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Imagine one test deciding your future. For millions of students in China every year, that test is the gaokao—the national university entrance exam and one of the most competitive educational systems in the world. Published by Harvard University Press in Fall 2025, The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China, takes readers inside this high-stakes exam and uncovers how it has shaped families, careers, and even the nation itself.

Written by leading scholars Ruixue Jia and Hongbin Li, with writer and researcher Claire Cousineau, the book combines rigorous research with compelling personal narratives to reveal how the gaokao has become much more than a test: it is a tool to shape China’s society and economy.

The gaokao has long been considered one of the world’s most consequential educational exams. Each year, tens of millions of students sit for this high-stakes test that determines access to universities, career opportunities, and pathways of social mobility. The Highest Exam traces the gaokao’s historical origins and evolution, showing how it became deeply intertwined with China’s governance, social strata, and economy. 

Through empirical analysis and personal narrative, the book illustrates how the exam system reflects broader themes in Chinese society: the pursuit of meritocracy, the tension between equality and advantage, and the state’s reliance on education to reinforce legitimacy. The authors aptly identify China’s education system as a centralized hierarchical tournament, returning to this framework in each section of the book: familystate, and society

The Highest Exam also brings a comparative lens, contrasting China’s exam-driven system with education practices in the United States and beyond. It raises urgent questions about fairness, access, and the role of education in shaping societies—questions that resonate far beyond China’s borders.

Engaging and deeply researched, The Highest Exam is essential reading for anyone interested in education, global society, or the forces shaping the next generation.



About the Authors
 

Ruixue Jia is Professor of Economics at the School of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California, San Diego.

Hongbin Li is Co-director of Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, and a Senior Fellow of Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) at Stanford University.

Claire Cousineau is a writer and former researcher at the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, she is currently pursuing her MBA at Duke University.



Availability


The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China is available now for purchase from Amazon and elsewhere.  



Upcoming Book Event


Join us on Tuesday, October 21 at 4 PM (Pacific) for a fireside chat with co-authors Ruixue Jia and Hongbin Li. The fireside chat will be held in-person in the Bechtel Conference Center and livestreamed for virtual attendees. Learn More & Register
 


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"The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China", written by Ruixue Jia, Hongbin Li, and Claire Cousineau, combines rigorous research with compelling personal narratives to reveal how the gaokao has become much more than a test: it is a tool to shape China’s society and economy.

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Join us for a fireside chat with co-authors Ruixue Jia and Hongbin Li who will discuss their most recent book, The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China. The fireside chat will be held in-person in the Bechtel Conference Center and livestreamed for virtual attendees. After the fireside chat, we invite in-person attendees to join us for a light reception and book signing with Hongbin Li. Order your copy of the book here.

Join the webinar to watch the event live:

Webinar ID: 985 1962 7327
Passcode: 361163
 


The Highest Exam book cover.

Each year, more than ten million students across China pin their hopes on the gaokao, the nationwide college entrance exam. Unlike in the United States, where standardized tests are just one factor, in China college admission is determined entirely by gaokao performance. It is no wonder the test has become a national obsession.

Drawing on extensive surveys, historical research, and economic analysis, and informed by Ruixue Jia and Hongbin Li’s own experiences of the gaokao gauntlet, The Highest Exam reveals how China’s education system functions as a centralized tournament that serves the needs of the Chinese Communist Party and drives much of the country’s economic growth. The book examines the gaokao’s far-reaching effects on China’s society and beyond. As Chinese-American families bring the expectations of the highest exam with them, their calls for objective, transparent metrics in the education system increasingly clash with the more holistic measures of achievement used by American schools and universities.



About the Authors
 

Hongbin Li

Hongbin Li is the Co-director of Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, and a Senior Fellow of Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Li obtained his Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University in 2001 before joining the economics department at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He was also one of the two founding directors of the Institute of Economics and Finance at the CUHK. He taught at Tsinghua University from 2007 to 2016 in the School of Economics and Management and was the founder and Executive Associate Director of the China Social and Economic Data Center. 

Li’s research has been focused on the transition and development of the Chinese economy, and the evidence-based research results have been both widely covered by media outlets and well read by policy makers around the world. He is currently the co-editor of the Journal of Comparative Economics and co-author of the book, The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China, published by Harvard University Press.
 

Ruixue Jia headshot.

Ruixue Jia is a professor of economics at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego. She also serves as Co-director of the China Data Lab, executive secretary of the Association of Comparative Economic Studies (ACES) and co-chair of the China Economic Summer Institute (CESI). 

