Stanford Report: The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, spoke at SCPKU today and said study abroad allows students to realize that countries all have a stake in each other's success.  Following her remarks, she held a conversation with students on the Stanford campu via SCPKU's Highly Immersive Classroom. Read more.

The following reflection is a guest post written by Sunny Park, a Fall 2020 alumna of Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, which is currently accepting applications for Fall 2026.

A “smart” high school student is often defined by strong grades, perhaps alongside a few extracurricular activities to strengthen university applications. Before encountering Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ), that was largely how I viewed myself. 

I came across SeEJ during the COVID-19 pandemic through a Facebook advertisement. Like many students at the time, I was looking for something more engaging beyond school. I didn’t expect how much it would reshape the way I think about learning, ambition, and possibility. 

What made SeEJ distinct was its focus on people rather than definitions. Each session featured entrepreneurs from different industries, sharing not just what they built, but how they navigated uncertainty, failure, and personal ambition. Seeing such varied paths made me realize that entrepreneurship isn’t a fixed route; it’s a way of thinking. And that was probably the moment when things shifted for me. Until then, I had always thought of my future in fairly narrow terms: choose a subject, go to university, and follow a path that already exists. SeEJ made me realize that there are far more ways to build a life, and that entrepreneurship is less about starting a company and more about taking ownership of what you want to pursue. 

Since then, I’ve found myself saying yes to things I would have hesitated to try before. I’m now in my final year of studying Biology at Imperial College London, and I co-founded a biotech startup called Eidolon Therapeutics. At Eidolon, we’re pioneering microbial protein combinations to combat immunotherapy resistance and inflammation-driven toxicity in cancer. It was through my Year-in-Research program where I met my Co-Founders (i.e., my professor and post-doc supervisor), and I was so fascinated by the research they were conducting I couldn’t help but impatiently suggest building a company out of it. Since then, we’ve been working incredibly hard on making Eidolon real, including joining accelerator programs such as the Cancer Tech Accelerator, Venture Catalyst Challenge, and Conception X. Through building an early-stage startup, I’ve had the chance to meet people I once found intimidating, pitch ideas in front of large audiences, and build relationships that started from simple conversations. 

I don’t think any of that came from a single moment of confidence. If anything, it came from gradually becoming more comfortable with not knowing exactly what I’m doing… and trying it anyway. Based on my journey so far, here are a few reflections for students exploring a similar path:

1. Be intentional about the opportunities you choose.

There are so many opportunities available as a student! SeEJ, in particular, showed me the value of learning environments where you actively engage with ideas and people. There are many programs available, but depth matters more than quantity. Choose opportunities where you can contribute, ask questions, and grow. 

2. Focus on genuine connections!

One of the most valuable parts of SeEJ was the access to people with diverse experiences. What I learned is that meaningful connections come from curiosity and sincerity, not from trying to impress. When you approach people with a willingness to learn, they are often more open than you expect. 

3. Stay engaged beyond the program.

The real impact of SeEJ extended beyond the sessions themselves. Following up with people, continuing conversations, and sharing your own progress helps turn short-term interactions into long-term relationships. Small, consistent effort makes a difference!

4. Reflect as you go. 

Exploring entrepreneurship alongside academics can be exciting but also overwhelming. Taking time to reflect on what you enjoy, what challenges you, and what kind of path you want to build helps you stay grounded and intentional.

Looking back, SeEJ was a turning point not because it provided a single opportunity, but because it changed how I see opportunities altogether. It reminded me that there isn’t one path to follow, but many that you can create. 

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is currently accepting applications for Fall 2026. Apply at https://forms.gle/5gkHrhm3X4sycZGG8.

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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Introduction and Contribution

Since coming to power in 2002, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have significantly undermined Turkish democracy. This has most visibly involved police repression, systematic prosecutions of the AKP’s critics, and partisan control and censorship of the media. Although opposition persisted in parliament, municipalities, campuses, and professional associations, the playing field is rigged against the AKP’s opponents.

Yet these visible forms of repression are only part of a broader process of Turkey’s autocratization. In “The Capture of Turkey’s Universities Under the AKP,” Ayça Alemdaroğlu shows how the regime has, through a host of less spectacular but durable mechanisms, used its control over higher education to turn universities into channels for distributing opportunity, disciplining dissent, and cultivating loyal staff and students. These mechanisms — including baseless investigations and dismissals of academics, online citizen reporting against faculty, and patronage around university jobs — have weakened academic life and transformed Turkish higher education into a key instrument of the AKP’s governing project.

