Group photo taken after the diploma ceremony

From Friday, August 5 to Wednesday, August 10, the INU Student Seminar and the INU Master’s Summer School, both of which provide a forum for students to discuss various topics on global citizenship and peace, were held in Hiroshima City, on the Higashi-Hiroshima campus, and at the Hiroshima International Plaza.



This year, 10 INU (International Network of Universities) member universities from 7 countries sent 68 students for the Student Seminar and 9 students for the Master’s Summer School, adding up to the largest group ever since this seminar started in 2006. The participants, included 27 students and 8 staff from overseas, 6 students from Ritsumeikan University, 3 students and 2 staff from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, and 41 Hiroshima University students (includes 6 international students).



On Friday, August 5 and Saturday, August 6 in Hiroshima City, the group visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, listened to the personal account of Mr. Keijiro Matsushima, a Hibakusha (A-bomb survivor), participated in the Peace Memorial Ceremony, and toured the city. From Saturday, August 7, the Seminar took place on the Higashi-Hiroshima campus and the students listened to guest lectures given by Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba, Professor by Special Appointment of Hiroshima University and the former Mayor of Hiroshima City, and by Mr. Berin McKenzie, a Specialist at UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research Hiroshima Office). In addition, there were discussion held through three different topic-based workshops (“State, Intergovernmental Organizations, and Non-State Actors: What roles can they play in humanitarian interventions?”, “Placing the ‘Human’ into Humanitarian Intervention”, and “Nuclear Peace and War”).



During the Mock United Nations Role-play held on the final day, Wednesday, August 10, Student Seminar participants were divided into 8 groups as delegates of different countries (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, USA, Sweden, to name a few) and Master’s students were given the roles as non-state actors. Participants were given a fictional scenario based upon the recent movement of democratization in the Arab world and conferred on the topic: ‘Does the international community have a responsibility to protect civilians in Saudi Arabia?’ For approximately 5 hours, the students engaged themselves in serious and heated discussion from the points of view of their respective parties.



A Japanese student who participated in this Seminar commented, “Although I faced a lot of difficulty, there was so much more to gain from the lectures, workshops, and meeting different people. It was a truly valuable time.” Another student participant from abroad said, “I have made valuable connections right across the world. The content was interesting and I feel that I have a greater understanding of people’s opinions and how their background and nationality do not always mean they will hold a particular viewpoint.”

【Inquiry】

Ms. Hisako Umemura

International Exchange Group, Peace/International Office

Tel: 082-424-4346

E-mail: kokusai-ryugaku (at) office.hiroshima-u.ac.jp

Please change “at” to the appropriate mark.