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Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki (MBA, 1995) and Dr. Mariko Yoshihara Yang (MA, 1995, PhD, 2000) participated on an education-focused panel at 91�Թ� on August 26, 2019. The panel was part of the California-Japan Governors’ Symposium that was co-hosted by the U.S.-Japan Council and the Silicon Valley Japan Platform, which is co-chaired by , founding director of the . One of the objectives of the education panel was to encourage educational collaborations between Japan and California.

Keeping many of the key discussion points from the education panel in mind, Yang recently conceptualized and launched a 91�Թ� online course for MBA students at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima (PUH) and other universities in Hiroshima. The course is called the Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship (SHCPE) and is offered under the leadership of Professor Katsue Edo, Hiroshima Business and Management School (HBMS), PUH.

Yuzaki shaped the rationale for the course. Yuzaki stated, “We are now facing times when it is critical to design a new social system for accelerating the growth of Hiroshima Prefecture. In this environment, the government of Hiroshima is promoting various plans for enhancing a creative region and developing the economy and society of Hiroshima.” This sentiment has prompted Yuzaki to stay in close touch with his Stanford mentor, Okimoto, and involved with the Silicon Valley Japan Platform. Yuzaki continued, “To achieve this goal, challenging students through education is one of the most important issues in Hiroshima. The Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship established by the HBMS at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima and 91�Թ� will deliver a very valuable program which offers knowledge and wisdom of the practitioners of business in Silicon Valley, which is an intense area of innovation near 91�Թ�. It will also foster entrepreneurship and management for the next generation of leaders, who will contribute to the further development of Hiroshima and Japan.”

SHCPE Instructor Yang has noted that the course “provides a unique opportunity for the MBA students in Hiroshima to connect and interact with Japanese entrepreneurs, professionals, and scholars of Silicon Valley in a virtual setting. SHCPE’s speaker lineup includes Stanford scholars as well as founders of a software startup, a social networking organization, and an educational non-profit as well as venture capitalists, a legal expert, and a policy advisor. Together with these guests, the students explore and analyze Silicon Valley’s ecosystem and think critically about entrepreneurial competencies.”

Dr. Yang (on screen) with MBA students at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima.

Dr. Yang (on screen) with MBA students at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima. Photo credit: Kazue Hiura, PUH.    

In November, Yang will be visiting Hiroshima to meet with Yuzaki as well as PUH President Ken-ichi Nakamura. Yang will have the chance to share her initial assessment of the course with Yuzaki and Nakamura, who has emphasized the importance of inviting lecturers from universities outside of Japan to work with PUH’s MBA students in order to underscore the importance of adding global perspectives to the curriculum. Nakamura has stated, “For the students to step forward into the globalizing world, they must feel and experience the real challenges of an increasingly interdependent world and this course is providing exactly that.” Yang will also be offering the final SHCPE class in person and will meet her students in person for the first time.

SHCPE is an example of “Engagement beyond our university,” which is one of the four key areas in Stanford’s long-range plan and a timely topic of consideration during the upcoming Stanford Alumni Weekend. Yang has noted, “SHCPE utilizes knowledge and methodologies developed at 91�Թ�. In the first session, students were introduced to techniques and mindset of by interviewing, ideating, and prototyping for their partners. Through the eight-week course, the students will not only acquire new knowledge on Silicon Valley’s ecosystem, but also challenges themselves to hone their analytical skills, nurture entrepreneurial creativity, and develop a .” This resonated in Nakamura who reflected, “The Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship was developed to be an opportunity for our students to learn the ways of thinking taught by the innovators of Silicon Valley and 91�Թ�. We are confident that this will be an exciting program which will contribute not only to promote academic research but also to promote business practices in Hiroshima.”

