Childhood weekends spent with my grandparents in New Jersey were like attending a school of all things Korean—not only of the language but of the culture and traditions. I learned to bow in my hanbok on New Year’s day, to shout “fighting” as a word of encouragement, and to eat ssam (Korean barbecue in lettuce wraps) in just one bite. Harabeoji (Grandpa) and Halmeoni (Grandma) had opened an early window into Korea for me, but their absence for the last five years left my deepening interest in and growing questions about my heritage and Korean history largely unexplored and unanswered. And although Harabeoji had left us The Bai Family book, memorializing his and our family’s stories, I have been unable to read beyond the first few chapters. I told myself that the English translation could not really capture his voice, but actually, I was too emotionally overwhelmed as I learned about his painful life under Japanese rule, as an impoverished refugee in what is now South Korea, and as a strange foreigner in America.

While searching for ways to learn more about Korea and the historical forces behind the traumatic events that shaped my grandparents’ lives and our family’s journey, I came across the Sejong Korea Scholars Program (SKSP), which seemed to magically check the boxes of what I had set out to learn.

For over four months, I was able to indulge in SKSP’s countless offerings—live online lectures from renowned professors and experts in the field, informative weekly readings of primary and secondary sources, lively discussions with an engaged peer group, our active virtual discussion board, and of course the supportive guidance of Dr. HyoJung Jang, the instructor of SKSP. We explored and appreciated Korea’s achievements, such as King Sejong’s invention of the Hangul writing system, which made literacy accessible to the general population, and the invention of a metal printing type more than a hundred years before Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press. We also delved deeply into understanding Korea’s historical identity as a “Hermit Kingdom” and the factors behind its long-held isolationist policies. We even read about the famous turtle ships used to successfully fend off Japanese encroachment. (I had always wondered about my grandpa’s small models of those ships.) And though painful, we also learned about the layered history of the Japanese occupation, including the period of cultural rule that my grandpa was subjected to in his youth.

The highlight of SKSP for me was the research paper. When Dr. Jang encouraged us to find a topic we were deeply interested in, I chose to explore the enduring power and resilience of Korean nationalism. Despite some initial struggles to define and frame my argument, with the readings and lecture on nationalism by Professor Gi-Wook Shin and Dr. Jang’s constructive feedback and supportive encouragement, I was able to think critically and write persuasively. Dr. Jang also pointed me to areas beyond the SKSP curriculum such as Korean sociology studies, which helped me to focus on the aspects of Korean nationalism related to ethnic solidarity and sense of civic duty.

SKSP provided a historical lens for me to be able to read Harabeoji’s words and understand the broader context of his personal stories. Now, as I continue to build upon my historical knowledge, Korean language skills, and even cooking, I will always carry with me the skills and knowledge I attained in SKSP—a truly immersive experience I believe any student will find rewarding.

SKSP is currently accepting applications for the 2026 course. Apply at https://spicestanford.smapply.io/prog/sejong_korea_scholars_program/. The application deadline is November 1, 2025.

SKSP is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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Three of SPICE’s online programs for U.S. high school students have begun accepting applications for the spring 2026 academic term. The Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) and the Sejong Korea Scholars Program (SKSP) welcome applications from high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the United States. U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions brings together 10th–12th graders from the United States and China in the same program to collaborate on solutions to the global climate crisis.

The RSP engages students in an intensive study of Japan and the U.S.–Japan relationship, facilitating discussions with scholars, diplomats, and other guest speakers with personal and professional expertise in Japanese culture, society, and U.S.–Japan relations. The 2026 RSP course dates are February 1 to June 14. The application deadline is October 17, 2025.

The SKSP provides students an enriching and academically rigorous overview of Korean history and U.S.–Korea relations through online lectures with top scholars and experts and engaging student discussions. The 2026 SKSP course will run February through early June. The application deadline is November 1, 2025.

The U.S.–China Co-Lab program focuses specifically on climate-related issues and U.S.–China cooperation, past and potential, and strategies for global cooperation. High school students from the U.S. and China will get to know each other’s lives and environments and actively work together on projects to develop their expertise on local, bilateral, and global climate action. This is a joint program of SPICE’s Stanford e-China (for students in China) and China Scholars Program (for U.S. students). The spring 2026 Co-Lab course dates are February 27 to May 22. The application deadline for U.S. students is November 1, 2025.

