The following is a guest article written by Akari Kikuchi, an undergraduate student studying at the School of Social Sciences at Waseda University in Japan. Akari enrolled in the 2025 SPICE/Stanford–Waseda Intensive Course: Exploring Peace in East Asia and Beyond Through the Lenses of Cultural Understanding, Education, and International Relations, which was organized by SPICE and Waseda’s Faculty of Social Sciences and taught by Meiko Kotani. The course brought together students from the Graduate School of Social Sciences, the School of Social Sciences, the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, the School of International Liberal Studies, and the School of Political Science and Economics. With participants from Japan and international students representing 10 different countries, the course created a truly dynamic and diverse learning environment.

Looking back on our five-day program, I feel a deep sense of gratitude—for the opportunity to take part in the program, and for the people I met along the way. I’m proud to have shared this experience with such thoughtful, motivated students and teachers.

Although the program took place during our spring break, the energy and engagement from the students involved were truly inspiring. I was impressed by their insightful questions and responses.

Our group presentation—which took place on the final day of the course, after a week full of thought-provoking lectures and discussions—was especially memorable for me. It reminded me how exciting it can be to overcome differences in language and perspective. My part of the presentation focused on how media shapes public perceptions—and sometimes even hostilities—toward other nations. That topic reflected something I found really interesting from one of the lectures earlier in the week: how essential media literacy is when it comes to understanding the world around us. We looked at how the same event can be framed differently depending on the source, and how these narratives create public emotions and opinions.

What I found most important—what I’d like to emphasize—is that this program didn’t just talk about “peace” as an abstract goal. Instead, it helped me understand how peace has been threatened. Through this practical approach, we could explore the often-elusive concept of “peace” in a real-world context.

The world today feels overwhelmingly unstable. The more you think about peace, the more cruelty you see around you. It can feel disheartening, but I found a sense of renewed hope through this project. We discussed weighty, complex issues with people from different countries and cultures. Although that seemed challenging to me at first, in the end I realized that it was based in the simple experience of learning to respect the person in front of me. I think the memory of discussing peace with people from diverse backgrounds during this project will serve as “a guide” toward peace.

The fear of opening up or facing language barriers might hold people back, but I believe the program is worth trying, and I hope many more people will take this great opportunity in the future!

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

The importance of taking action and becoming leaders was echoed by H.R. McMaster, who delivered this year’s faculty keynote remarks.

McMaster — a retired lieutenant general in the United States Army who served as a commissioned officer for thirty-four years, including as the 26th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs — shared an anecdote with the graduates from his experience working and leading in the military:

“As a junior officer, you say to yourself, ‘Someone up there must have a plan.’ Then you are a mid-career officer, maybe a captain or a major, and you look around and the situation is disordered and units and leaders are unsure about what to do, and it dawns on you that nobody up there has a plan. Then maybe you continue to serve in the military long enough to reach senior command or the general officer ranks and you assess that your organization is unclear about its mission. Its goals and objectives are ambiguous, and people lack an understanding of the situation and how leaders expect them to work together to help achieve favorable outcomes. It is at that moment, when it should dawn on you that it is your job to make the plan.”

Continuing, McMaster turned the story back to the new alumni:

“As young leaders who hold the Ford Dorsey Master’s in International Policy degree, you are well prepared not only to make the plan, but also to implement the plan.”

Less than a week since receiving their degrees, many of the Class of 2025 graduates are already acting on McMaster’s call to step up and lead. Several members of the graduating class are either beginning or returning to careers as diplomats, embassy advisors, and public servants in Korea, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Japan. Two will be returning to military service as officers in the United States Army, while others plan to continue their academic studies in a variety of programs at Stanford and Harvard. Still others will be entering the private sector, where they will put their learning and leadership skills to use as intelligence analysts for Lockheed Martin, data scientists at the World Bank, policy associates for Linea Energy, and affiliates with Anduril Industries. Many will also continue to build or expand on AI-focused start-ups that were begun during their studies at Stanford.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

As the cohort spreads out across the globe, McMaster urged them to remember their time at Stanford and what they learned from each other in and out of the classroom:

“Do not underestimate how influential you can be and the difference you can make in our world. You will face challenges and disappointments, but your support for one another will help you keep your positive outlook on humanity and sustain your confidence.”