As 91�Թ� continues to strive to make Stanford scholarship accessible to students not only in the United States but also in other countries, 91�Թ� looks forward to continuing its partnership with PUH and other universities in Hiroshima for many years to come, and building upon lessons learned from the inaugural SHCPE course. Yuzaki and Yang crossed paths during their graduate school years at Stanford and Yang reflected that “despite the passage of many years since the completion of our programs, it has been very much an honor to reconnect and work with fellow Stanford alumnus Governor Yuzaki to improve U.S.–Japan relations through educational channels across the Pacific… and I would be remiss to not say that the reconnection would not have been possible without the vision of my academic advisor and mentor, Professor Okimoto.”

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In its 46-year history, 91�Թ�, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), has collaborated with numerous Stanford-affiliated organizations on educational programs. One of the most meaningful and significant collaborations has been with , an award-winning global leader in designing, producing, and distributing research-based health education. With programs used in 82 countries, TeachAids released its newest product, , seeking to decrease the stigma surrounding concussion reporting and empower youth athletes with much needed knowledge. All TeachAids education content is available for free.

The 91�Թ� staff highly encourages teachers in ���ʱ��䷡’s network to access the CrashCourse Concussion Education content and share it with their colleagues in their school’s science-, health-, and sports-related programs. The following is noted on CrashCourse’s main webpage:

One in five high school athletes will get a concussion. With proper care, most concussions can heal within 10 days, but the overwhelming majority of students, parents, and coaches are unaware of the latest science about prevention and treatment of concussions. If not treated properly, a concussion may have lasting physical, emotional, and cognitive effects.

Since many schools are now in the midst of football season, this is an ideal time to raise awareness of the prevention and treatment of concussions. In particular, the content will be especially helpful if it can be shared with the school’s athletic or health leadership. In less than a year, CrashCourse has gained great momentum and recognition throughout the country with leading organizations such as , , and (which offers free Certification for CrashCourse content) using the content to educate their young athletes and larger sports communities (, , ).

Through our special partnership, 91�Թ� will be distributing all CrashCourse products for free to our network of more than 10,000 schools reaching all major school districts in the United States.

The CrashCourse initiative was developed under the leadership of TeachAids Founder and Adjunct Affiliate at FSI’s Center for Health Policy . Several other Stanford faculty members affiliated with FSI—including , Director of Stanford Health Policy, , Chief of General Pediatrics, and , Richard E. Behrman Professor of Child Health and Society—have served as close advisors for TeachAids so teachers can feel extremely confident in its products. CrashCourse is an excellent example of “engagement beyond our university,” which is one of Stanford’s four long-range planning key areas.

91�Թ� looks forward to continuing its partnership with TeachAids as both organizations strive to continue to make Stanford scholarship accessible to students not only in the United States but also in many other countries around the world.

On August 26, 2019, 91�Թ�/FSI served as the 91�Թ� host of the California-Japan Governors’ Symposium, which was co-hosted by the and the . Four governors and one vice governor from Japan were in attendance along with dignitaries from California.

The goal of the Symposium was to create an opportunity for leaders from Silicon Valley and Japan to come together, reinforce relationships, consider new ways of thinking, initiate dialogue, and catalyze outcomes that benefit both the United States and Japan. USJC President Irene Hirano, California State Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis, and Ambassador Roos set the context for the Symposium by highlighting the interdependence of Japan and California broadly—and Silicon Valley specifically—historically, economically, and socially.

The Symposium featured one panel and two sessions. First, Stanford Emeritus Professor, Co-Founder, and Co-Chair of the SVJP Executive Committee moderated a panel that featured the governors and the vice governor sharing some of the challenges and opportunities in their prefectures with a special focus on their prefectures’ relationship with Silicon Valley and institutions of higher learning like Stanford. Second, 91�Թ� Director Dr. Gary Mukai moderated an education-focused session that explored issues at the intersection of education and global citizenship. Co-Founder Dr. Rie Kijima and SKY LABO Co-Founder and 91�Թ� Instructor Dr. Mariko Yoshihara Yang spoke about their work in fostering the next generation of innovative human resources in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education with special attention to girls’ and women’s education. They were followed by Governors Hirose, Ibaragi, and Yuzaki, who shared education-related priorities and concerns in their prefectures, e.g., declining school enrollment especially in rural areas, low numbers of Japanese students choosing to study abroad, and empowering Japanese students with global points of view. Third, Dr. Devang Thakor moderated a healthcare-focused session. Stanford , a cardiologist, and Dr. Caleb Bell, G4S Capital and Ikigai Accelerator, shared comments on the application of AI and machine learning to medical diagnosis and treatment. Also in the session, Governor Kawakatsu and Vice Governor Ota shared reflections on health-related topics such as aging societies, the rising cost of healthcare, and prevention and wellness.