Jia’s research lies at the intersections of economics, history and politics, with a focus on how power structures evolve and shape economic development. Her recent work examines the political economy of idea formation and diffusion, including the interplay between the state, education, science and technology. She is the co-author of The Highest Exam, a book that explores how China’s education system both mirrors and molds its society.
 

Headshot of Claire Cousineau.

Claire Cousineau  is a writer and former researcher at the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, she is currently pursuing her MBA at Duke University.

Since studying and working in Beijing and Kunming, Claire is passionate about fostering a deeper public understanding of China’s role on the global stage and creating cross-cultural relationships. Claire is the co-author of the book, The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China, along with Hongbin Li and Ruixue Jia, published by Harvard University Press in 2025. 
 



Bechtel Conference Center
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616 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford University

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Ruixue Jia

John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Building, 366 Galvez Street
Stanford, CA 94305-6015

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Faculty Co-director of the Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions
Professor, by courtesy, of Economics
Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
Faculty Affiliate at the King Center of Global Development
Faculty Affiliate at Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence
5268-hongbinli.png PhD

Hongbin Li is the Co-director of Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions, and a Senior Fellow of Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI).

Hongbin obtained Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University in 2001 and joined the economics department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), where he became full professor in 2007. He was also one of the two founding directors of the Institute of Economics and Finance at the CUHK. He taught at Tsinghua University in Beijing 2007-2016 and was C.V. Starr Chair Professor of Economics in the School of Economics and Management. He also founded and served as the Executive Associate Director of the China Social and Economic Data Center at Tsinghua University. He founded the Chinese College Student Survey (CCSS) in 2009 and the China Employer-Employee Survey (CEES) in 2014.

Hongbin’s research has been focused on the transition and development of the Chinese economy, and the evidence-based research results have been both widely covered by media outlets and well read by policy makers around the world. He is currently the co-editor of the Journal of Comparative Economics and co-author of the forthcoming book, “The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China” published by Harvard University Press.

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I have always wished to learn more about Korea. Since I am only half Korean, my grandparents’ stories of Seoul made up the extent of my knowledge for much of my childhood. As I grew up and began to slot together my identity in a patchwork of personality and truths, my Korean identity simply did not fit. I could barely stomach the spice of bibimmyeon, my mother’s favorite Korean noodle dish. Wearing hanboks, the traditional Korean dress, never gave me the elegance my cousins seemed to embody. Speaking Korean didn’t come to me as easily as it did for my sister. What I did have were my grandparents’ firsthand stories, with rich history peeking through childhood anecdotes and accounts of war. Korean history always felt quite accessible to me, even if it didn’t make me feel Korean enough.

Accordingly, getting to participate in the Sejong Korea Scholars Program was a dream come true for me. I sensed that it would be a unique and incredible opportunity, and that perception was immediately confirmed by the first introductory meeting on Zoom. If anything, the online format made the focus of the program even clearer, and each virtual classroom felt just as grounded as any in-person class I’ve experienced.

It was especially exciting to be surrounded by 18 other like-minded and talented peers. We were all in pursuit of the same learning, the same deep dive into Korean history—and many were in the program for reasons similar to mine. There was a deep affinity for culture in the group, and not just for Korean culture. With so many Korean Americans in the group, it was fun to post or comment about our connections to Korea, and just as exciting to learn about Korean Americans from esteemed Professor Kyeyoung Park, who graciously answered all of our questions. I also must commend the students who weren’t Korean and simply were excited about Korean history; their passion was always quite inspiring.

I will forever remember this program as a place where my writing became true to myself, and went beyond what I ever could have imagined.

Above all, what made SKSP so special was the historiography, which had long been a personal area of interest. Dr. HyoJung Jang, our extraordinary instructor, curated a diverse assortment of sources each week, ranging from U.S. government documents to articles to contemporary qualitative experiments. In between each virtual classroom, I pored over several sources, and reflected on the way they interacted with each other. As I worked on our biweekly writing assignment, I found myself making multiple connections for each source and forming my own mini arguments in the paragraphs. By the time we got to each lecture, I had stewed on my ideas long enough to get quite excited about the questions I wanted to ask.

Each lecturer gave a spectacular presentation and was quite generous with their time. In particular, I’ll highlight Professor Gi-Wook Shin and Professor Nancy Abelmann, who taught us about different facets of contemporary Korean society: nationalism and the education system, respectively. Their talks were grounded in Korean norms of filial piety, respect, and also patriarchal systems, a topic I intended to write my paper about.