Sponsored by Stanford Global Studies (SGS) through the support of U.S. Department of Education Title VI funding, the Education Partnership for Internationalizing Curriculum (EPIC) Community College Faculty Fellowship convenes a cohort of community college faculty and academic staff from various disciplines to work collaboratively with Stanford staff for one academic year (August–May). Each EPIC Fellow designs a project that aims to internationalize curricula and develop global competencies among community college students. Jonas Edman worked with seven EPIC Fellows from the 2024–25 cohort throughout the academic year, providing guidance, support, and resources to advance their projects’ development. Their names, titles, institutions, and projects are as follows:

• Joel Blank, Professor of Political Science, San Joaquin Delta College: “Beyond the Nation-State: Enhancing Local Governance Through Sister Cities Partnerships”
• Deborah Brown, Professor of History and Ethnic Studies, Riverside City College: “Sankofa: Centering Africa in African American Studies”
• Lisa Gilbert, Professor of Geology, Oceanography and Environmental Science, Cabrillo College: “Global Competency in Introductory Environmental Science”
• Jessica Moronez, Professor of Sociology and Social Justice Studies, Chaffey College: “Global Perspectives and Gender Justice: Enhancing Prison Education at CIW Prison”
• Francisco Nájera, Instructor of Ethnic Studies, Orange Coast College: “Centroamericanos en Diáspora: Transnational Worldviews in Central American Studies”
• Jacob Vazquez, Agriculture Business Instructor, Butte College: “Developing Global Competencies in an Agricultural Economics Course”
• Cirian Villavicencio: Professor of Political Science, San Joaquin Delta College: “Beyond the Nation-State: Enhancing Local Governance Through Sister Cities Partnerships”

EPIC Fellows participated in a series of professional learning activities over the course of the academic year, including a three-day intensive workshop on the Stanford campus, monthly virtual meetings featuring cutting-edge research from Stanford scholars and collaborative project workshopping, and personalized mentoring sessions with Edman. The Fellowship culminated with the tenth annual EPIC Symposium, “Integrating Global Topics into Community College Curricula,” which was held on May 17, 2025 and featured opening comments by Dr. Kate Kuhns, Executive Director of Stanford Global Studies; a keynote address by Professor Jisha Menon, Sakurako and William Fisher Family Director of the Stanford Global Studies Division; two panels of 2024–25 EPIC Fellows; and a panel of EPIC Community College Leadership Program Fellows. SGS Academic and Outreach Manager Dr. Kristyn Hara (in green in photo below; photo courtesy Rod Searcey) was the primary organizer and facilitator of the EPIC Fellowship, including the EPIC Symposium.

Image

Each 2024–25 EPIC Fellow gave an overview of their project to an audience of Stanford faculty and staff, EPIC alumni, and other community college professionals from across California and beyond. Full descriptions of the 2024–25 EPIC Fellows’ projects can be found here.

The EPIC Fellows received certificates from SGS upon their successful completion of the program. With the formal close of the Fellowship, they were also invited to join the Global Educators Network (GEN), which, in partnership with SGS, seeks to inform, inspire, and empower community college educators—and their students—to more deeply engage with global themes and learning resources, as well as international dialogue, research, and pedagogical strategies.

Following the EPIC Symposium, the seven EPIC Fellows with whom Edman worked shared reflections on their experience of the program.

As a community college professor, being selected as a Stanford University EPIC Fellow was an extraordinary honor and experience. The world-class support provided by the Global Studies staff, faculty, and affiliated experts was invaluable in developing and implementing our international curriculum. The yearlong series of monthly symposiums covering a wide range of global topics introduced valuable ideas and resources into our project and fostered a strong sense of community among the fellows providing support and encouragement throughout the process. This program is not only worth continuing—it deserves to be expanded, especially as we work to cultivate a truly global student citizenry.—Joel Blank

I have had the honor of working on a project that centers Africa and focuses on the wisdom of African ancestors and elders. Baba Gary Mukai and Jonas Edman guided us on a journey where they shared their own stories that are deeply connected to Global Studies and built bridges for us fellows to develop our projects and collaborate with other colleagues. These personal stories are at the heart of the work we do in Global Studies. As an EPIC fellow, I am concluding my fellowship year with renewed focus on Global Studies and the importance of honoring indigenous lives, experiences, and histories while critically looking at my own power, privilege, and positionality. Asante sana, EPIC Program coordinators!—Deborah Brown

