June 27, 2007

On three consecutive Wednesday evenings in May, TUJ held its first Citizen’s University event, a series of talks by Professor Phil Deans entitled “Japan: Reform and Reaction,” at TUJ Mita Hall. These talks are just one facet of TUJ’s agreement with Minato City to collaborate on fostering international understanding and cross-cultural communication. The Citizen’s University offers people in the local Minato City community an opportunity to learn more about what’s being taught at universities in the city.

Phil Deans, Professor of International Affairs at TUJ, gave talks in English on “Issues in Japanese Domestic Politics”, “Issues in Japanese International Politics”, and “Issues in Japanese Economy and Society.” The series attracted over 40 participants to each talk, the majority of whom were residents and workers in Minato City. Several representatives from embassies in Minato City also attended. One participant commented, “This has been an extremely interesting series of talks. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to attend this kind of seminar in the future.” TUJ plans to hold this event on an annual basis.