Oregon-Vietnam-Japan Exchange and Collaboration Project

Oregon-Vietnam-Japan Exchange and Collaboration Project
Funded by the Japan Foundation
2017-2021

The Oregon-Vietnam-Japan Exchange and Collaboration (OVJEC) Project aims to initiate collaboration and exchange to promote Japanese Studies through the partnership of institutions in the United States, Japan, and Vietnam. Partner universities include the University of Oregon (UO), Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), Hanoi University (HANU), and Ho Chi Minh City University of Education (HCMC). Highlights of the program have included faculty exchanges and visits, a kick-off conference in Ho Chi Minh City, a language pedagogy symposium in Hanoi, presentations at the APU Asia Pacific annual conference, curriculum sharing and development, professional development activities, translations into Vietnamese of important works on Japanese Studies, and the development of a network of scholars who share their ideas and experiences on researching and teaching Japanese Studies.

Year 1 Accomplishments

During the first year of the project, participants from partner institutions met at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education for a kick-off conference entitled “What is Japanese Studies.” Presenters discussed their research in the wider lens of defining and expanding the notion of Japanese Studies, while also discussing ways to collaborate and promote Japanese Studies to a wider audience. Three HCMC and two UO faculty members traveled to APU to attend the 15th Asia Pacific Conference and meet with APU project members, as well as meet students and administrators to discuss the projects and ways of internationalizing Japanese Studies. Three HCMC then traveled to UO for an eight-week academic residency where they were paired with UO mentor faculty to discuss their research and sit in on UO classes to compare pedagogy methods. They were also provided with professional development sessions in academic writing, research development and methodology. Along with the project directors, they traveled to Portland to visit the world-famous Portland Japanese Garden and meet with members of the Oregon East Asia Network. Throughout the year, project members discussed curriculum improvements and possible course reader and translation projects.

Year 2 Accomplishments

The second year of the project continued the agenda of exchanges, with three HANU faculty meeting UO faculty at the 16th APU Asia Pacific Conference. Visiting faculty met with APU faculty to discuss the progress of the project and met with students and administrators. Three HANU faculty then traveled to UO for an eight-week academic residency with UO faculty mentors. They sat in on classes, discussed curriculum and pedagogy, and one HANU faculty member taught a demonstration class on Japanese haiku. HANU faculty sat in on UO classes and were provided with professional development workshops on English, academic writing, and research planning and methodology. HANU faculty also participated in a half-day workshop on Flipped Learning in the Language Classroom in the UO’s Yamada Language Center. Year 1 UO mentors traveled to Ho Chi Minh City to meet with their mentees, observe classes, and hold guest lectures. These mentors also visited APU to meet faculty and students and give talks on Japanese Studies. Hanoi University hosted a symposium on Japanese Language Pedagogy, attended by faculty from UO and APU, and followed by meetings on project projects. This year also saw the beginning of an ambitious translation and publication agenda, with six books in translation and scheduled for publication.

Year 3 Accomplishments

The project’s third and final year has been affected by the global pandemic, as international travel has proved too risky for our partners. Nonetheless, we have continued to make strides towards our project goals. Prior to the outbreak, two UO mentors visits HANU to meet mentees and observe classes, as well as meet with administrators and observe a Japanese speech contest. The project’s Capstone Conference, which was to take place at UO in spring 2020 was moved to a smaller symposium on Internationalizing Japanese Studies in Hanoi in January 2021. Vietnamese faculty met and shared their research and thoughts on the promote of Japanese Studies, and teaching Japanese topics to a variety of audiences, both domestic and international. Many international scholars attended via Zoom as well. UO faculty participated in the form of prerecorded conversations with Japan Studies experts to be viewed at the symposium by in-person attendees. Ho Chi Minh City University of Education hosted a well-attended seminar series on Japanese cinema, literature and culture in the 2020-21 academic year with esteemed experts at a community organization called The Ladder. Three additional Vietnamese translations are slated for publication at the beginning of 2021. Project members will continue to discuss ways to internationalize Japanese Studies and to sustain the network we’ve built after the project ends.