At the time, however, my paper topic was, quite frankly, a mess. I knew I wanted to involve pop culture somehow into my discussion of ingrained misogyny in Korean society, but had written some incredibly vague topic proposal about sexist dating norms present in music and TV shows. Luckily, Dr. Jang gave some much-needed feedback about the large scope of my proposal. In the process of reading through academic papers around sexism, I came across digital feminist movements, and decided that the accessibility and weaponization of the internet was going to be my new focus. Of all the incredible experiences in the program, I think I’ll always remember writing my paper, how Dr. Jang was an especially important personal mentor, and the overwhelming feeling (as I was writing) that I was connected to my culture, somehow.

When I think back to the way I worried over my lack of a connection to Korea at the beginning of the year, I find my concerns a bit silly now. I now know that I have always been connected to my heritage through my history. Even if that didn’t feel like it was enough before, my scholarship and pursuit of Korean history through SKSP have now proven that to me. I will forever remember this program as a place where my writing became true to myself, and went beyond what I ever could have imagined. To all interested students, I urge you to apply without inhibition. You will surely find something you didn’t know you needed—whether it’s a reassurance about your culture, a reignited passion, or simply growth—in the Sejong Korea Scholars Program. 

SKSP is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

To stay updated on SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

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Roots to Flowers: A Reflection on the Sejong Korea Scholars Program

The following reflection is a guest post written by Jason Shim, alumnus of the Sejong Scholars Program, which is currently accepting student applications until November 1, 2024.
Roots to Flowers: A Reflection on the Sejong Korea Scholars Program
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The following reflection is a guest post written by Eloisa Lin, an alumna of the Sejong Scholars Program.

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Heather Rahimi
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For years the Rural Education Action Program (REAP) has been working to improve early childhood development outcomes across rural China. One of the most impactful programs has been the development and implementation of  REAP’s parenting curriculum and parenting centers. The centers expand upon our parenting curriculum by providing free and accessible spaces where caregivers and their young children can read, play, and explore together using developmentally appropriate toys and books that promote cognitive development. REAP has now supported the development of over 150 centers at county, township, and village levels across multiple provinces. 

Recently, REAP helped establish a parenting center at the Zhengzhou Foxconn Facility serving migrant factory employees and their families. Since opening, the center has already hosted over 10,000 child visits and supported over 350 families. Following the REAP model, this parenting center combines a research-based curriculum for early childhood development with local needs. The new center has received positive media attention across several outlets in China, including Henan DailyGlobal Times, and Zhenggang News. The success of this parenting center introduces new opportunities for future parenting center collaborations that better serve manufacturing communities across China. 
 


Discover more REAP research projects on early childhood development (ECD).

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REAP helped establish a parenting center at the Zhengzhou Foxconn Facility serving migrant factory employees and their families. The center implements a research-based curriculum for early childhood development to better meet local needs. The new center has recently received positive media attention across several outlets in China.

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Gary Mukai
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The fifth year of the Stanford/SPICE East Asia Seminars for Teachers in Hawaiʻi (“Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i”) was launched in April 2025 and included four online seminars that featured Stanford-affiliated scholars—Professor Ethan Segal, Professor Andrew Walder, PhD candidate Zoë Gioja, and Ambassador Scot Marciel—and culminated in a three-day in-person summer institute that took place from July 12 to 14, 2025 at the Hawai‘i Imin International Conference Center at Jefferson Hall, East-West Center. This year’s cohort included 19 public and private high school teachers—Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Fellows—from across Hawai‘i. Below are the names of the 2025 Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Fellows, their schools, and the islands where their schools are located:

Adrienne PuluMaui High SchoolMaui
Amelia ThorneKonawaena High SchoolHawai‘i
Angelica GrimbleKailua High SchoolO‘ahu
Annie PaopaoKahuku High and Intermediate SchoolO‘ahu
Aura-Rae Pohai WongCentral District Office @ ‘Aiea ElementaryO‘ahu
Casey HultenKea‘au High SchoolHawai‘i
Eric AsuncionMaui High SchoolMaui
Jaylin Petersen‘Aiea High SchoolO‘ahu
Jonathan LoomisMcKinley High SchoolO‘ahu
Kristen HairstonLeilehua High SchoolO‘ahu
Lono BaldadoHilo High SchoolHawai‘i
Lyn Nicole Chua‘Aiea High SchoolO‘ahu
Mahina GooPearl City High SchoolO‘ahu
Micah Kawaguchi-AiletcherLahainaluna High SchoolMaui
Michelle Levine AquinoFarrington High SchoolO‘ahu
Misael BernardHawaiian Mission AcademyO‘ahu
Rhealiza Pira-MikiKonawaena High SchoolHawai‘i
Rukhsanna GuidrozSeabury HallMaui
Tammy JohnsonCalvary Chapel Christian SchoolO‘ahu

Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i Manager Rylan Sekiguchi invited scholars from Hawai‘i as well as curriculum writers and facilitators of teacher professional development to offer presentations over the course of the institute. They are listed below as well as the titles of their presentations. The presentation topics were selected to support Hawai‘i State Department of Education standards such as “U.S. History and Government Theme 1 (Immigration and Migration, 1880–1930), Anchor Standard 16 (Global Interconnections and Changing Spatial Patterns): Cause and Effects of Migration.”

  • Shana Brown, Associate Professor, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, “U.S.–China Relations: Problems and Potential”
  • Douglas D. L. Chong, President of the Hawaii Chinese History Center, “The Chinese Diaspora in Hawai‘i”
  • Jonas Edman, Instructional Designer, SPICE, “SPICE Curricula on Chinese American History”
  • Naomi Funahashi, Manager, Reischauer Scholars Program and Teacher Professional Development, SPICE, “Teaching Contemporary Korea with SPICE”
  • Merle Grybowski, Director of Teacher Training, Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, “East-West Center Walkabout”
  • Patricia Halagao, Professor, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, “Teaching Filipino Identity, History, and Resistance”
  • Ken K. Ito, Professor Emeritus, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, “Nakashima Naoto’s ‘Waiawa Station’ (1934) as Diasporic Fiction”
  • C. Harrison Kim, Associate Professor, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, “Korea in the 20th Century: Colonialism, North/South Division, Futures”
  • Jonathan Okamura, Professor Emeritus, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, “East Asians and Southeast Asians in Unequal Hawai‘i”
  • Rylan Sekiguchi, Manager of Curriculum and Instructional Design, SPICE, “Divided Memories: Comparing History Textbooks”
     
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Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i is made possible by a generous grant from the Freeman Foundation. President Graeme Freeman (photo above) spoke during the summer institute about the Freeman Foundation’s mission of helping to enhance the teaching of East Asia through programs such as the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia and Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi and expressed his gratitude to the Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Fellows for the tremendous impact their learning has on their students. Graeme was joined by Vice President Shereen Goto, Executive Assistant Sandra Lee, and Foundation Assistant Kellie Matsudaira of the Freeman Foundation. Additional support for the summer institute was kindly provided by Stanford Global Studies and the Stanford Center for East Asian Studies through the U.S. Department of Education National Resource Center funding under the auspices of Title VI, Section 602(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

As I observed the lectures, curriculum demonstrations, and listened to the Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Fellows’ comments, questions, and resource sharing, I reflected on ways that SPICE has continued to serve as a bridge between Stanford University scholars and teachers in Hawai‘i since 1988 when SPICE founding director Dr. David Grossman established the Consortium for Teaching Asia and the Pacific in the Schools (CTAPS) at the East-West Center. During the institute, I shared thoughts on three Stanford scholars. Stanford scholar Lee Shulman is someone whom I mentioned to teachers at the second CTAPS summer institute that was held in 1989. Shulman is known for developing the concept of pedagogical content knowledge or PCK, which emphasizes that teachers need not only subject matter expertise but also pedagogical content knowledge. While listening to the Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Fellows, their unique blend of subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge really shined. Second, during the institute, I could really feel the fellows’ embrace of the diversity of their students, the people in Hawai‘i, and beyond. I spoke about Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki, who has noted that empathy is an umbrella term that captures at least three ways that we connect with one another’s emotions. One is emotional empathy, which is vicariously sharing somebody else’s feelings. Cognitive empathy is one’s attempt to understand what someone else is feeling and why. And empathic concern or compassion is one’s motivation to improve others’ well-being. Third, Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu is a psychologist formerly with the University of Tokyo who now teaches at Stanford. His scholarship on heartfulness—elucidated in his book, From Mindfulness to Heartfulness: Transforming Self and Society with Compassion—notes that heartfulness is a way of living with mindfulness, compassion, and responsibility that enhances well-being and transformation. Sekiguchi noted that he certainly felt this heartfulness while interacting with the Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Fellows since April of this year.

In the month following the institute’s conclusion, each Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Fellow will create an original lesson plan that incorporates content that was introduced during Stanford SEAS Hawaiʻi. Sekiguchi awaits in anticipation of seeing how content from the seminar will reach hundreds of secondary school students throughout Hawai‘i.