In his closing comments, Okimoto noted that he hopes to convene another symposium with the governors from Japan in three to five years. The goal of the symposium would be to share and discuss the progress that has been made since last month’s gathering.

Over the next three to five years, 91�Թ� plans to do its part—in at least five areas—in terms of building upon the discussion from the education-focused session. First, later this month, Mukai will be offering the first class of Stanford e-Oita, an online class on U.S. society and culture that 91�Թ� will offer to high school students in Oita this fall. Second, Rylan Sekiguchi, Instructor of Stanford e-Hiroshima, will begin instruction from this fall of an online class on U.S. society and culture that 91�Թ� will offer to high school students in Hiroshima. Third, Yang will be visiting Hiroshima in November to meet Governor Yuzaki as well as to offer the final class of the Stanford-Hiroshima Collaboration Program, which will be offered to MBA students at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima and other universities also from this fall. Fourth, 91�Թ� will continue to assist Okayama Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture on their educational efforts in areas like sister city school programs and engaging their students in Stanford e-Japan, a national online class that 91�Թ� offers to high school students throughout Japan. Stanford e-Japan is taught by Waka Takahashi Brown and Meiko Kotani. Fifth, SVJP Executive Director Kenta Takamori and Mukai recently shared reflections on the Symposium and their work with the prefectures on . They hope to continue to inform the broader Silicon Valley community of the outcomes of the Symposium.

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Related articles:

• Announcing Stanford e-Oita, a New Online Course for High School Students in Oita Prefecture, Japan
• Stanford e-Hiroshima, ���ʱ��䷡’s Newest Online Course for High School Students: Sharing Cranes Across the Pacific

On August 9, 2019, six students from ���ʱ��䷡’s online course and three students from the (RSP) were recognized during the 13th annual Japan Day at 91�Թ�. The nine honorees had the chance to share presentations of their research papers with an audience that included Consul General Tomohiko Uyama (Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco), Ambassador Michael Armacost (former U.S. ambassador to Japan), 91�Թ� supporter Amanda Minami Chao, and Stanford Professor and 91�Թ� advisor Indra Levy.

The program began with opening remarks by Consul General Uyama and his words resonated in me as I grappled with the fact that the celebratory Japan Day was being held on a solemn occasion, the 74th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Consul General Uyama stated:

The Japan–U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of security, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. As we look at the global challenges we face today, I believe that we must strive to ensure that our special relationship remains strong and vital. One way to accomplish this is by preparing the best and brightest of our young people with the kind of learning opportunities that will deepen mutual understanding. The RSP and the Stanford e-Japan are admirably working toward this goal by providing the knowledge and expertise our young people will need as future leaders in Japan–U.S. relations.

After hearing Consul General Uyama’s comments, I came to the realization that honoring young future leaders from both countries on the 74th anniversary can symbolize the ray of hope for global peace that I feel with programs like the RSP and Stanford e-Japan. The presentations that the nine students made confirmed this feeling. Though the topics of their presentations were varied—ranging from historical topics like post-World War II art in Japan to contemporary social issues in Japan—a common thread among all was the significance of the U.S.–Japan relationship to the security of the world. Their presentations were followed by the awarding of plaques and lunch. During the program and a tour of campus, one could witness the budding relationships between the Japanese and American students.

