Information board showing the entrance to the live viewing event.
Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) hosted a viewing of the U.S. presidential election on November 6, 2024, attracting hundreds of students and numerous journalists from major domestic and international media outlets. The seven-hour event was led by Paul Nadeau, an adjunct assistant professor of political science at TUJ, who enriched the event with lectures, moderating discussions with guest speakers and answered student questions throughout.
This was the third time TUJ has organized a presidential election event, following similar gatherings in 2016 and 2020. TUJ students, including the Emerging Leaders Program, played an active role in supporting the event, which was a part of the events of the annual “Spirit Week”, starting early to decorate the Parliament student lounge and setting up the space from before 8:00 a.m.
The live-streaming event began at 9:00 a.m., with a major U.S. network providing updates as election results were announced. Three distinguished guest speakers offered insights on various topics related to the implications of
the elections, each followed by a dialogue with Nadeau. Rob Fahey, assistant professor at Waseda Institute for Advanced Study, discussed conspiracy theories and populism; Kazuto Suzuki, Professor at the University of Tokyo, addressed U.S.-Japan economic relations; and Tokuko Shironitta, Japan Country Director at The Asia Group, spoke on what the election’s significance for Japan.
The event highlighted the depth of expertise among TUJ faculty and featured student perspectives shared in media interviews. The event proved highly newsworthy, with at least six media outlets publishing articles by the following day. (See below)
Reflecting on the experience, Nadeau commented, “The job of a university should be to facilitate respectful engagement on important issues and I’m really glad our students could experience that today, whether or not they were satisfied with the outcome itself.”
News coverage of the event:
Asahi Shimbun
https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASSC63D9WSC6UTIL010M.html?ptoken=01JC0KSYV0M52S650B519SKW83
Yomiuri Shimbun
https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/world/uspresident/20241106-OYT1T50129/
NHK
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/shutoken-news/20241106/1000110823.html
Challenges
https://www.challenges.fr/monde/le-japon-dans-l-expectative-avant-le-choc-trump_910437
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- Temple University Students and Setagaya Community Strengthen Bonds in Cultural Exchange Event Using Japanese (August 9, 2024)
- High-ranking U.S. and Japanese Government Officials Offer Critical Insights During “Diplomacy Week” at Temple University, Japan Campus (October 2, 2023)