Sekiguchi and Sabrina Ishimatsu, SPICE Event Coordinator, who organized the institute, and I are grateful to the East-West Center for allowing SPICE to host the Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i summer institute at its beautiful venue.

Most importantly, everyone at SPICE is immensely grateful to President Graeme Freeman, Vice President Shereen Goto, and the Freeman Foundation for its generosity in making Stanford SEAS Hawai‘i possible and providing us the opportunity to engage Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Fellows with scholars from Stanford University, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and beyond.

To stay informed of SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on FacebookX, and Instagram.

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Teachers in Hawaii Connect with Stanford Scholars

Twenty-four high school educators comprise the inaugural cohort of Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawaii Fellows.
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Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Fellows at the East-West Center
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The Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawai‘i Fellows gathered at the East-West Center, from July 12 to 14, 2025.

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Applications are now open for Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ), an online course conducted in English to foster Japanese students’ creative thinking and innovative problem-solving skills to address social issues. SeEJ is offered twice a year in the fall and spring through a collaboration between SPICE and the non-profit organization e-Entrepreneurship in Japan. It is open to Japanese-speaking students, in or from Japan, in their first and second years of high school. The fall 2025 course will be taught by Irene Bryant and will run from late October 2025 through February 2026.

The application form is now live at https://forms.gle/52f9U8okGxchtxE8A. The deadline to apply is September 5, 2025 at 23:59 Japan Time.

This program made innovative thinking and design thinking my norm.
Shinnosuke Nakagawa, fall 2024 participant

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan offers students an opportunity to engage with scholars and entrepreneurs from Stanford University and beyond through live virtual classes, which are held twice a month on Sundays. The course will culminate in an individual research paper and final group projects. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion from SPICE and NPO e-Entrepreneurship.

Past students have credited SeEJ with not only expanding their knowledge about entrepreneurship, but also shifting their attitudes and mindset in how to look at problems. “What I really loved about this program is that it required constant innovative thinking, relatively free presentation topics, and more independent action,” reflects Shinnosuke Nakagawa, who completed the fall 2024 course. “This program made innovative thinking and design thinking my norm. I think this program helped me to develop thinking habits that will be very useful in the future.”

Fellow alum Shia Han agrees. “Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan gave me insight on topics I would otherwise never be able to learn about. From the mechanisms on how to think entrepreneurially to how various companies strive for social change, I gained valuable information on how I can work towards solving issues in the world. Hearing about how the guest lecturers and my peers in this program were actively taking action towards topics they were interested in motivated me to not be held back because of my age or abilities but to work towards contributing to causes I was passionate about.”

For more information about Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, visit the program webpage. Interested high school students should apply online by September 5, 2025.

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

To stay updated on SPICE news, join our email list or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

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Solving Tough Problems with Teen Ideas

Millie Gan, a current student of Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, launches Teenage Business Contest Japan (TBCJ), a new social entrepreneurship platform for teens.
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Applications are now being accepted for the fall 2025 session. Interested high school students in Japan should apply by September 5, 2025.

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SPICE continues to broaden its impact across Japan, recently launching the new Stanford e-Yamaguchi program. This addition joins the growing network of SPICE’s regional high school programs in Japan, which already includes Stanford e-Hiroshima, Stanford e-Kagoshima City, Stanford e-Kawasaki, Stanford e-Kobe, Stanford e-Oita, Stanford e-Tottori, Stanford e-Wakayama, and Stanford e-Fukuoka*.

These online courses are the result of partnerships between SPICE and local governments and schools in Japan. Designed to challenge students to think critically, the programs focus on global issues related to U.S. society, culture, and U.S.–Japan relations.

With the conclusion of the 2024–2025 academic year, each program has selected two standout students for their overall performance, including exceptional final research projects. These 16 honorees will present their work during several recognition ceremonies to be held at Stanford University in August 2025. Distinguished guests will include members of the Stanford community, the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, and representatives from the Japanese community in the Bay Area.

The SPICE staff extends its warmest congratulations to the following student honorees for their remarkable academic performance.