91�Թ� student honorees and instructors at Stanford Japan Day 2019

Stanford e-Japan is an online course, which focuses on U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations, that 91�Թ� has offered to high school students in Japan for five years. The current supporter of the course is Mr. Tadashi Yanai, President of the , Tokyo. “Carving a brighter future” is at the core of the Foundation’s mission and I hope that all RSP and Stanford e-Japan alumni keep this mission close to their hearts. One of the key programs of the Foundation is the Yanai Tadashi Scholarship Program, which awards scholarships to Japanese students who enroll at select universities in the United States. Several Stanford e-Japan alumni and Stanford students are recipients of the Scholarship.

The 2018 spring and fall Stanford e-Japan course instructors were Elin Matsumae and Waka Takahashi Brown, respectively. Key themes like interdependence, multiple perspectives, and diversity were emphasized in their online courses. Naoya Chonan, Waseda University Senior High School, Tokyo, reflected, “The Stanford e-Japan program was different from any classes at my school in terms of diversity. It prepared an opportunity to compare diverse ideas from all over Japan and the U.S. Collaborative coursework with excellent students taught me the importance of realizing and embracing differences of viewpoints and opinions among people.”

This comment resonated in Brown who noted that the annual Japan Day celebration is so rewarding not only for the students, but also for the instructors. “The students always amaze me with their extraordinary scholarship and poise during their presentations. Perhaps what is most gratifying, however, is the campus tour that we end our day with in which the students are relaxed and happy. It’s during this time they talk with each other about their dreams and future plans. I have no doubt these are the future leaders of the next generation.”

The RSP is an online course that 91�Թ� has offered to high school students in the United States for 16 years. The course introduces Japanese society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations and has enrolled students from most states. Since the inception of Stanford e-Japan, RSP Instructor Naomi Funahashi and Brown have facilitated joint online classes with RSP and Stanford e-Japan students. Funahashi reflected, “It is so rewarding to see the RSP and e-Japan honorees be recognized for their tremendous efforts in their respective courses. Japan Day is a unique opportunity to bring these remarkable students physically together, and it really gives them a chance to learn from one another and deepen the meaningful ways in which these courses connect young leaders across the U.S. and Japan.”

Japan Day was clearly meaningful to the students as well. Sandi Khine, Arcadia High School, Arcadia, California, commented in a follow-up note to Funahashi, “Thank you so much! I’m still kind of in shock that today happened, it feels like such a dream! I had so much fun today meeting Jaimie and Mei and all the other Stanford e-Japan students. I’ll definitely look back on this with lots of love.”

Lantern with the word “heiwa” (peace) in Nagasaki, 74th anniversary of the atomic bombing

Following the Japan Day ceremony, I read about the 74th anniversary ceremonial events that took place in Nagasaki. One of the traditional ceremonial events on the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been the lighting of lanterns. While watching the American and Japanese students receive plaques from their instructors, one could definitely see a glow in each one of them and also in their instructors. I felt a surge of pride in the students, of course, but also in their teachers—Funahashi, Brown, and Matsumae—for empowering their students with such incredible learning experiences and recognition that most certainly brightened their students’ futures.

(Image at right: Lantern with the word “heiwa” (peace) in Nagasaki, 74th anniversary of the atomic bombing; photo credit: Jiji Press.)

and the are two of several online courses for high school students offered by 91�Թ�, 91�Թ�, including the (on Korea), the , and .

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• ���ʱ��䷡’s Waka Takahashi Brown Receives 2019 Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award
• The RSP: A Stepping Stone in My Journey with Japan
• Seasons Of The RSP: An Online Teacher's Reflection on Teaching 91�Թ� Japan

The is about to launch its fifth session this fall, with 20 high school students from across the country participating in the online course. The Northeast, South, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Texas, and California are all represented in this cohort of 10^th through 12^th graders. Thursday evenings, these high school students will log in and join a real-time session with a scholar from Stanford or another university to discuss an aspect of contemporary China—the U.S.–China trade war, perhaps, or the legacy of the Mao era, or internet censorship and surveillance technologies in China, or China’s efforts to combat pollution and climate change. The rest of the week is filled with readings on that theme, discussed online with classmates.

