Tohoku University [Season 1, 2021-22] – APRU Virtual Student Exchange

Tohoku University
Sendai, Japan

Tohoku University is a Japanese national university located in Sendai City with 10 faculties, 16 graduate schools, 3 professional graduate schools and 5 research institutes with approximately 5,400 faculty and staff and over 18,000 students from the undergraduate to doctoral level.

Ever since Tohoku University was established in 1907 as Japan’s third imperial university, its philosophy has been always “Research First” and maintained “Open-Door” policy for emphasizing “Practice-Oriented Research and Education.” Over the years, the university has offered world-class education to its students and succeeded in carrying out world-class research. Resolved to play a leading role, the university has come to a point in redirecting the future course of development towards three main principles which are “Challenge,” “Creation,” and “Innovation.” At its core, there is a spirit of “Challenge” that motivates its students and researchers to achieve a level of excellence required to build the society of the future.

Considering international cooperation highly important, the university is a member of AERU (Association of East Asian Research Universities), T.I.M.E. (Top Industrial Managers for Europe), GE4 (Global Education for European Engineers and Entrepreneurs) and Global E3 (Global Engineering Education Exchange) and APRU. These approaches have been successful in gaining acknowledgement as a university with distinctive education and internationality in Japan, which lead the university to be selected for various programs initiated by Japanese government.

Website: http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/english/

VSE Season 1, 2021-22: Courses offered by Tohoku University

Application Deadline

APPLICATION CLOSED
Students must submit an application to the VSE Central Office before:
Aug 20 2021, 12:00 noon Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)

Course Information

Click on the course titles to reveal full course details:

Number of Credits	4
Offering Department	Institute for Excellence in Higher Education
Course Teacher	N/A
Language of Instruction	Other Languages
First Day of Class	Oct 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	Feb 3, 2022
Course Component	Lecture
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Mon, Thu 1440-1750
Time Zone	UTC+9
Course Description	Students will acquire the minimum, basic abilities in conversation and reading/writing necessary for everyday life in Japan.
Course-specific Restrictions	Students must take three free placement tests: SPOT90, Grammar90 and KanjiSPOT50 (“漢字SPOT50”) at TTBJ: Tsukuba Test Battery of Japanese and submit a score sheet at the time of application. After taking the test, please self-evaluate your SPOT results and choose the course that fits your level. For more details, please refer to the course guide.
Course Outline	Download
Points to Note for Students	Please read the course guide at Link carefully prior to application.

Number of Credits	2
Offering Department	Institute for Excellence in Higher Education
Course Teacher	N/A
Language of Instruction	Other Languages
First Day of Class	Oct 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	Feb 3, 2022
Course Component	Lecture
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Thu 0850-1200
Time Zone	UTC+9
Course Description	Students will learn to understand and use grammar and vocabulary needed to read articles and essays on familiar topics of interest and write reports on them, attend classes, and express their own opinions, toward mastering the Japanese “reading” and “writing” skills that lead from pre-intermediate to intermediate or intermediate to upper-intermediate level.
Course-specific Restrictions	Students must take three free placement tests: SPOT90, Grammar90 and KanjiSPOT50 (“漢字SPOT50”) at TTBJ: Tsukuba Test Battery of Japanese and submit a score sheet at the time of application. After taking the test, please self-evaluate your SPOT results and choose the course that fits your level. For more details, please refer to the course guide.
Course Outline	Download (C310-R/W) ;Download (C410-R/W)
Points to Note for Students	Please read the course guide at Link carefully prior to application.

Number of Credits	2
Offering Department	Institute for Excellence in Higher Education
Course Teacher	KAMIHITO TAKEUCHI
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Oct 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	Feb 3, 2022
Course Component	Lecture	Discussion	Group Work
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous	Synchronous	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Mon 0850-1020	Mon 0850-1020	Mon 0850-1020
Time Zone	UTC+9
Course Description	Students in this course will learn to acquire the adaptability to the Japanese corporate community by understanding common social practice in Japan. The study style of this course not be the general academic lecture based style, but it will be the style of active learning and project-based(Making EQ Video) learning focused on Japanese social customs, manners, and etiquettes required for prospective business leaders or global facilitators in the corporate society, both domestic and foreign. The course will be guided and instructed by the CEO of a headhunting agent company, who is a professional consultant with the experience of over 30 years in the fields of human resource (HR) management and Corporate Planning & Management at global companies in and outside Japan.
Course Outline	Download

Number of Credits	2
Offering Department	Institute for Excellence in Higher Education
Course Teacher	CHIAKI SUEMATSU
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Oct 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	Feb 3, 2022
Course Component	Lecture	Discussion	Group Work
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous	Synchronous	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Mon 1030-1200	Mon 1030-1200	Mon 1030-1200
Time Zone	UTC+9
Course Description	This course introduces students to Japanese corporate culture with the history of changes in employment practices. The classes will cover the Japanese Style Management, Bubble Economy, and the Lost 20 Years. How did Japanese companies develop their management style? Why were Japanese manufacturers regarded as the strongest? What caused the Bubble Economy? Why did they have to give up the practices once thought to be essential? Why is Japan still struggling even without the shock of the big earthquake? While answering these questions, the course will emphasize the role of employment practices to illustrate the Japanese culture. Two main objectives of the course are to possess the knowledge of Japanese employment practices and to understand the rationales for changes in the practices for the past 20 years.
Course Outline	Download