Stanford e-Hiroshima (Instructor Rylan Sekiguchi)

Student Honoree: Haruka Morisako
School: Kamo High School

Student Honoree: Yura Sakamoto
School: Kure Mitsuta High School

Stanford e-Kagoshima City (Instructor Amy Cheng)

Student Honoree: Aoi Machida
School: Kagoshima Gyokuryu High School

Student Honoree: Yujiro Matsunaga
School: Kagoshima Gyokuryu High School

Stanford e-Kawasaki (Instructor Maiko Tamagawa Bacha)

Student Honoree: Yuka Nagasawa
School: Kawasaki High School

Student Honoree: Reimi Ito
School: Tachibana High School

Stanford e-Kobe (Instructor Alison Harsch)

Student Honoree: Karen Ito 
School: Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School

Student Honoree: Shoko Urakami
School: Kobe University Secondary School

Stanford e-Oita (Instructor Kasumi Yamashita)

Student Honoree: Yuri Kishida
School: Ajimu High School

Student Honoree: Yoka Okuda
School: Usa High School

Stanford e-Tottori (Instructor Jonas Edman)

Student Honoree: Maiko Koyama
School: Tottori Nishi High School

Student Honoree: Nobuki Tokukura
School: Seishokaichi High School

Stanford e-Wakayama (Instructor Makiko Hirata)

Student Honoree: Yuto Nishi
School: Kushimoto Koza High School

Student Honoree: Tomoka Kishigami
School: Kaichi High School

Stanford e-Yamaguchi (Instructor Mia Kimura)

Student Honoree: Asako Kaya
School: Iwakuni High School

Student Honoree: Miku Kuramura
School: Shimonoseki Nishi High School

SPICE applauds the curiosity, academic excellence, and global mindset of these students and looks forward to celebrating their achievements next month.

* Stanford e-Fukuoka ends later this summer so its honorees will be announced at a later date.

SPICE also offers online courses to U.S. high school students on Japan (Reischauer Scholars Program), China (China Scholars Program), and Korea (Sejong Korea Scholars Program), 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 FacebookX, and Instagram.

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Top Students in SPICE’s 2023–2024 Regional Programs in Japan Are Recognized

Congratulations to the 2023–2024 student honorees from Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kagoshima, Kawasaki, Kobe, Oita, Tottori, and Wakayama.
Top Students in SPICE’s 2023–2024 Regional Programs in Japan Are Recognized
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Congratulations to the 16 student honorees from Hiroshima Prefecture, Kagoshima City, Kawasaki City, Kobe City, Oita Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture, and Yamaguchi Prefecture.

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The following is a guest article written by Akiko Mizuno, who traveled to the San Francisco Bay Area with other graduate students from the University of Tokyo—under the leadership of Professor Hideto Fukudome—in January 2025. SPICE/Stanford collaborates closely with the Graduate School of Education at the University of Tokyo and met with the students during their visit to the Bay Area.     

As a student at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Education, I had an opportunity to travel to Stanford University to participate in a SPICE-supported intensive seminar at the end of January this year. What I learned during the week-long program far exceeded my expectations. I would like to share some of the highlights of my experience during my stay at Stanford University, but first I would very much like to express my appreciation to Dr. Hideto Fukudome of the University of Tokyo who led our group, and to Dr. Gary Mukai, Director of SPICE, who guided us throughout the special lecture series. My heartfelt thanks also go to all the lecturers who gave us such a heartwarming welcome and truly inspiring and eye-opening lectures.

There were many great things that impressed me through my participation in the SPICE-supported intensive seminar. One of the experiences that gave me a lasting impression was a morning walk through San Jose Japantown guided by Dr. Mukai. As we walked, he told us about his childhood growing up as a sansei (third-generation Japanese American) in the 1960s. As I kept listening to his stories, I was able to imagine the hardships he and his family must have gone through even though he told his stories without drama or hyperbole.

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At one street corner in Japantown, there was a long, horizontal granite monument. There, I saw big romaji characters carved in capital letters that read “GAMAN. KODOMO NO TAME NI,” which means, “Endure. For the sake of our children.” It suddenly dawned on me that years upon years of struggles that issei (first-generation Japanese immigrants) and nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans) endured so that their children could have a brighter future were expressed in just those 19 letters etched on the stone bench. To this day, I can still vividly recall those letters because they are now etched on my heart.