The Stanford CSP’s focus on contemporary China means that the course material is constantly changing, to keep up with the ever-shifting political landscape under the leadership of Xi and Trump. It also requires the students to engage with the idea of China as not only a thoroughly modern nation but a forward-looking one, challenging the tendency to essentialize China as an ancient civilization mired in the past. Former CSP student Angela Yang (Fall 2018) credits the online course with helping her “contextualize China’s transformation as it’s happening, which is something you wouldn’t really be able to study in any other kind of course.”

Although all of the high school students are exceptionally well prepared academically, their background knowledge on China at the beginning of the online course varies considerably. Some bring strong knowledge of international issues generally, but little specific to China; some have already studied China in some depth. A few come from Chinese families, and a third to a half of the students have been studying Chinese language for several years.

Over the past year, attention has gravitated towards the U.S.–China trade war, perhaps inevitably, and its roots and possible outcomes, as well as the PRC’s ramping up of censorship and surveillance technologies, particularly in Xinjiang. Yet overall, discussions with our guest experts and among the students are fundamentally optimistic: constructive change is possible, and the United States and China have far more to gain from peace than from conflict.

The students round out the program with an independent research paper. Students’ chosen research topics in 2018–19 were as diverse as they were. Example research papers included a discussion of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as it applies to China’s claims in the South China Sea; the mental health of rural “left-behind” children; China’s economic expansion in Africa; rock ‘n’ roll in the democracy movement of the 1980s; the international effects of China’s restrictions on imported waste for recycling; and many others. 

In synthesizing knowledge this diverse, students come to understand just how complex China and the challenges it faces are. They can no longer reduce China to simple generalizations. “The truth is that all of China’s problems aren’t just limited to numbers, statistics or graphs,” Junhee Park (CSP Spring 2018) wrote in response to a documentary film on migrant workers. “They affect everyone of us, whether we are Chinese or not.”

To be notified when the next China Scholars Program application period opens, or follow us on and .

The is one of several online courses for high school students offered by 91�Թ�, 91�Թ�, including the and the .

Related articles:

• China Scholars Program online course now accepting applications for Fall 2019
• The China Scholars Program: Continuing a 45-year tradition of bridging Stanford and schools

���ʱ��䷡’s Stanford e-Japan Manager and Instructor Waka Takahashi Brown has won the 2019 Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award for her teaching excellence with Stanford e-Japan, an online course that introduces U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations to high school students in Japan. Stanford e-Japan is currently supported by the . Initial funding for Stanford e-Japan was provided by the U.S.-Japan Foundation. Brown will formally accept the award at a ceremony at 91�Թ� on December 5, 2019.

“Waka walks in the footsteps of Elgin Heinz as a key leader in educating the next generation about the U.S.–Japan relationship,” stated David Janes, Chair of the Board, EngageAsia. Janes has overseen the Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award since its inception in 2001.

 administers the Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award, which is funded by the . The Award recognizes exceptional teachers who further mutual understanding between Americans and Japanese. The 2019 Award focused on the humanities and the 2020 Award is expected to focus on Japanese language. It is named in honor of Elgin Heinz for his commitment to educating students about Asia as well as for the inspiration he has provided to the field of pre-collegiate education.

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The stars have finally aligned to enable 91�Թ� to launch its first online course in China, —an interactive, virtual class for Chinese high school students. Many factors now make this venture possible: access to China’s education system via partners on the ground in country; capable virtual technology; compelling student interest among Chinese high school students to study abroad at universities like Stanford; and the identification of a highly qualified instructor.

The inaugural Stanford e-China online course, , will start in Winter 2020, open to enrollment of high school students throughout China. Students will explore cutting-edge technologies that are defining the future and providing exciting areas for academic study, professional opportunities, and entrepreneurial innovation. Focusing on the fields of green tech, finance tech, health tech, and artificial intelligence, students will engage in live discussion sessions (“virtual classes”) and real-time conversations with 91�Թ� scholars, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, as well as American high school students.