Students who are interested in applying to more than one program may do so and rank their preferences on their applications. Those who are accepted into multiple programs for spring 2026 will be invited to enroll in their highest-preference course.

Applications for all three programs can be found at https://spicestanford.smapply.io/. Deadlines vary:

• Reischauer Scholars Program: October 17
• Sejong Korea Scholars Program: November 1
• U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions: November 1

For more information on a specific online course, please refer to its individual webpage.

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To learn more about SPICE’s student programs, visit our Student Programs page.

Over ten years ago in 2015, SPICE launched Stanford e-Japan, a national online course that enrolls high school students from Japan to engage in an intensive study of U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations. In 2016, SPICE launched Stanford e-Tottori, SPICE’s first regional program in Japan that enrolls high school students from across Tottori Prefecture. SPICE now enrolls approximately 230 to 240 students from nine regional programs in Japan. Six programs are prefectural programs (Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Oita, Tottori, Wakayama, Yamaguchi), and three are municipal programs (Kagoshima, Kawasaki, and Kobe).

In August 2025, SPICE held four award ceremonies for honorees of the 2024–2025 regional programs in Japan. Two honorees from each program were recognized. Stanford e-Fukuoka is currently in session, and the honorees will be recognized in August 2026.

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The first ceremony was held at Stanford University on August 8, 2025 for the top students in Stanford e-Kawasaki and Stanford e-Kobe. Inspirational opening comments were delivered by Consul Asami Chikae from the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco. Chikae’s comments were followed by remarks by Stanford e-Kawasaki instructor Maiko Tamagawa Bacha and Stanford e-Kobe instructor Alison Harsch and the honorees’ presentations. The honorees are:

Stanford e-Kawasaki

Reimi Ito; Tachibana High School

Yuka Nagasawa; Kawasaki High School

Stanford e-Kobe

Karen Ito; Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School

Shoko Urakami; Kobe University Secondary School

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In the second ceremony, top students from Stanford e-Oita and Stanford e-Tottori were honored on August 20, 2025 at Stanford University. Encouraging opening comments were delivered by Consul Mayu Hagiwara, Director of the Japan Information and Culture Center at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco. Hagiwara’s comments were followed by remarks by Stanford e-Oita instructor Kasumi Yamashita and Stanford e-Tottori instructor Jonas Edman and the honorees’ presentations. The honorees are:

Stanford e-Oita

Yuri Kishida; Ajimu High School

Yoka Okuda; Usa High School
 
Stanford e-Tottori

Maiko Koyama; Tottori Nishi High School

Nobuki Tokukura; Seishokaichi High School

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During the third ceremony, top students from Stanford e-Hiroshima, Stanford e-Kagoshima City, and Stanford e-Yamaguchi were honored on August 22, 2025 at Stanford University. The ceremony began with inspiring comments by Deputy Consul General Takeshi Ishihara from the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco. Ishihara’s opening comments were followed by remarks by Stanford e-Hiroshima instructor Rylan Sekiguchi, Stanford e-Kagoshima City instructor Amy Cheng, and Stanford e-Yamaguchi instructor Mia Kimura and the honorees’ presentations. The honorees are:

Stanford e-Hiroshima

Haruka Morisako; Kamo High School

Yura Sakamoto; Kure Mitsuta High School

Stanford e-Kagoshima City

Aoi Machida; Kagoshima Gyokuryu High School

Yujiro Matsunaga; Kagoshima Gyokuryu High School

Stanford e-Yamaguchi

Asako Kaya; Iwakuni High School

Miku Kuramura; Shimonoseki Nishi High School

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During the fourth ceremony, top students from Stanford e-Wakayama were honored online on August 26, 2025. Yuriko Sugahara, Advisor for Cultural and Educational Affairs at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco provided motivating comments. Sugahara’s comments were followed by remarks by Stanford e-Wakayama instructor Dr. Makiko Hirata and the honorees’ presentations. The honorees are:

Stanford e-Wakayama 

Tomoka Kishigami; Kaichi High School

Yuto Nishi; Kushimoto Koza High School

Following each of the three in-person ceremonies, the students enjoyed a luncheon, a campus tour, and a dinner. Many students commented that one of the highlights of their visit to Stanford was having the chance to meet high school students from other regions of Japan. Many guests commented on how impressed they were with the student presentations and the poise that the students exhibited, especially during the question-and-answer periods.