Another experience that left me with a strong impression was a lecture on design thinking by SPICE educational researcher Dr. Mariko Yang-Yoshihara. Before we left Japan, she had given us an assignment to watch a video about Dr. Ge Wang, professor in the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University, and write about our reactions. The video included Dr. Wang’s talk and a demonstration of how he produces novel musical sounds using a computer and a bow-shaped metal. At first, they were so unfamiliar to me that I felt somewhat uncomfortable. “Is this considered music?,” was my initial reaction. However, when he played Bach on the Ocarina iPhone app he had invented, I could even say that it was soothing. Towards the end of the video, Dr. Wang also introduced us to a piece of music performed by the Stanford Laptop Orchestra, which he had founded. As I listened to their unconventional orchestra sound, I became even more relaxed and fascinated by the beautiful harmony they produced. I then realized that the whole point of this assignment was to gain a perspective on how we should not be close-minded and embrace new experiences. In her research, Dr. Yang-Yoshihara has introduced a trilogical mindset—think out of the box, give it a try, and fail forward—highlighting these as common attitudes shared by individuals thriving in STEAM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) across diverse sectors today. By being introduced to Dr. Ge Wang’s endeavor and experiencing my own shift in how I appreciate music, I now see myself beginning to “think out of the box” and finding new experiences more enjoyable.

Dr. Mukai, a noted educator and compassionate person, was the very personification of his parents’ profound love and perseverance, and I learned from Dr. Yang-Yoshihara the importance of having an open mind to be innovative. Having had these valuable lessons, how could I stay the same as before? I am truly thankful that I can still grow even though I am no longer in my youth.

In March 2025, both Dr. Mukai and Dr. Yang-Yoshihara came to Japan and took some time to visit us at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Education. It was a big bonus for me to be able to see them again. I know I am fortunate to have had this extra opportunity to further exchange ideas and learn from them. I am looking forward to implementing the lessons learned through SPICE in my daily life. It was indeed a wonderful way to start a New Year.

To stay informed of SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on Facebook,  X, and Instagram.  

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Reflections on Dr. Mariko Yang-Yoshihara’s Lecture on STEAM Education

Ryoya Shinozaki, a doctoral researcher at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Education, reflects on his experience in the SPICE-linked intensive seminar in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Reflections on Dr. Mariko Yang-Yoshihara’s Lecture on STEAM Education
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Experiencing Global Education Firsthand: The Profound Value of In-Person Education Reassessed in an Era of Digitalization

Makoto Nagasawa, a doctoral researcher at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Education, reflects on his experience in the SPICE-linked intensive seminar in the San Francisco Bay Area, led by Professor Hideto Fukudome.
Experiencing Global Education Firsthand: The Profound Value of In-Person Education Reassessed in an Era of Digitalization
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Akiko Mizuno on Angel Island
Photo courtesy Akiko Mizuno
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Akiko Mizuno, a graduate student at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Education, reflects on her experience in the SPICE-supported intensive seminar in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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The following reflection is a guest post written by Millie Gan, a student in the Spring 2025 Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan Program. Millie recently launched Teenage Business Contest Japan, a platform for encouraging social entrepreneurship among teens.

I believe that ideas from young people can help solve some of the world’s toughest problems; the voices of students are more essential than ever.

My name is Millie Gan, and I am a high school senior in San Diego and a participant in the Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ) program. I am a British national, born and raised in Tokyo. I’m bilingual in English and Japanese, and studying Spanish. My mother is a third-generation Korean-Japanese, and my father is originally from Hong Kong. Though I have no ethnic roots in Japan, living there allowed me to appreciate and respect its people, traditions, and local diversity. 

When I moved to the U.S. three years ago, I was surprised by the number of questions asked by peers and teachers about Japan’s rural challenges, such as its aging population, shrinking towns, and what people were doing to help. I realized how giving younger people a voice can raise awareness of these urgent issues. That is why I created Teenage Business Contest Japan (TBCJ), a national contest that invites high school students across Japan to identify issues in rural areas and propose business solutions, all in English. The top 10 finalists will pitch their ideas live to judges from large corporations and academia. I had the drive to make TBCJ work, but SeEJ helped me execute that drive into action, giving me the mindset and community to take the project further than I could have alone.

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SeEJ gave me a deeper understanding of what it means to lead with purpose and empathy. For example, Dr. Rie Kijima’s session on design thinking taught me how to think from the perspective of those directly impacted. Dr. Damon Horowitz’s lessons on ethical entrepreneurship helped me reflect on why I started this journey. Ms. Megan Carroll’s insights into the nonprofit sector inspired me to treat TBCJ as a mission-driven platform, not just a contest. In one of our first VC sessions, I was partnered with another student for an exercise on creative problem-solving. My partner chose Japan’s aging society and spoke passionately about the need to amplify student voices. At that moment, I remember thinking, “That is exactly what TBCJ is about.” That moment reminded me that while our concerns are local, our hopes are widely shared.

These lessons transformed how I approached leadership as I began to see every obstacle as a lesson. As I worked to grow TBCJ, I started to think more like an entrepreneur: solving problems while learning from them, adjusting my strategies, and staying true to my original mission.