Carey Moncaster, 91�Թ�, and Julia Gooding, BE Education, at the International Association for College Admissions Counseling (ACAC) Conference 2019, London, Canada

As a final project, Stanford e-China students will delve into an area of personal interest in one of the technology fields, applying aspects of the Design Thinking framework, to develop a prototype pitch. The top three students from each course will be invited to 91�Թ� to present their pitches and sharpen Design Thinking skills with Stanford practitioners in person. Design Thinking is a very hands-on, interactive, team-based experience that is dependent on critical feedback from other people. Translating the Design Thinking concepts online, with students, scholars, and practitioners virtually scattered across the world presents an exciting opportunity to create curriculum that effectively introduces the skills and mindset.

91�Թ� is drawing on the expertise of Mariko Yoshihara Yang and Rie Kijima, co-founders of SKY Labo and long-time collaborators with 91�Թ� and the Stanford Graduate School of Education. The technologies explored in this course—green tech, finance tech, health tech, and artificial intelligence—have timely, global impact. The contributors to the Stanford e-China’s development span the world as well—from Stanford to Britain, China, and other countries of Asia. The Stanford e-China course is informed by over 16 years of 91�Թ� online course offerings for high school students in other countries in Asia as well as throughout the United States. 91�Թ� scholars will also play pivotal roles as lecturers and guest speakers on the course’s leading technological fields and related pressing issues.

91�Թ� Director Gary Mukai recently noted, “The roots of 91�Թ� date back to the establishment of the Bay Area China Education Project (BAYCEP) at 91�Թ� in 1973. Since then, 91�Թ� has produced curriculum materials on China and hosted teacher professional development seminars on China for teachers in the United States, and more recently has offered an online course on China for high school students in the United States—all with the goal of helping Americans better understand China. I am delighted that 46 years since the establishment of BAYCEP, Stanford e-China has become a reality and for the first time in its history, 91�Թ� will be working formally with students in China. 91�Թ� is grateful to be collaborating with BE Education in this initiative.”  

The inaugural 10-week course will be offered in Winter 2020. Shorter 4- to 6-week courses will be offered in Summer 2020. Course details and application deadlines are available at . The online course is offered in English. Stanford e-China students should expect to allot 3–4 hours per week to complete the lectures, virtual classes, discussions, readings, and assignments. Although participation in virtual classes (held on Saturday mornings) is mandatory, students will be able to structure the other work around their individual schedules.

Carey Moncaster is developing the course as the Stanford e-China instructor. After graduation from U.C. Berkeley, Carey lived and worked in China throughout the 1990s as the country embarked on monumental economic changes. This experience was followed by graduate studies in East Asian Studies at 91�Թ� and her initial work with 91�Թ�. She has launched educational programs for U.S. high school students throughout Asia, and most recently returns to 91�Թ� from Seattle’s high-tech world of start-up ventures.

For more information, please contact Carey Moncaster, Stanford e-China instructor, at cmoncaster@stanford.edu.

To stay informed of 91�Թ�-related news, and follow 91�Թ� on and .

Applications opened yesterday for the , an intensive, college-level online course on contemporary China for U.S. high school students. The China Scholars Program is offered by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (), 91�Թ�, and is open to rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. The Fall 2019 online course will run from late August through December. Applications are due June 15, 2019.

91�Թ� China Scholars Program for high school students
Fall 2019 session (late August through December)
Application period: April 15 to June 15, 2019
 

Accepted applicants will engage in a rigorous academic exploration of key issues in China, spanning politics, economics, social issues, culture, and the arts, with an emphasis on the relationship between the United States and China. In real-time conversations with leading scholars, experts, and diplomats from 91�Թ� and other institutions, participants will be exposed to the cutting edge of U.S.–China relations and scholarship. Students who complete the online course will be equipped with a rare degree of expertise about China and international relations that may have a significant impact on their choice of study and future career.