I’m deeply grateful to Gary Mukai, Jonas Edman, Kristyn Hara, Stanford faculty speakers, and the 24–25 cohort of brilliant EPIC fellows for your support and inspiration. You helped fill my year with creative thinking, meaningful conversations, and encouragement to seek out new collaborations. Together with interdisciplinary artist Carmina Eliason, I reimagined our Introductory Environmental Science course through a variety of lenses. As we developed case studies from Kenya to Brazil, I found unexpected inspiration in Dune’s Arrakis—exploring scarcity, adaptation, and ethics—which helped me return with new ideas for teaching resilience locally. I couldn’t have predicted this journey, and I’m so very thankful.—Lisa Gilbert

I had a fantastic experience as a Stanford EPIC fellow during the 2024–2025 academic year. My SPICE team (Gary and Jonas) and my brilliant colleagues inspired me to enhance my curriculum by helping me forge connections between the local and the global. This is particularly important for my incarcerated students at CIW prison, who have limited access to resources. I cannot wait to share the knowledge I gained from Stanford Global Studies with my students!—Jessica Moronez

It was incredibly rewarding to have the time, space, and resources to be able to reflect on globalizing curriculum with the EPIC program. Seeing everyone’s passion in bringing their vision to reality was a great inspiration. This is what curriculum development should look like. At a time when petty nationalism is on the rise, this work is vital, timely, and necessary. We need our students and our communities to care about the lived experiences of folks all around the world. —Francisco Nájera

I had a great experience with Stanford University’s EPIC Fellowship. I really appreciate how the fellowship allows community college faculty to connect Stanford’s world-renowned resources and insights to our students. I feel very grateful for the investment the fellowship made in me and am excited to see how it helps transform our students.—Jacob Vazquez

The Stanford EPIC Fellowship was an amazing opportunity to learn from like-minded individuals deeply committed to opening students’ learning to the world. During our year-long fellowship, we shared ideas, heard from Stanford professors about their globally centered research, and utilized the university’s first-class resources to expand and innovate our curriculum. We also received caring professional support from Stanford’s Global Studies staff as we developed our projects. Overall, the fellowship was a transformative and enriching intellectual experience that I recommend for community college faculty interested in global studies and internationalizing their curriculum.—Cirian Villavicencio

Image

Reflecting on the 2024–25 EPIC program, Edman (photo above courtesy Rod Searcey) noted, “One of the highlights of my years at SPICE has been the annual EPIC Symposium. It was such an honor to moderate the panel, and it was so rewarding to listen to the 2024–2025 EPIC Fellows’ engaging presentations. The Fellows represented such a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds, and this certainly contributed to engaging discussions throughout the year. Once again, I am most grateful to Kristyn Hara for expertly facilitating the EPIC Fellowship over the past year and for meticulously planning and implementing the 2025 EPIC Symposium.”

The EPIC Community College Faculty Fellowship is one of several ongoing community college outreach initiatives in global education between SPICE and Stanford’s four National Resources—the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS), the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (CREEES), and SGS.

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

The Firestone Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Research recognizes Stanford's top ten percent of honors theses in social science, science, and engineering among the graduating senior class. Charles's thesis is entitled The Limits of Payout Politics: How Biden-Harris Federal Spending Shaped (and Didn't Shape) the 2024 Presidential Vote. His thesis examines whether the Biden-Harris administration’s signature spending programs — the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS Act — yielded electoral rewards in the 2024 presidential election. Using an original dataset of over 40,000 geocoded federal projects representing $227 billion in county-level investments, Charles finds no statistically significant association between per-capita spending and shifts in Democratic vote margins, even when accounting for partisan context and project visibility. Through interviews with federal and local officials, he identifies three explanatory mechanisms: implementation lags prevented most projects from reaching completion before Election Day, administrative and policy bottlenecks systematically delayed development, and Republican messaging successfully reframed spending as inflationary. These findings suggest that retrospective voting operates primarily through immediate, visible benefits rather than campaign promises or announced investments, with significant implications for how policy initiatives must be designed to deliver outcomes within electoral cycles.

Adrian's thesis is entitled The Gavel and the Gun: Post-War Trials and State-Building Politics in Yugoslavia (1945-1949). His thesis explores how the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ) authorities used the post-World War II justice process to consolidate power from 1945 to 1949. Drawing on trial transcripts, newspapers, and other archival materials, the study argues that the Yugoslav state instrumentalized judicial structures in three distinct stages: first, using honor courts to assert basic state capacity; second, conducting public-facing war crimes trials to promote the state’s ideological legitimacy; and third, orchestrating espionage trials to suppress dissent and entrench single-party rule. While affirming that the KPJ often subordinated judicial integrity to its state-building project, the thesis complicates conventional narratives by attending to the moral ambiguities, partial truths, and undeniable moments of justice present in even the most politicized of trials. In doing so, it offers broader insights into the fraught intersection of law, memory, and power in postwar societies.