One of the first things I had to figure out was securing sponsorship. I reached out to dozens of companies focused on education and regional revitalization. After many emails and meetings, I was fortunate to secure seven sponsors and raise over ¥3 million. This funding allowed us to provide prizes for the contest and recognize the efforts of students working to help the community.

Reaching students was another major challenge. Japan has nearly 4,800 high schools, but only 150 have strong English or international programs. I directly contacted the 100 schools that had available email addresses. At first, there was silence, and I remember refreshing my inbox, getting more and more frustrated each day, hoping for a reply. But slowly, after a few weeks, a few schools and their students began responding and signing up. That small breakthrough reminded me how wide the access gap truly is. Only around 17% of Japanese citizens hold a valid passport, compared to around 50% in the U.S., which shows how few Japanese students get global exposure. It made me even more determined to connect local youth with global perspectives and to use English as a bridge to opportunity.

The most difficult challenge was gaining official recognition. I applied to multiple Japanese Government offices for endorsement, but most declined due to government policies and TBCJ’s short history. Thankfully, the Cabinet Office met with me and offered support through their regional revitalization team. Soon after, the University of Tokyo’s Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (IPC) offered its endorsement and created a new “UTokyo IPC Special Innovation Prize” for the contest.

Through this experience, and with the support of SeEJ, I have learned that we don’t have to wait to make a difference. Entrepreneurship isn’t necessarily about launching companies, but about identifying problems and solving them with purpose. I hope to continue expanding TBC Japan and encouraging more students to take initiative, because I truly believe that ideas from young people are what can solve these challenges. It’s our future, and it is up to us to protect and improve it.

If you’re passionate about solving real-world problems, I highly recommend the Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan Program.

Sign up now to participate in TBCJ.

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan will start accepting applications for fall 2025 in August.

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

To stay updated on SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on FacebookX, and Instagram.

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Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan student Naho Abe in Mexico City
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Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan: Fostering Innovative Ways to Address Social Issues

The following reflection is a guest post written by Naho Abe, an alumna of Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan.
Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan: Fostering Innovative Ways to Address Social Issues
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Millie Gan, a current student of Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, launches Teenage Business Contest Japan (TBCJ), a new social entrepreneurship platform for teens.

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Applications are now open for the Fall 2025 session of the Stanford University Scholars Program for Japanese High School Students (also known as “Stanford e-Japan”). The course will run from the end of September 2025 through March 2026, with an application deadline of August 17, 2025.

Stanford e-Japan
Fall 2025 session (September 2025 to March 2026)
Application period: July 1 to August 17, 2025

All applications must be submitted at https://spicestanford.smapply.io/prog/stanford_e-japan/ via the SurveyMonkey Apply platform. Applicants and recommenders will need to create a SurveyMonkey Apply account to proceed. Students who are interested in applying to the online course are encouraged to begin their applications early.

Accepted applicants will engage in an intensive study of U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations. Government officials, leading scholars, and experts from Stanford University and across the United States provide web-based lectures and engage students in live discussion sessions.

Stanford e-Japan is offered by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), Stanford University. Stanford e-Japan is generously supported by the Yanai Tadashi Foundation, Tokyo, Japan.

For more information about Stanford e-Japan, please visit stanfordejapan.org.


Stanford e-Japan is one of several online courses for high school students offered by SPICE, including the Reischauer Scholars Program, the China Scholars Program, the Sejong Korea Scholars ProgramStanford e-ChinaStanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, as well as numerous local student programs in Japan.

To stay informed of news about Stanford e-Japan and SPICE’s other student programsjoin our email list or follow us on FacebookInstagram, and X.

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The Yanai Tadashi Foundation and SPICE/Stanford University

Four Stanford freshmen Yanai Scholars reflect on their experiences.
The Yanai Tadashi Foundation and SPICE/Stanford University
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Announcing the Spring and Fall 2024 Stanford e-Japan Award Recipients

Congratulations to the students who have been named our top honorees and honorable mention recipients for 2024.
Announcing the Spring and Fall 2024 Stanford e-Japan Award Recipients
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Highest Performing Students of Stanford e-Japan and the Reischauer Scholars Program Are Recognized at Stanford University

The Honorable Yo Osumi, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco, makes opening comments.
Highest Performing Students of Stanford e-Japan and the Reischauer Scholars Program Are Recognized at Stanford University
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Main Quad
Photo Credit: Andrew Broadhead
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Interested students must apply by August 17, 2025.

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