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Tour of Asia Continues at Scranton
The workshop, “The Rise of Miracles in Post-World War II Japan and Korea,” featured a series of brief lectures by faculty and students concerning six topics pertaining to Japan or Korea.
William Parente, Ph.D., professor of political science, discussed “Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Politics of the Atomic Bomb 65 Years Later,” exploring the motivations for the bombings. He discussed the invasion of Sulfur Island, The Great Raid, the American invasion of Okinawa, and the Soviet Union’s declaration of war on Japan just two days after Hiroshima.
Professor Kouji Kimura, a Fulbright scholar from Japan and teaching assistant for world languages and cultures, discussed the endangerment of trust within Japan and its need for education reform during his segment of the workshop, “Struggling Japan: The Keys to Survive.”
“In Japan, there are almost no natural resources, so what we can be proud of is only Japanese people themselves,” Professor Kimurae said. Citing Japanese brand names like Toyota, Honda and Sony, Kimura said Japanese products are successful because of trust. However, Kimura said he is fearful that trust is endangered.
Kihoon Kwon, a second-year graduate student from Korea and president of the international club, talked about “The Korean Experience,” emphasizing his country’s importance regarding human resources and education. Kwon talked about the difference between the youth’s academic schedules in the United States and Korea, explaining that he started his high school day at 7:30 a.m. and stayed in the school until 11 p.m., with additional library studying until about 2 a.m.
“[There is] lots of competition, lots of people in small land have to survive, [and] lots of study,” Kwon said, “We have to get into a good university, so there was lots of stress.”
Sr. Mary Anne Foley, Ph.D., associate professor of theology/religious studies, talked about “On Being Gaijin,” a term she learned during her experience studying and teaching in Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Foley was first exposed to the word “gaijin,” which literally means “person from the outside” or “foreigner,” when a child called her the term on a train.
“My experience there was that my Japanese students, colleagues and friends were truly interested in me precisely because I was different,” said Sr. Foley.
Ann Pang White, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Philosophy Department and director of the Asian Studies Concentration, discussed “Confucian Philosophy and Economic Development in East Asia,” pointing out the disparity between the wealthy and poor, and Japan’s system that provides public housing for the poor and governmental money allotted to the education system. She said Confucian philosophy places “a particular emphasis on the importance — the significance — of education,” where everyone should be entitled to the best education possible.
Shuhua Fan, Ph.D., assistant professor of history, talked about the economic recovery in East Asia during her presentation “Explaining the Rise of Miracles in Post-World War II Japan.” She discussed “economic and social miracles,” including the rise of the economy, egalitarian distribution of wealth, and decrease in crime in Japan.
The University of Scranton’s Asian cultural “tour” will continue with events focusing on Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia in November; China in February; India in March; and the Philippines in April.
