNUAL REPORT

Dear ICU Alumni & Friends,

For those of us who value the free interchange of ideas and people across borders, the last few years have been concerning. Anti-immigrant and anti-global sentiments have found a new voice in political arenas throughout Europe and the United States. Social media, which only a few years ago was viewed as a positive uniting force, has been shown to stoke division. Meanwhile, the efficacy of a free press and of democratic values and norms is being questioned in all corners of the globe. Indeed, respected commentators are warning about the breakdown of the post-WWII international order.

Although the international order is flawed and has certainly led to hardship and suffering for many people and countries, recent developments are nevertheless disconcerting. We live in precarious times, and it is more important now than ever to stand up for our values and vision of the world.

ICU was founded by visionaries. In her book about the history of ICU, Higher Education for Tomorrow, Dr. Kiyoko Takeda Cho wrote about the founding of ICU. She wrote,

This was the formation of a university that would remain steadfast in its principles and ideas about education and image of the kind of people it sought to create, as well as in its desire to raise those who would devote themselves to the peaceful advance of human society, all the while bearing in mind the problems of conflict and coexistence among multiple systems of cultural values. (p. 17)

While ICU has remained “steadfast in its principles,” it is not enough to rest on our laurels. Indeed, ICU’s founders always viewed ICU as an experiment requiring incessant effort. Dr. Takeda Cho continues, “I believe that, far ahead of its time, this ‘experiment’ grappled with the problems involved in the ‘coexistence of diverse elements,’ which humankind as a whole must now face in the twenty-first century” (p 35). Now in 2018, we are in the midst of the struggle.

Here at the Japan ICU Foundation, we are doing what we can to contribute to the ongoing experiment that is ICU. During the 2017-18 fiscal year (April 1, 2017 – March 31, 2018), which is the subject of this annual report, we launched the JICUF Global Scholarship program. Through this program, we are offering four types of scholarships; the United States Scholars Initiative, the Syrian Scholars Initiative, the Exchange Student Scholarship and the Study Abroad Scholarship. Please let me briefly explain the nature of each.

The United States Scholars Initiative (USSI) aims to increase the number of international, degree-seeking undergraduate students from the United States at ICU. This merit-based scholarship provides full-tuition support for four years of undergraduate study at ICU. Starting in 2018, two incoming first-year students will receive the scholarship annually. The applicants must be United States citizens and have completed high school in the United States. They must also demonstrate an interest in Japan, the Japanese language and the liberal arts.

The Syrian Scholars Initiative (SSI) is a full scholarship that supports Syrian students who were displaced by the Syrian Civil War throughout their entire undergraduate education at ICU. The scholarship covers tuition, university fees, housing, living expenses, insurance and travel to Japan. The funding for SSI is being provided by both JICUF and ICU.

The Exchange Student Scholarship aims to encourage students enrolled in ICU’s exchange partner universities to pursue study abroad at ICU. The needs-based scholarship provides financial assistance to students who would like to study abroad at ICU, but do not have adequate financial resources. Each year approximately five students receive this scholarship, and the majority of them spend one academic year at ICU. Students apply directly to ICU for the scholarship.

The Study Abroad Scholarship is awarded each year to one ICU student planning to participate in an outgoing Exchange Program at one of ICU’s partner institutions or an IES/CIEE Study Abroad Program. Applicants are assessed by their financial need, and the scholarship amount is $10,000 for a full-year program.

In addition to the JICUF Global Scholarship, we supported several exciting international projects through our Faculty Program Grant, Student Activities Fund and Student Travel Fund programs during the last fiscal year. You can read about some of these exciting projects below.

Finally, our Global Link program continues to develop. We welcomed 15 students to New York City in the summer of 2017 for our one-month flagship program. In addition, ICU Professor Stephen Nagy led a group of six students to China for a two-week study tour in March 2018.

Through all of our work, we seek to enhance ICU’s mission of cultivating globally minded citizens. Thank you for joining us in this mission.

Sincerely,

Paul Hastings
Executive Director