SGH

2016/11/04

SGH　The Second Session of Asian Studies with Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU)

The JB Course’s Asian Studies Lecture is known as the Great Cooperation Lecture (GCL) of Ritsumeikan Asian Pacific University (APU).

　The Second session of the Asian Studies with Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University of this academic year was delivered by Prof.Sasagawa from APU. His field of research is “South-East Asian Area Study” especially Cambodia, approached by cultural aspect. He conducted this class using one approach of Area Study.

◎Class Content

・Oct. 14th 3rd&4th period
　Prof. Sasagawa first classified 18 national holidays in Cambodia into ‘Politics and History’ and ‘Religion and Culture’ and closely explained the relation between Cambodia and other countries by observing how the current national holidays historically became the holidays. From the cultural aspect, “Political relations easily appear in the field of the excavation of the ruins and restoration,” based on his experience, he said. The students were fascinated with this lecture because it was unexpected to learn about the bond of ‘Cultural asset and Politics’.
　The task for the students is, as in this lecture, the presentation based on the theme of Politics and History or Religion and Culture by the research of national holidays in the countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. The students were expected to present what they found through this presentation.

・Friday, Oct. 28th 3rd &4th period
　At this class, the presentation by the students was given. The students were divided into 6 groups and each group gave 10 minute presentation. They introduced not only the PPT but also the resume at this time.　They noticed that they could learn the country’s politics, history, religion and culture by the ‘National Holidays’ and learned one of the approaches of Area Study.

◎From students’ voice

・”Through the research for this presentation, we researched why Christianity came into Vietnam and the relation. We could learn the background from the various aspects.
　Through colonization, various thoughts came into the country and they triggered the conflicts. That is what we learned.”

・”First I was not interested in the national holidays in the other countries. However, after the lecture, I was gradually interested in the fact that each country has national holidays similar to Japan and the national holidays have relations to other countries. I could learn the best way to understand the country is to go and see the country like Prof.Sasagawa does.”