Adelaide's thesis is entitled Philoxenia: Local Responses to Immigration in Calabria, Italy. Over recent decades, many nations across Europe and the Americas have responded to mass migration movements across the globe with hostile policies, xenophobic sentiment, and poorly managed immigration systems. At the same time, several municipalities in Calabria, Italy that struggle with severe depopulation and economic hardship have experienced positive transformations upon opening refugee reception centers, including reversals to declining population trends, job creation and the continuation of important public goods, such as elementary schools — but not all towns that have a demand for immigration respond in the same way. Many Calabrian municipalities have not opened refugee resettlement centers, and others have become a breeding ground for labor exploitation among migrant workers. This thesis employs a mixed-methods approach to consider how structure, agency, and culture account for the variation in local responses to migrants and refugees throughout the relatively homogenous region of Calabria. A systematic analysis of quantitative municipal-level data paired with four granular case studies suggests that a municipality’s structural characteristics alone do not explain the variance in local responses to immigration. Rather, the presence of an entrepreneurial local actor, such as a mayor or non-profit leader with strong humanitarian commitments, is necessary to recognize and actualize the aligned interests between locals and newcomers and bring about cultures of hospitality. While much of the literature on local responses to immigration has focused on urban settings, this thesis aims to widen academic discussions to include more rural contexts and contributes to the underdeveloped literature on hospitality, rather than hostility, toward newcomers.

The Class of 2025

Charles, Adrian, and Adelaide are part of a cohort of 13 graduating CDDRL honors students who have spent the past year working in consultation with CDDRL-affiliated faculty members and attending honors research workshops to develop their thesis projects. The theses this year covered topics as wide ranging as authoritarian repression, conflict and state-building, regulation and governance, and democratic accountability. Students embarked on original research across multiple countries, conducting interviews, fielding surveys, plumbing archives, and building datasets.

“We are so proud of this year’s cohort of seniors in the Fisher Family Honors Program,” shared Didi Kuo, Center Fellow at FSI and co-director of CDDRL’s Fisher Family Honors Program. “Our multidisciplinary students brought a range of methods and analytical approaches to inform their understanding of democracy and development. They asked a range of trenchant research questions and brought a collaborative spirit to the research enterprise that improved everyone’s projects.”

In addition to the Firestone Medal and CDDRL Outstanding Thesis Awards, members of the Class of 2025 have received several other honors heading into graduation:

• Kate Tully is among four Stanford students named as 2025 Rhodes Scholars. The prestigious award provides support for talented scholars to pursue postgraduate degrees at Oxford University in England.
• Alex Borthwick, Adrian Feinberg, Malaina Kapoor, and Avinash Thakkar, along with junior Emma Wang, are among the newest members elected to the Phi Beta Kappa academic honors society.
• Adrian Feinberg was also named a Gaither Fellow. The national program offers recent graduates the opportunity to work as research assistants on projects related to democracy, global security, and foreign policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C.
• Alex Borthwick, Adrian Feinberg, Elizabeth Jerstad, and Gabriela Holzer have all received the Award of Excellence. Designed to recognize the top 10% of the class, this award honors graduating seniors who have demonstrated a sincere commitment to the university through involvement, leadership, and extraordinary Stanford spirit.

CDDRL's Fisher Family Honors Program trains students from any academic department at Stanford to prepare them to write a policy-relevant research thesis with global impact on a subject touching on democracy, development, and the rule of law. Honors students participate in research methods workshops, attend honors college in Washington, D.C., connect to the CDDRL research community, and write their thesis in close consultation with a faculty advisor to graduate with a certificate of honors in democracy, development, and the rule of law.
 

Explore the rest of the thesis topics of the Fisher Family Honors Program Class of 2025 below:

The SPICE/Stanford e-Course on Global Health is a distance-learning course sponsored by Takatsuki Senior High School and the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) at Stanford University. Students are encouraged to think critically about global health through a variety of lenses and contexts. Course instructor Sabrina Ishimatsu recently wrote these reflections about the program’s 10th anniversary.

For the last ten years, it has been my privilege to work with Principal Tsuyoshi Kudo, the staff, and the students of Takatsuki Senior High School. Without the vision and leadership of Principal Kudo, this course would not be what it is today.

Many years ago, as a young college graduate, I worked as an English teacher in Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. It was one of the seminal experiences of my life. Being immersed in a new country and culture opened my mind to new ideas and possibilities I had not before considered.