Number of Credits	2
Offering Department	Institute for Excellence in Higher Education
Course Teacher	KIKUE YAMAMOTO
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Oct 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	Feb 3, 2022
Course Component	Lecture	Discussion	Group Work
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous	Synchronous	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Mon 1440-1610	Mon 1440-1610	Mon 1440-1610
Time Zone	UTC+9
Course Description	The purpose of this course is for students to learn an overview of Japanese communication behaviors using a comparative approach with other cultures. Through the peer teaching discussion in the beginning of each class, they will learn about the other cultures of their peers as well as Japanese values, and their own culture. It is taught in English and some Japanese.
Course Outline	Download

Number of Credits	2
Offering Department	Institute for Excellence in Higher Education
Course Teacher	YUKI WATABE
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Oct 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	Feb 3, 2022
Course Component	Lecture	Discussion	Group Work
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous	Synchronous	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Mon 1620-1750	Mon 1620-1750	Mon 1620-1750
Time Zone	UTC+9
Course Description	This course aims to enhance students’ key TGL program competencies. Through active learning strategies, students will further develop their English communication skills, international and intercultural understanding, and problem-solving skills. Long-term, this course is intended to boost the mindset of a global citizen leading in the 21st century, who can accept and value cultural diversities, identify issues related to a sustainable society, and try to solve these issues.
Course Outline	Download

Number of Credits	2
Offering Department	Institute for Excellence in Higher Education
Course Teacher	YUKIKO SHIMMI
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Oct 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	Feb 3, 2022
Course Component	Lecture	Discussion	Group Work
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous	Synchronous	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Wed 1300-1430	Wed 1300-1430	Wed 1300-1430
Time Zone	UTC+9
Course Description	This course is held in cooperation with the SENDAI Young Entrepreneurs Group (SENDAI YEG), an organization of young entrepreneurs from local companies in Sendai. This course is an international collaborative course; international students and domestic students collaboratively learn through a group project. Students will visit a local company in Sendai, conduct research, and present solutions for a problem of the company. This class aims to be beneficial not only for students and local companies, but also the Sendai community through discussions and group work by international and domestic students that use their diverse perspectives. Through this course, students will be able to have a better understanding of business in Sendai, and to develop employability by enhancing professional competencies such as communication and problem-solving skills. Domestic students can improve their English language skills and cross-cultural competency. International students can gain an understanding of Japanese business culture and Sendai's local companies. The language used in this course will be primarily plain English, supplemented by Japanese.
Course Outline	Download

Number of Credits	2
Offering Department	Institute for Excellence in Higher Education
Course Teacher	KAZUKO SUEMATU
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Oct 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	Feb 3, 2022
Course Component	Lecture	Discussion	Group Work
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous	Synchronous	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Wed 1440-1610	Wed 1440-1610	Wed 1440-1610
Time Zone	UTC+9
Course Description	Collaborative projects by students with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds are built into the learner-centered lessons where different ways of thinking, values, and working-styles are respected. The intensive interactions across cultures enable students to gain deeper insights into their differences and similarities, reflect on their own cultures and identities, and reconstruct themselves. Leadership and teamwork development is also an important component of this class.
Course Outline	Download

Important Information	This course was previously offered as PM330030 Multicultural Education and Human Rights Education.
Number of Credits	2
Offering Department	Institute for Excellence in Higher Education
Course Teacher	MINO TAKAHASHI
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	[UPDATED] Oct 7, 2021
Last Day of Class	Feb 3, 2022
Course Component	Lecture/Discussion/Group Work
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous
Meeting Time	[UPDATED] Thu 1300-1430
Time Zone	UTC+9
Course Description	[UPDATED] The aim of this course is to apply the knowledge about human rights to analyze various topics, to argue and to write about human rights issues from personal perspectives, and to develop a plan to take action for human rights in reality. We will try to create a classroom environment, where students study with each other and each of our views is heard and taken into consideration. Your active participation in the classroom is expected.
Course Outline	[UPDATED] Download

Number of Credits	0.5
Offering Department	Institute for Excellence in Higher Education
Course Teacher	N/A
Language of Instruction	Other Languages
First Day of Class	Oct 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	Dec 1, 2022
Course Component	Lecture
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Wed or Thu 1300-1430
Time Zone	UTC+9
Course Description	The "Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)" is the most important examination in the Japanese language proficiency evaluation paticipated by Japanese learners. In this subject, you aim to acquire the Japanese ability to pass the N1 or N2. Study kanji / vocabulary, grammar and idiomatic expressions etc using countermeasure collections and aim for passing in this exam.
Course-specific Restrictions	Students must take three free placement tests: SPOT90, Grammar90 and KanjiSPOT50 (“漢字SPOT50”) at TTBJ: Tsukuba Test Battery of Japanese and submit a score sheet at the time of application. After taking the test, please self-evaluate your SPOT results and choose the course that fits your level. For more details, please refer to the course guide.
Course Outline	Download (N480); Download (N580)
Points to Note for Students	Please read the course guide at Link carefully prior to application.

The number of credits is shown as provided by the course offering university. The credit structure at the course offering university may be different from the one at your home university. Please contact the VSE Coordinator of your home university for credit transfer information.

Course enrollment is subject to final approval from your home university and the course offering university.