Importantly, Turkey’s democratic erosion has accelerated in tandem with the massive, rapid growth in colleges and student enrollment. For Alemdaroğlu, this should temper any assumption that higher education is automatically a space of democratic resistance. Universities can produce critique, organization, and dissent, but the higher education system can also facilitate authoritarian consolidation through appointments, disciplinary procedures, funding, surveillance, and patronage. Comparable processes to subordinate universities have unfolded in India, China, and Russia. Instructors may publish or teach critical material while students may organize against the state, but autocrats can hedge against these risks by capturing the university system writ large. In the United States, where universities have become central to “culture wars,” Alemdaroğlu’s article serves as a cautionary tale about how quickly institutional autonomy can erode, especially in the absence of protections against executive encroachment.

The Growth of Turkish Higher Education

The AKP did not eviscerate higher education in one fell swoop but did so incrementally, building on the efforts of its predecessors. For example, after the 1980 coup d'état, Turkey’s military government centralized key aspects of university appointments, which the Erdoğan regime has expanded. In addition, the country’s 1980s neoliberal turn refashioned universities as instruments of profit and efficiency rather than spaces of academic freedom. Since the AKP attained power, higher education has grown at an unprecedented scale: there were 76 universities with 1.7 million enrolled students in 2002, compared to 206 universities and 8 million students in 2020. This has afforded the regime vast new terrain on which to exercise control.

Unsurprisingly, such rapid growth has increased quantity at the expense of quality. From a political standpoint, however, this is not especially costly for the AKP. For example, meager investments in research capacity have served to weaken the independence of academics and their ability to criticize the regime. Meanwhile, university hiring processes reflect the preferences of AKP loyalists, thus expanding the scope of co-optation. These are not unintended consequences but core features of a system geared toward patronage.

University expansion has helped the AKP widen its reach across social groups and economic sectors. Lucrative construction projects, public-sector jobs, faculty appointments and access to scarce resources have become channels through which the party awards supporters and cultivates loyalty.  In other words, higher education has served as a means of patronage, ideological inculcation and political control. The government framed expansion as a democratizing challenge to secular urban privilege and as part of a project to cultivate a more conservative, religiously grounded youth.

Waves of Capture

Alemdaroğlu periodizes the AKP’s higher education agenda into three waves that illustrate the shift from episodic intervention to routinized control. The first wave, which began soon after the AKP came to power, was not immediately visible to international observers as part of a broader authoritarian turn. Though it was clear to those targeted. For example, a 2005 penal code criminalized the “denigration of Turkishness,” which state prosecutors used to target faculty in literature and journalism, particularly those who had published on the Armenian genocide and the systematic mistreatment of Kurds.

By contrast, the second wave, beginning after the failed 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, was much more dramatic. The AKP government presented the coup attempt, which it attributed to the Gülen movement, as a national emergency requiring sweeping state action. Faculty and employees were dismissed and suspended en masse, while Gülen-affiliated universities were shuttered and had their assets frozen. In addition, investigations were conducted against those who signed a 2016 “Academics for Peace” document, which called for an end to state violence against Kurds. Turkey’s Constitutional Court found the investigations illegal in 2019, but by which time many academics had already lost their positions, passports, income, and professional standing.

The final, ongoing wave has “shifted toward a permanent institutional model, moving control and coercion into the everyday governance of the university.” Faculty are routinely disciplined for “verbally disrespectful speech” or conduct incompatible with “public morality and decency,” while AKP loyalists are appointed to senior academic posts by direct presidential decree. In addition, online citizen reporting through the state’s communication system has created another channel for targeting faculty. Although the rise from 130,000 applications in 2006 to 6 million in 2020 reflects the system as a whole, it shows how citizen complaints became part of everyday state monitoring, including at universities.

Ultimately, the Turkey case shows how democracy erodes through both dramatic ruptures and quiet, cumulative transformations. Alemdaroğlu emphasizes that the degraded condition of Turkish higher education does not merely reflect AKP’s autocratization but has actively enabled it.

*Brief prepared by Adam Fefer.

This article was written by Dr. Thomas Fingar, who played an early role in the establishment of SPICE before helping to establish and then leading Stanford’s U.S.–China Relations Program before moving to the U.S. State Department where he served twice as Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Research. He later served as Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis and Chairman of the National Intelligence Council before returning to Stanford in 2009. This is the sixth of several articles—focusing on the 50-year history of SPICE—that will be posted this year.