All these years later, working with the Takatsuki Senior High School students has been very natsukashii (fondly nostalgic). Seeing them in their classroom and wearing their school uniforms feels so familiar and brings back great memories of my time in Japan. However, what makes this course so personally fulfilling is reconnecting to such curious and hopeful young minds. Their earnest enthusiasm and optimism imbue me with a similar youthful spirit. 

Image

As a middle-aged adult, it is easy to forget that the most urgent questions young people ask themselves are ones of self-identity. “Who am I? What do I stand for? Where will my future take me?” While this course doesn’t claim to answer these questions, I hope it will open students’ minds to new possibilities. Week after week, we learn from acclaimed global health professionals—including many from Stanford’s School of Medicine—who work in the real world. I recall one guest lecturer, an emergency room doctor who established the first comprehensive emergency response system in India and then created a similar system in Nepal where none had previously existed. There was also the doctor who trained community members in rural Guatemala to make house calls and monitor malnutrition in babies, drastically reducing the area’s child mortality rate. These brilliant and resourceful people, rather than focusing on material wealth, have dedicated their lives to help vulnerable people around the world. Their stories light the path for how a health professional can be a noble global citizen and change the world for the better. What a powerful example for the students of Takatsuki Senior High School who have not only gained knowledge from these experts but have also had their eyes opened to the many possibilities for them to be change-making global citizens.

There is a 16-hour time difference between Japan and California, so I usually begin teaching each class at 9:00pm on a Friday, and it ends late into the night. When a class is particularly inspiring, I find myself buzzing with excitement and I can’t go to sleep. I have to find my husband or one of my 16-year-old twin daughters to tell them all about it. When they look at me, their expression suggests, “Why are you so hyper right now?” My response usually starts, “You won’t believe the amazing person I met tonight…” and “I can’t believe the insightful questions my students asked in their second language!”

The SPICE/Stanford e-Course on Global Health is one of SPICE’s local student programs in Japan. 

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

Stanford e-Minamata is a distance-learning course sponsored by Minamata City and the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) at Stanford University. Students are encouraged to think critically about environmental issues, emerging technologies, and U.S.–Japan relations. Stanford e-Minamata instructor, Natalie Montecino, recently wrote these reflections about the inaugural year of Stanford e-Minamata.

On April 22, 2025, Akane Tsukamoto and Momoka Obata, a recent graduate and an incoming senior at Minamata High School, respectively, stood before an audience filled with pride and anticipation at the Stanford e-Minamata Award Ceremony. Selected for their outstanding performance and growth, Akane and Momoka presented their reflections on the inaugural year of the e-Minamata program, launched in fall 2024 to explore vital topics such as environmental justice, the SDGs, diversity, and emerging technologies.

For many students in Stanford e-Minamata, the program marked their first experience in an English-only learning environment. Despite this challenge, the students demonstrated remarkable passion, curiosity, and determination to engage deeply with the program’s complex themes. The first year of e-Minamata has been widely recognized as a success, garnering praise throughout the city and in regional media.

Opening the Award Ceremony, Minamata City Mayor Toshiharu Takaoka shared his enthusiasm and pride: “We believe that the 30 students at Minamata High School have made great progress through this program. We have heard that the number of students taking and passing the English Proficiency Test (EIKEN) has increased since the start of this project.”

Akane and Momoka’s presentations offered a moving testament to the Mayor’s remarks.

“Through this program, I have understood that it is important to know the situation of the world, and to spend each day with that awareness to cooperate together,” shared Momoka. “I believe that ‘awareness’ and ‘cooperation’ will become the key to improving the world in the future.”

Akane’s comments underscored the significant impact the course had had on her. “I believe this experience contributed to me getting accepted into my first-choice school, the Prefectural University of Kumamoto and the Department of English Language and Literature.”

The students’ heartfelt reflections drew applause and smiles from the audience.

We were honored to welcome Yuriko Sugahara, Researcher of Education, from the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, who encouraged the students to embrace future adventures and to carry forward the “a-ha” moments that had shifted their perspectives during the course.

Following the ceremony, the students enjoyed a celebratory luncheon, a campus tour (photo below taken in the Quad), and their first Mexican-style dinner. For both Akane and Momoka, this first visit to the United States was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one they will never forget.

Image

As we prepare to launch the second year of the e-Minamata program this fall, we are thrilled to continue this journey in partnership with Minamata High School and look forward to welcoming two new students to the Stanford campus in Spring 2026.