Importantly, SPICE is grateful to the municipal and prefectural representatives who accompanied the students to Stanford or joined the online ceremony for Wakayama. They are Shoko Hirata (Hiroshima); Yuko Yamaguchi and Shingo Ishihara (Kagoshima City); Chika Ueda (Kobe City); Noriko Fujitsuka and Toshiyuki Yamamoto (Oita Prefecture); Natsu Odahara (Tottori Prefecture); Masanori Toda (Wakayama Prefecture); and Akinobu Tomonari (Yamaguchi Prefecture).

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.), to Chinese high school students on the United States (Stanford e-China), and to Japanese high school students on entrepreneurship (Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan).

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Stanford e-Japan enrolls exceptional high school students from Japan to engage in an intensive study of U.S. society and culture. The Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) enrolls exceptional high school students from the United States to engage in an intensive study of Japanese society and culture. Both courses underscore the importance of U.S.–Japan relations. The Yanai Tadashi Foundation is the current supporter of Stanford e-Japan, and the Japan Fund at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) is the current supporter of the RSP.

On August 11, 2025, the 2025 Japan Day award ceremony was held at Stanford University to honor SPICE’s Spring and Fall 2024 Stanford e-Japan student honorees and the 2025 RSP student honorees. The honorees performed at the highest levels of their courses as determined by Stanford e-Japan instructors Waka Takahashi Brown (spring course) and Meiko Kotani (fall course), RSP instructor Naomi Funahashi, and the research paper review committees. The honorees are:

Spring 2024 Stanford e-Japan 
Aoi Furutani, Saitama Municipal Urawa High School, “Comparative Analysis of Surrogacy Policies in the United States and Japan: Proposals for Introducing Surrogacy in Japan”

Komari Machida, Crimson Global Academy, “Futoukou vs. Homeschooling: Exploring Societal Reintegration of Children Outside of Traditional School Systems in Japan and the United States”

Sota Tajima, Seiko Gakuin High School, “Synergy in the Stars: How the U.S. and Japan Can Lead the Next Era of Space”

Honorable Mentions:
Ryu Sato, Soka Senior High School, “Japanese and American Philanthropic Culture in Regard to College Financial Aid”

Sakura Suzuki, Hokkaido Asahikawa Higashi High School, “Designing School Buildings to Encourage Student Creativity: Comparing Historical Changes in School Buildings in Japan and the United States”

Fall 2024 Stanford e-Japan
Ellen Nema, Junior and Senior High School Affiliated to Showa Pharmaceutical University, “Breaking the Chain of Poverty in Okinawa: Educational Approaches and Foundations”

Hirotaka Onishi, Kaisei Gakuen High School, “A Time for Reconsideration: Toward a New International Monetary Order”

Mia Yakushiji, Murasakino Municipal High School, “Dual Citizenship in Japan”

Honorable Mentions:
Lynne Mizushima, Keio Shonan Fujisawa Junior & Senior High School, “The Lack of Female Political Leaders in Japan: A Cultural Glass Ceiling”

Kan Sugimi, Isahaya High School, “Should Bilingual Parents in the U.S. Raise Bilingual Children?”

2025 Reischauer Scholars Program
Bennett Feng, Horace Mann School, “From Economic Rebirth to Structural Stagnation”

Jessica Hu, The Harker School, “Dried-Up Rivers: State-Sponsored Linguistic Oppression and Its Erasure of Ainu Identity”

Ty Tan, Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas, “Recalibrating Japan’s FOIP”

Honorable Mentions:

Jackson Hayward, The Nueva School, “Shikata ga nai: Voter Apathy and Cultural Depoliticization in Modern Japan”

Radoslav Kyselak, Highland Hall Waldorf School, “Norms Through Networks: Japan’s Digital Diplomacy as a Counter to China’s Digital Silk Road in the Global South”

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The program began with welcoming comments from the Honorable Yo Osumi, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco. He commented that the Reischauer Scholars Program and Stanford e-Japan are very important for our two nations—given that both engage future leaders in both countries—and extended high praise to the honorees. Consul General Osumi’s tenure ended at the end of August and on behalf of my colleagues at SPICE, I presented him with a plaque from SPICE to acknowledge his unwavering support of SPICE’s Japan programs.