The celebration of SPICE’s 50th anniversary attests to the continuing vitality, impact, and success of ideas and constructive activism engendered by unique circumstances at Stanford in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Bay Area China Education Project (BAYCEP) and its successor organization, the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), did not just happen and its success was not assured. Many innovative projects were launched during that turbulent and transformative period but few survived or had a lasting impact. It is worth reflecting on what made this Stanford initiative different and more successful.

Context matters and it is useful to recall the political and academic environment at the time. It was the golden age of area studies when universities and the national affairs enterprise struggled to understand the societies, cultures, politics, and policies of the more than 100 ‘new’ nations that regained independence or emerged from revolution after World War II. New social science methodologies were developed to support this undertaking, and new ways to teach foreign languages and foreign cultures broadened horizons and facilitated people-to-people interactions that transformed exotic ‘others’ into fellow travelers on planet earth. Stanford was at the forefront of both the area studies and methodological revolutions.

The Vietnam War was a second critical shaper of information and ideas. This was the first ‘television war’ and it gave an immediacy to what was happening in Washington and on the other side of the world. The ‘enemy’ was humanized and the draft forced ordinary Americans to think about people, places, and government policies that were opaque and increasingly personal. Antiwar activism included demonstrations and ‘teach ins’ to educate the public about what was happening and why. These activities occurred in the context of growing dissatisfaction with many gaps between American values and everyday injustice affecting racial minorities, women, the elderly, and the poor. Determination to do something about increasingly unacceptable conditions was rampant.

These factors, and others such as the large size of the area studies community at Stanford and the leadership of key faculty, coalesced in ways that galvanized determination and efforts to link area studies-focused academic research to political action, classroom instruction, and public education. The logic was straightforward. Those at the leading edge of area studies had both an opportunity and an obligation to use what they learned about other countries and cultures to inform and influence politicians and policymakers so that they would see the error of their ways in Vietnam and Asia more broadly and adopt policies more conducive to mutual understanding, peace, and shared prosperity.

The logic of the situation and our understanding of the importance of public opinion in a democracy also drove us to seek ways to use our understanding of Asia to bring Asia and Asians into American classrooms. That meant, among other things, expanding coverage of Asian culture and history in American secondary school textbooks and developing teaching materials and training programs for high school teachers. Fifty years later, it is difficult to imagine how little information and teaching material was available. One reason that is the case is that the founders of SPICE used their knowledge of American education, textbook publishing, and teacher training to move beyond the Europe-centric content of what was and is taught in the United States.

The energy and activism during the formative period did not dissipate when graduate students earned their degrees and embarked upon the next stage of their careers. Some continued to work in and through the SPICE structures. Others accepted positions in the U.S. Government and other nonacademic institutions so that they could play direct and indirect roles in shaping official understanding and public policies. Their activities both contributed to public understanding and utilized increased public awareness and understanding to influence public policy. 

There is a bigger story to be told than the narrow component that was and is the SPICE program, but to say that is not to diminish the importance and impact of the classroom and public education achievements of the people and projects undertaken in the decades since SPICE was originally conceived. I am proud to have been a part of those early efforts and even prouder of the fact that SPICE remains as vital and vibrant as it is today and that I still have opportunities to lecture in its programs. 

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SPICE offers several local programs for students in Japan, including regional programs at the city and prefectural levels. Developed through collaborations between SPICE and local governments across Japan, these online programs encourage students to engage with complex global issues while deepening their understanding of U.S. society, culture, and U.S.–Japan relations through critical thinking and research.

With the 2025–2026 session now finished, each participating program has recognized two outstanding students for their exceptional achievements throughout the course, including the quality of their final research projects. These student honorees will travel to Stanford University in August 2026, where they will present their research during a series of recognition ceremonies. The events will welcome distinguished guests from the Stanford community, the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, and members of the Japanese community throughout the Bay Area.

SPICE proudly congratulates the following students for their outstanding academic accomplishments.