In closing, I wish to extend heartfelt thanks to Mayor Toshiharu Takaoka, the teachers and administrators of Minamata High School, and the dedicated team at Minamata City Hall, especially former Stanford Visiting Scholar, Mr. Hiroki Hara, whose unwavering support and belief in this program made this incredible milestone possible.

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

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

The following is a guest article written by Joan Benedict, a student from Indonesia studying at the School of International Liberal Studies at Waseda University in Japan. Joan enrolled in the 2025 SPICE/Stanford–Waseda Intensive Course: Exploring Peace in East Asia and Beyond Through the Lenses of Cultural Understanding, Education, and International Relations, which was organized by SPICE and Waseda’s Faculty of Social Sciences and taught by Meiko Kotani. The course brought together students from the Graduate School of Social Sciences, the School of Social Sciences, the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, the School of International Liberal Studies, and the School of Political Science and Economics. With participants from Japan and international students representing 10 different countries, the course created a truly dynamic and diverse learning environment.

During this year’s spring break, I had the opportunity to attend the SPICE–Waseda Intensive Course, held under the theme “Exploring Peace in East Asia and Beyond Through the Lenses of Cultural Understanding, Education, and International Relations.” The course brought together passionate students from diverse countries and backgrounds, all united by shared international experiences and a curiosity for understanding our world beyond borders. Over five days, I had eye-opening discussions with lecturers and peers that reshaped how I view peace, history, and empathy.

On the first day, Dr. Gary Mukai opened the course with a compelling session on cultural understanding through the history of Japanese American incarceration. He shared the experiences of his parents growing up as Nisei, or second-generation Japanese American, and the painful stories of families separated by national loyalty during World War II. Years later, he attempted to reconnect with his relatives in Japan, uncovering stories long buried in silence. What struck me most was how genuine and human these stories were. I realized that history is so much more complex and emotional than what formal education often conveys. Understanding the emotional weight of historical events helped me move beyond just considering what happened and how it affected my nation, and instead reflect on what it meant for the families and people who lived through it.

This theme was continued on Day 2 in Mr. Rylan Sekiguchi’s lecture. His lecture helped me understand how historical bias is often not born out of malice but from the gaps in what we’re taught. In a workshop, we read descriptions of the same historical event from four different countries. The differences in tone, word choice, and framing made me question the reliability of the “truth” I thought I knew. What moved me even more was the conversation that followed. Beyond national resentment, the participating students became genuinely curious about how others saw the same events. It made me realize that history is not just a list of facts but a collection of narratives shaped by perspective. That insight alone changed how I now view historical events and interpret news.

On Day 3, we shifted from the past to modern history and present realities with Dr. Shuoyang Meng’s lecture on transnational academic mobility. He explained how academic migration has long been a catalyst for change and intellectual development across borders. After discussing the benefits of student mobility, he also touched on the struggles international students face today, particularly around career trajectories under current policies. His lecture resonated deeply with me as an international student. It pushed me to think more critically about today’s education systems, review how international interactions unfold in the job market, and recognize the importance of cultural understanding beyond just historical context.

On Day 4, Ambassador Karl Eikenberry delivered an insightful and impactful lecture on the U.S.–China security landscape. What left the deepest impression on me was his diplomatic presence—the way he communicated complex and sensitive issues with calm, clarity, and respect. He spoke about the value of strategic empathy: the ability to understand another country’s fears, intentions, and internal logic. It made me reflect on how peace is not only shaped by policy, but also by the tone and manner in which we engage with others. His sincerity and warmth were unmistakable, grounded in decades of experience across different regions and roles. Meeting someone who doesn’t just talk about peace, but truly lives it, was a rare and inspiring experience. Wrapping up the lecture, he left with a piece of advice to step outside our comfort zones, to take risks, and to explore broadly while we are still students.

Image

Building on everything we learned throughout the week, we ended the course by presenting our peace projects. The outcomes were as diverse as our experiences, including an international charity initiative, a healthier approach to social media, and a platform for objective media coverage. Each project represented both personal reflection and a collective commitment to reimagining peace on our own terms.

By the end of this intensive course, I was able to gain new insights and challenge my assumptions about peace: that peace is not simply the absence of conflict but the presence of empathy, trust, and genuine understanding. It is built over time through conversation, learning, and meaningful connection. What I appreciated most was how every session invited me to reflect not just on global issues but also on my own position within them—how my perspective was constructed, how my history informs my interactions, and how I can choose to respond with more care and openness.