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Following the welcoming and opening comments, Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi gave overviews of their courses and introduced the student honorees. The student honorees made engaging presentations based on their research papers and fielded very thought-provoking questions from the audience. Each honoree received a plaque from their instructor. The photo on the top is of the Stanford e-Japan honorees, and the photo on the bottom is of the RSP honorees; photo credit: Irene Bryant.

The RSP will enter its 23rd year in 2026, and Stanford e-Japan is about to enter its 11th year. Many of the alumni are studying U.S.–Japan relations, engaged in various fields related to U.S.–Japan relations, and continue to give back to both programs by being guest speakers and mentors to the new students.

Following the formal event, the student honorees—most having just met each other in person for the first time—had the chance to enjoy a Stanford campus tour together. It is the hope of Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi that the Japanese and American student honorees will continue to strengthen their budding friendships and ensure that the U.S.–Japan relationship remains strong.

SPICE is grateful to President Tadashi Yanai for his generous support of Stanford e-Japan and to the staff of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation for their regular correspondence and encouragement. SPICE is thankful to the Japan Fund committee at FSI for its generous support of the Reischauer Scholars Program. These courses and the ceremony would not be possible without them. SPICE is also grateful to SPICE Event Coordinator Sabrina Ishimatsu for meticulously planning and implementing the event.

SPICE is currently accepting applications for the 2026 Reischauer Scholars Program. The deadline to apply is October 17, 2025.

The application for the 2026 session of Stanford e-Japan will open on November 15, 2025.

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

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

I have two names. At school, my friends would call me over saying, “Hey Claire!” At home, I was “윤아야” or “Yuna,” my Korean name. I used to joke as a child that there were two separate versions of myself and I would “switch” between the two, going from Claire to Yuna and back again. As I grew older, I started hearing terms such as “Korean American,” “Asian American,” and gyopo (someone with Korean heritage but born outside of Korea). All of these labels sent my mind spiraling. I had always been either Claire or Yuna, so I had no idea how the two could coexist together.

Amidst this confusion, I applied for the Sejong Korea Scholars Program to explore my heritage and the country I’ve had such a complex relationship with. Each unit, my classmates and I analyzed textbook excerpts to news articles, sharing our thoughts through written assignments and discussion boards. We concluded with an end-of-unit virtual classroom, featuring expert historians and professors who generously shared their knowledge.

Spanning from the Joseon dynasty to post-colonial Korea to the Hallyu wave, this course took me on a journey throughout all chapters of Korean history. From the colonial independence movement to the post-war democratization protests, I continued to be in awe of the sheer grit and courage of the Korean people. As we delved deeper into modern Korean society by examining topics of education and nationalism, I was also able to contextualize my upbringing and the complexities of my Korean American identity.

Furthermore, the curriculum allowed us the freedom to lead our own learning. For my final paper, I analyzed the impacts of online feminist societies and gender violence on the prevalence of gender animosity in modern-day Korea. Taking this unique opportunity to explore my personal interests further fueled my passion for modern Korean history, social movements, as well as the ways the oppressed fight for a voice.

I would like to deeply thank Dr. HyoJung Jang for being an invaluable mentor throughout this course with her incredible expertise and dedication to learning for learning’s sake. I would also like to credit my talented classmates who inspired me with their insights and always pushed me to view the world from different perspectives.

This course challenged me in countless ways: as a learner, a Korean American, and a person. SKSP is a unique opportunity to learn with rigorous coursework and top-tier resources while exploring one’s own academic interests. I genuinely encourage students to apply, no matter their background, as anyone with a passion for knowledge will be wholeheartedly welcomed and rewarded.

SKSP has been pivotal in discovering my passion for East Asian and Korean studies, one that I wish to pursue both personally and in higher education. In terms of my personal journey, I am still navigating the complexities of my identity and will continue to do so throughout my life. But my SKSP experience has truly opened my eyes to all facets of my identity and their complex intersections. I know now that Claire and Yuna were never two separate people nor two separate parts of me. Rather, they are the ones who make each other whole. 

SKSP is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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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
 

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.

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.