Stanford e-Fukuoka (Instructor: Kasumi Yamashita)

Student Honoree: Konoha Inoyusu
School: Fukuoka Daichi High School

Student Honoree: Haruki Kenyon
School: Kurume High School

Stanford e-Hiroshima (Instructor: Rylan Sekiguchi)

Student Honoree: Konatsu Haga
School: Fukuyama Akenohoshi Girls’ High School

Student Honoree: Momoka Nagayama
School: Hiroshima Inokuchi High School

Stanford e-Kagoshima City (Instructor: Amy Cheng)

Student Honoree: Nayuta Nei
School: Kagoshima Gyokuryu High School

Student Honoree: Shiori Nishizono
School: Kagoshima Girls’ High School

Stanford e-Kawasaki (Instructor: Maiko Tamagawa Bacha)

Student Honoree: Mio Suzuki
School: Kawasaki High School

Student Honoree: Rio Hojo
School: Tachibana High School

Stanford e-Kobe (Instructor: Alison Harsch)

Student Honoree: Sakura Oe
School: Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School

Student Honoree: Shotaro Take
School: Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School

Stanford e-Oita (Instructor: Kasumi Yamashita)

Student Honoree: Mao Hieida
School: Nakatsu Minami High School

Student Honoree: Taichi Morikawa
School: Takada High School

Stanford e-Tottori (Instructor: Jonas Edman)

Student Honoree: Una Ishikawa
School: National Institute of Technology, Yonago College

Student Honoree: Asumi Nishimura
School: Tottori Nishi High School

Stanford e-Yamaguchi (Instructor: Jonas Edman)

Student Honoree: Misaki Kobayashi
School: Keishin Senior High School

Student Honoree: Hiroi Tomokawa
School: Iwakuni Senior High School

SPICE commends these students for their intellectual curiosity, academic excellence, and commitment to developing a global perspective. We look forward to recognizing their accomplishments at Stanford University next month.

SPICE also offers online courses to U.S. high school students on Japan (Reischauer Scholars Program), China (China Scholars Program), Korea (Sejong Korea Scholars Program), and entrepreneurship (Stanford e-Entrepreneurship U.S.), and online courses to Chinese high school students on the United States (Stanford e-China) and to Japanese high school students on the United States and U.S.–Japan relations (Stanford e-Japan) and on entrepreneurship (Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan).

To stay informed of news about Stanford e-Japan and SPICE’s other programs, join our email list and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

The Stanford e-Yamaguchi Program recently concluded its second year, continuing a successful partnership between SPICE and the Yamaguchi Prefectural Board of Education. Designed to provide high school students in Yamaguchi Prefecture with opportunities to strengthen their English communication skills, explore global issues, and engage with Stanford educators and guest speakers, the program offers participants a unique opportunity to develop their global perspectives while interacting with experts from a variety of fields.

This year marked my first year teaching the Stanford e-Yamaguchi course, and it has been a truly rewarding experience. Throughout the program, I was consistently impressed by the students’ intellectual curiosity, thoughtful participation, and willingness to engage with complex global topics in English. Their enthusiasm for learning and openness to new perspectives made every virtual classroom session meaningful and enjoyable.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Mia Kimura, who taught the inaugural year of the program and helped establish a strong foundation for its continued success. Her efforts during the program’s first year played an important role in creating a welcoming and engaging learning environment, one that I have sought to emulate in my own teaching.

The course featured a series of outstanding guest speakers who shared their expertise and experiences with students. I would like to thank Dr. Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu, Dr. Elizabeth Baham, Dr. Gary Mukai, and Dr. Mariko Yoshihara Yang for their generous contributions to the program. Through their presentations and discussions, students explored a wide range of topics, including mindfulness in leadership, diversity in leadership, global citizenship, and design thinking. These sessions provided students with opportunities to connect classroom learning to real-world challenges and encouraged them to think critically about the qualities needed to lead in an increasingly interconnected world.

The success of the Stanford e-Yamaguchi course is the result of the efforts of many individuals and organizations. I am especially grateful to Professor Yuko Hayashi, Yamaguchi University, for introducing SPICE to Tsugumasa Muraoka, Governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture. That introduction helped establish the connections and support necessary to make this partnership possible.

I would also like to extend my deepest thanks to Akinobu Tomonari of the Yamaguchi Prefectural Board of Education. Tomonari-sensei has been instrumental in planning, coordinating, and facilitating the program. His dedication and commitment have been essential to the program’s success.

As we conclude another successful year, we celebrate not only the accomplishments of the students but also the strong partnership between SPICE and Yamaguchi Prefecture. We look forward to continuing this collaboration and providing future cohorts of students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, and global perspectives needed to become thoughtful leaders in their communities and beyond.

Stanford e-Yamaguchi is one of SPICE’s local student programs in Japan.

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