I entered this course expecting to study diplomacy and international relations. I left with something more enduring: a community of admirable students from diverse backgrounds and experiences and the realization that peace begins with how we choose to engage—with our words, our listening, our questions, and our actions. More than an academic experience, it was a personal journey toward becoming a more thoughtful and responsible global citizen.

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

The following is a guest article written by Ryoya Shinozaki, 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.

Mariko Yang-Yoshihara’s lecture on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education encouraged me to think about the relationship between language and interdisciplinary learning in a new way. Instead of asking how STEAM can support English education, I began to ask whether language education—particularly through CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning)—could offer something valuable to STEAM education itself, highlighting the need to integrate a human-centered perspective into the traditional STEM framework.

Image

CLIL and STEAM differ in their main objectives. CLIL focuses on learning both content and language simultaneously, often grounded in language acquisition theories such as Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. STEAM, in contrast, emphasizes creative and integrated thinking across science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. Yang-Yoshihara’s lecture emphasized that the “A” in STEAM more precisely represents a human-centered perspective rooted in a liberal arts education. Language is typically seen as a communication tool, not a learning target. However, the two approaches share several features, including real-world relevance, student-centered learning, and compatibility with project-based formats.

If integrated carefully, a CLIL-STEAM model could support a wide range of learners. Students preparing for global careers could benefit from learning technical content in English. STEM-strong but English-challenged students might gain confidence through contextual language use. Vocational students could develop workplace-relevant communication skills by engaging in collaborative STEAM tasks. CLIL also offers techniques that could enhance students’ experiences in STEAM-focused learning. One is scaffolding, which helps learners express complex ideas through sentence frames, model texts, and structured support. Another is the practice of dual objectives, where teachers set both content and language goals. Finally, dual-focused assessment allows instructors to evaluate both what students know and how effectively they communicate it.

Image

These strategies could help make English-medium STEAM learning more accessible and effective. During our conversation, Yang-Yoshihara reflected on the STEAM-focused educational interventions used at SKY Labo, a non-profit initiative she co-founded. In SKY Labo’s bilingual design thinking workshops targeting middle and high school-aged students in Japan, responses have been mixed—some appreciated the immersive English environment and signed up for the program for that reason, while others felt that the complex topics required deeper understanding through their own native language. This tension highlights the importance of flexible program design that balances linguistic immersion with accessibility, based on students’ experiences in STEAM-focused learning.

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

The following is a guest article written by Yuri Tsutsumi, 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.

Arriving at Jtown Pizza Co. on North 6th Street, our meeting place for the Japantown study tour in Downtown San Jose led by Dr. Gary Mukai, I noticed a striking contrast between the scenery to the east and west sides of the street. On the east side stood brand-new, reinforced-concrete construction apartment buildings, while on the west side was an ivory-colored, two-story wooden building with an archaic balcony. Right beside it, I spotted a restaurant sign reading “Minato,” a familiar Japanese proper name. As I walked out onto Jackson Street, I saw more signboards of stores and restaurants related to Japan and Hawaii. In the United States, it’s probably not unusual for the atmosphere of a neighborhood to noticeably change just bygoing straight down a street, but here it felt especially distinctive. Photo of Jtown Pizza Co. (below) courtesy the Graduate School of Education at the University of Tokyo. 

Image

The few-block area known as “Nihonmachi”—Japantown in Downtown San Jose—has retained much of its original appearance to this day. Local Japanese American organizations—as well as non-Japanese Americans, including Chinese Americans—have made great efforts to preserve and revitalize Japantown, including its once neighboring Heinlenville, a former site of a Chinatown in San Jose. Jtown Pizza Co. now occupies what was once a Chinese restaurant called Ken Ying Low. In addition to preserving Japantown as a historic area, the Japanese American Museum of San Jose was established in 1987. The museum showcases Japanese American life from the earliest generation of immigrants to the postwar period. Artifacts like soy sauce barrels and numerous farming tools offered me a glimpse into the lives of 19th-century Japanese American farmers. A wide range of historical archives on wartime internment, along with a recreated barracks room interior and exterior from one of the camps that gave off a dusty smell, allowed me to imagine the harsh conditions endured by internees. Through this study tour, I came to realize that, although many years have passed and the environment surrounding Japanese Americans has drastically changed, the everyday lives of 19th-century Japanese American farmers and those interned during the war shared much in common with our lives in Japan today—e.g., keeping a soy sauce barrel for planting, playing baseball and sumo with close friends and neighbors on weekends, going to a local bathhouse, and so on. Thanks to the people dedicated to preserving Japantown’s heritage and passing it down to future generations, I was able to catch a glimpse of what everyday life was like back then.