As in previous sessions of the China Scholars Program, the Fall 2019 cohort will comprise high school students from across the United States. Participants in the current cohort represent states across the nation, including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Missouri, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Arizona, California, and Hawaii. The immense diversity of student backgrounds and experiences within each online course allows for an especially rich exchange of ideas and perspectives among the young scholars—a crucial and invaluable component of the learning experience.

“It’s been one of the most fascinating, valuable, and formative classes I have ever taken,” says Rebecca Qiu, a recent alum of the program. “Every week, you discuss pressing topics—from technology censorship to the urban-rural divide—with your motivated peers. During virtual classes, you have the opportunity to ask questions and speak with some of the most influential experts and researchers on modern China—I cannot emphasize how valuable this is. [The China Scholars Program] provides you with a huge breadth and depth of knowledge on China and U.S.–China relations that you cannot find in any typical high school class.”

More information on the China Scholars Program is available at . Interested high school students can apply now at . The deadline to apply is June 15, 2019.

To be notified when the next China Scholars Program application period opens, or follow us on and .

The China Scholars Program is one of several online courses for high school students offered by 91�Թ�, 91�Թ�, including the , the , and the .

Related article:

• The China Scholars Program: Continuing a 45-year tradition of bridging Stanford and schools

Stanford e-Japan Instructor Waka Brown and I recently met in Tokyo with Mr. Tadashi Yanai, President of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation. The Yanai Tadashi Foundation is the current supporter of Stanford e-Japan, an online course about U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations that 91�Թ� offers in English to high school students from throughout Japan. Stanford e-Japan is now in its fourth year, and one of its objectives is to encourage students in Japan to consider applying to U.S. universities after graduating high school.

This objective aligns with one of the goals of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation—that is, to provide scholarships to students in Japan seeking to study as undergraduates in the United States at select universities, including Stanford. Its website notes the following: 

aims to provide promising young people with leadership potential the opportunity to study at world-class universities in the United States. The scholarship enables recipients to mix with an internationally diverse student body to cultivate their entrepreneurial skills and enhance their global perspective, encouraging their development as future drivers of a better society.

Stanford freshman Daisuke Masuda with 91�Թ� Director Gary Mukai

Brown has been encouraging some of her Stanford e-Japan students to consider applying to U.S. universities and the Yanai Tadashi Foundation Scholarship program. I recently spoke with 91�Թ� freshman Daisuke Masuda who is a Yanai Tadashi Foundation Scholarship recipient and asked him to share his thoughts on studying at Stanford. “I really wanted to study computer science and medical technology, and given that Stanford has strengths in both areas and is also at the center of Silicon Valley, I felt that Stanford was ideal for me. My current future goal is to use medical technology to solve social issues caused by aging societies.” He continued, “That said, I would not be here without Mr. Yanai’s generosity. I am also grateful to the other Yanai Tadashi Foundation Scholarship recipients across the country for being such a great community of learners. I highly recommend that high school students in Japan consider studying in the United States as undergraduates and applying for a Yanai Tadashi Foundation Scholarship. It is challenging but rewarding to study with brilliant students from all over the world.”

Also, while in Tokyo, Brown, Junichiro Hirata (Stanford e-Japan advisor), and I had the chance to meet with three Stanford e-Japan alumni. The Stanford e-Japan Program recognized Hikaru Suzuki and Haruki Kitagawa as two of the top students in the first Stanford e-Japan cohort in 2015. They are now attending the University of Tokyo and Keio University, respectively. Both remain engaged in U.S.–Japan relations and aspire to graduate studies at Stanford or another U.S. university. Jun Yamasaki, who was one of the top students of the fall 2017 Stanford e-Japan session, is currently a student at Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen Senior High School in Tokyo and plans to enroll at a U.S. university this fall.

Lunch with Stanford e-Japan alumni

Brown remarked, “It was very rewarding to witness the growth of the leadership skills of my former students and to listen to what they are doing and aspire to do in terms of promoting international mutual understanding. During my meeting with Mr. Yanai and his staff, I discovered that these are not only hallmarks of 91�Թ� since its inception in 1976 but also of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation as well.”

