Overview
FOR SEPTEMBER 2024 ENROLLMENT - APPLICATION PERIOD 15 MARCH -15 ARPIL 2024 (Link)
Bachelor Degree in Anthropology, Philosophy, and Peace Studies (APP)
Overview of AKADEMIA APP
AKADEMIA is an acronym for Art, Knowledge, AnD English Major for the International Arena. As part of the Faculty of Letters, Department of Humanities, AKADEMIA offers an integrated and interdisciplinary undergraduate degree in Social Anthropology, Philosophy, and Peace Studies. The primary aim is to enable students to develop critical thinking and a global outlook, as well as skills in academic writing and public speaking. Moreover, over the course of four years of study, students develop research skills, a capacity for undertaking in-depth academic first-hand research in relation to contemporary social and global issues; we also strive to foster a consciousness of compassion, courage, and wisdom as something applied and embedded in social contexts.
Having gained the ability for deeper thinking and understanding of the complexity of globalized as well as local interconnectivities, and having developed a research-based analytical mindset, students come to think creatively and in innovative ways and with capacities, aptitudes and knowledge vital for a rapidly changing world. This degree program is ideal for students who intend to enter competitive post-graduate programs or who intend to enter internationally-oriented work environments. After graduation, AKADEMIA students go on to graduate studies, get jobs in global-oriented Japanese or international companies, work for NGOs or non-profit organizations, and some become teachers, journalists, or content producers.
Learning Components
Students accepted into AKADEMIA take part in a core study program centred on Social Anthropology, Philosophy, and Peace Studies (see the list of courses below). Students are taught in light of both historical contexts and the latest theory and research methodology that foster understanding of the complexity of contemporary global issues particularly related to constructions of gender, ‘race’, diversity, difference, community, and ecological sustainability. These core AKADEMIA courses can be combined with a range of elective courses in social sciences, law, and economics offered in other faculties.
In Year 3 and Year 4 students enter their Major, which are specialized seminar classes within the disciplines of Anthropology (Global Japan and Comparative Cultures), Philosophy (Applied Ethics in the Contemporary World) and Peace Studies (Conflict Resolution and Human Rights). Students can choose one Major (seminar stream) or they can combine any of the three Majors. In Year 4 students undertake an Independent Research Project where they specialize in a chosen subject upon which they write their graduation thesis. [some examples of works produced by students can be found on links below].
Eligibility
AKADEMIA is taught fully in English and native or near-native level of English is required. A range of international students and Japanese students enter this uniquely designed program. All international students also take Japanese language classes and have the option of taking classes in taught in Japanese that span Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy, History, Social Linguistics, Peace Studies, International Relations, Literary Studies and more. They will also study a third language, and have the option for study abroad.
For any inquiries, please contact either Dr. SungYong Lee sungyong@soka.ac.jp (Peace Studies/Conflict Resolution); Dr. Ryo Chonabayashi cryo@soka.ac.jp (Philosophy/Ethics); or Dr. AnneMette Fisker-Nielsen fanne@soka.ac.jp (Social Anthropology/Global Japan Studies). More information about course content can be found on the links below, as well as recent interviews with AKADEMIA students.
Interview with Professor Anne Mette Fisker-Nielsen, a core faculty members in the AKADEMIA degree program teaching Social Anthropology and Anthropology of Japan.
Seminar list
Based on social anthropological approaches that assumes a global context for the study of contemporary Japan, students learn about the complexity of ‘cultures’ and the way everyday behaviour - the body, emotions and action - intertwines with social rituals, symbolism and relations of power in wider society. We consider issues of contemporary youth, gender, immigration, social identity, religion, politics, the role of media and popular culture including the issue of intimacy and AI, and the multifaceted ways state-business-media driven cultural nationalism intertwine with state-craft and contemporary gender politics. Throughout the two years of study, students will acquire sophisticated analytical skills and the ability to conduct in-depth empirical research; they will also complete a graduation thesis based on their own independent research project. Students will also have a 4-day field trip to Okinawa where they experience first-hand the entangled processes of colonial histories, local and global politics, as well as the diversity of contemporary Japan.