In graduate school, I came to appreciate once again how much I can learn from academic books and papers digitally archived in the university library. Those learnings were, of course, invaluable—yet at the same time, this study tour made me realize how much more I could learn by engaging all five senses. During the tour, there were the firsthand stories of Japanese Americans, the scent of dust in the reconstructed camp room at the museum, the umami-rich taste of loco moco gravy at the Hawaiian restaurant Hukilau where we had lunch during the tour, the strong California sunlight breaking through the clouds, and the texture of the wooden buildings. Although there are many ways and tools to learn, stepping beyond the university library to immerse myself in other people’s lives holds deeply important meaning. What makes this kind of learning possible are the people who continue to play a crucial role in maintaining the vitality of Japantown, the museum that collects, preserves and shares Japanese American history, and the generous financial support that sustain these efforts. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and hope that these learning experiences, which gave me insight into past generations of Japanese Americans, will continue to be offered to future generations.

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

Since 2022, SPICE has had the honor of collaborating with CatchLight, a visual-first media organization that leverages the power of visual storytelling to inform, connect, and transform communities. CatchLight Global fellowship, launched in 2017, supports creative leaders who want to cultivate significant audience engagement through inventive distribution methods that will increase the impact of their work.

To help support the distribution of the visuals produced by CatchLight Global Fellows to schools, SPICE has been producing teacher guides in collaboration with several of the Fellows. This work has been made possible and generously supported by the Chao Minami Family Fund.

One of the 2019 CatchLight Global Fellows with whom SPICE has collaborated is Sparsh Ahuja, Founder and CEO of Project Dastaan. On April 17, 2025, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco hosted an Opening Celebration of a Project Dastaan exhibit. This special presentation at the Asian Art Museum is Project Dastaan’s first showing in the United States.

Dr. Padma Dorje Maitland, Malavalli Family Foundation Associate Curator of the Art of the Indian Subcontinent at the Asian Art Museum, introduced artists Sparsh Ahuja and Sam Dalrymple of Project Dastaan. Padma Dorje Maitland noted “Project Dastaan is an exciting example of global citizens using digital media to explore a difficult subject with sensitivity and compassion. This program offers an accessible, interactive space for individuals and families of South Asian diasporas to reflect on the Partition’s intergenerational impact. For audiences beyond these diasporas, it’s a chance both to learn about the Partition and to consider the moments of ‘partition’ in their own histories.” This comment prompted Amanda Minami—member of CatchLight Board of Directors and philanthropist promoting innovation at the intersection of science and the arts—and I to discuss how our Japanese American relatives were impacted following the Pearl Harbor attack and forced by the U.S. government to leave their homes on the West Coast to incarceration camps. 

Image

During a moving presentation by Sparsh Ahuja and Sam Dalrymple, they shared that “Project Dastaan is a peacebuilding initiative which examines the human impact of global migration through the lens of the largest forced migration in recorded history, the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan. Project Dastaan is a homage to the legacy of the millions of refugees in the subcontinent who had their lives changed overnight.” Photo above: Sparsh Ahuja and Sam Dalrymple projecting an image of Sparsh’s grandfather holding photos of himself and his wife; photo courtesy, Padma Dorje Maitland. They noted that “These stories are but a snapshot of the countless individual journeys taken by refugees during the crisis.”

To encourage educators to use Project Dastaan’s films in their classrooms, SPICE Curriculum Writers Irene Bryant, Stefanie Orrick, and Waka Takahashi Brown developed a guide for Project Dastaan. A free classroom-friendly teacher’s guide is available for download on the SPICE website and the CatchLight website. Activities in this guide include a pre-test, informational handout and assignment, and an exercise in conflict analysis. In addition, there is an extension activity that tasks students to research different modern-day conflicts, as well as an optional activity where students view one or two short films and engage in a post-viewing discussion.

Image

The SPICE staff highly encourages educators and students to visit the Project Dastaan Virtual Reality (VR) experience at the Asian Art Museum; photo above courtesy, Sree Sripathy. It is offered every Thursday night from 5:00 to 7:00pm, April 17–May 29, 2025.

SPICE is grateful to Amanda Minami, Elodie Mailliet Storm (CEO, CatchLight), and Erica Garber (Vice President of Development & Public Programs, CatchLight) for their unwavering support of SPICE’s collaboration with CatchLight and its Global Fellows.

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