Brown and I hope to see Suzuki, Kitagawa, Yamasaki, and many more Stanford e-Japan alumni as students at Stanford—like Masuda—someday. Mr. Yanai hopes that with the increasing numbers of Japanese students studying in the United States, the numbers of Japanese who enter fields like international business between the United States and Japan will also grow.  

As a high school student in San Jose in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I used to see Norman Mineta on occasion in San Jose’s Japantown. Once at Fukuda Barber in Japantown, Mineta was on the barber chair. After he left, barbers Takeo and Atsuo Fukuda asked me if I knew who he was. I didn’t, and Takeo told me that he was Norman Mineta, vice mayor of San Jose. Since that day, I recognized Mineta whenever I saw him in Japantown, in the San Jose Mercury News, and on television. In 1971, Mineta became mayor of San Jose, and in 1974, he ran successfully for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was reelected ten more times. Mineta also served as President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Commerce from July 2000 to January 2001 and President George W. Bush’s Secretary of Transportation from January 2001 to August 2006. Never did I imagine that our paths would cross professionally through my work at 91�Թ�. From 2017, 91�Թ� curriculum designer Rylan Sekiguchi assumed the responsibility of authoring lesson plans for a project called —a free web-based curriculum toolkit inspired by Mineta’s life and career.

As a 10-year-old Japanese American boy in 1942, Norman Mineta was powerless when his country imprisoned him and his family in a fit of wartime hysteria. But nearly 60 years later, he sat at the highest levels of government as the United States reeled from 9/11 and began experiencing a new hysteria. In times of crisis like these, how has the institution of civil liberties been affected by individuals like Mineta whose voices guide government policy, and how have those changes impacted the lives of Americans? This was the central question that Mineta and Sekiguchi focused their comments on during their National Council of History Education session, “Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis,” on March 16, 2019.

"Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis" session at the 2019 NCHE conference, led by Rylan Sekiguchi and Secretary Norman Mineta.

Following the curriculum preview, Mineta reflected upon his life and highlighted the striking parallels between the hysteria following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and the hysteria following 9/11. His memories of the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor seemed to be seared in the back of his mind as he spoke, as he vividly recalled seeing his father cry for the first time and wondering where his neighbor of Japanese descent had suddenly been taken, and by whom. (He later learned it was the FBI.) A short time later, Mineta and his family were also evicted from their home in San Jose, California and incarcerated in Heart Mountain, Wyoming, as part of what is often called the mass internment of Japanese Americans.

Mineta also shared his memories of the morning of 9/11—being informed as Secretary of Transportation of the first plane hitting the twin towers, watching the live broadcast as the second plane hit, and then being called to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, a bunker-like underground structure that lies below the White House. He recalled how he had asked one of his chiefs to draw up the new flight security guidelines that would govern aviation henceforth, and the first bullet point was “No racial profiling will be used.” He also vividly recalled how President George W. Bush, in the aftermath of 9/11, firmly declared that the United States would not let what happened to Norm and his family (following the Pearl Harbor attack) happen again. “You could’ve knocked me off my chair with a feather!” Mineta reflected.

Deborah Rowland with Secretary Norman Mineta

The documentary film Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story will receive a national PBS airing on May 20. Fukami and Nakatomi hope that the film and lesson plans become widely used in U.S. schools and carry on the legacy of Norman Mineta. They noted, “They are important tools to help young students grapple with the divisiveness in U.S. society today and to underscore the critical importance of considering civil liberties-related issues in U.S. history as well as today.”

I had the privilege of attending several screenings of the film. At the San Jose screening, it was gratifying to listen to tributes to Mineta from people who represent San Jose’s diverse communities, and it was especially moving to witness them and numerous Japanese Americans in attendance give a standing ovation to Mineta following the screening. An old family friend in attendance used to also frequent Fukuda Barber and we boasted about how our barber used to also cut the hair of Norman Mineta.