In this seminar group, each student chooses his/her own research topic issue related to some contemporary philosophical debates and conducts his/her research project. Through pursuing such a philosophical project via regular tutorials (discussion groups consist in a small number of students and the instructor), it is expected that the student gain both analytical and dialogue skills. The examples of the projects students may choose are as follows: The nature of moral judgements; The objectivity and subjectivity of morality; Causation; Personal Identity; Mereology; Death, suicide; Ethics in social work; Cosmopolitanism; The value of art; The meaning of life; Religion and morality; Rational proof of divine beings; Human nature; Dignity; Paradoxes (Zeno’s paradoxes, Theseus’s ship, etc.); Happiness, wellbeing. In addition to these regular activities, the seminar group pursues some joint activities between the university and Soka schools in Japan (mainly in Tokyo). In the past, we visited Tokyo Soka Elementary School and Soka Junior High School observing their morality classes. The seminar group seeks the possibility of having some valuable interactions between the philosophical activities at the university and the educational activities in Soka Schools.
《Peace Studies》 Professor SungYong Lee
My seminar intends to develop students’ ability to review and analyse academic literature, which represents the academic debates as well as field practice relevant to Peace Studies. Based on their own analysis of texts, students will be encouraged to engage in group discussions to consider the questions set by both the instructor and student themselves. Another important element of my seminar is research training that aims to enable students to plan and conduct their own research projects.
AKADEMIA Core Courses
Year 1 Introductory Level
Introduction to Humanities (2 credits)
Introduction to Soka AKADEMIA (4 credits)
Japanese language courses (2 credits each)
Year 1-2 Basic Level
Anthropological Approaches to Contemporary Japan (4 credits)
Comparative Cultures Anthropology (4 credits)
Philosophy I: Core Issues in Metaphysics, Epistemology and Ethics (4 credits)
Philosophy II: Contemporary Philosophy and Buddhism (4 credits)
Introduction to Peace Studies I (4 credits)
Introduction to Peace Studies II (4 credits)
Value-Creation Education (2 credits)
Academic Foundations for Humanities (2 credits)
Academic Writing A and/or B (2 credits each)
Japanese language courses (2 credits each)
Year 2-4 Advanced Level (General)
Philosophy Metaethics (4 credits)
Anthropology of Religion and Morality (4 credits)
Peace Studies Workshop (4 credits)
Translation Studies (2 credits)
Year 3 Major Classes Advanced Level (Seminars in Humanities)
Seminar Major 1 & 2: Anthropology of Japan/Global Japan (4 credits)
Seminar Major 1 & 2: Philosophy (4 credits)
Seminar Major 1 & 2: Peace Studies (4 credits)
Year 4 Seminar classes and research graduation thesis
Seminar Major 3 & 4: choose one of three Majors (4 credits)
Independent Research Project I (2 credits)
Independent Research Project II (4 credits)
Advanced Joint Seminar for AKADEMIA (4 credits)
*Seminars in Humanities are specialized Majors which span Year 3 and Year 4. In these classes, students develop more in-depth, specialized knowledge. In Year 3 students can choose to take one or all three seminar classes depending on interest. In Year 4, students choose one of the seminar classes under which to write their graduation thesis (either Philosophy, Anthropology of Japan, or Peace Studies). During Year 4 students undertake their own research and in-depth study in a chosen area of interest, learn to develop a research design, conduct empirical research such as interviews and fieldwork, and write up a graduation dissertation of 10,000 words based on their own research conducted.
*Other language classes are available in the Faculty of Letters as elective courses. These include Chinese, Spanish, Korean, Russian, French, German and some ancient languages. Students can also continue to study Japanese to an advanced level, and can choose to combine one of the majors under AKADEMIA with a major conducted in Japanese.
For details of AKADEMIA CORE COURSE CONTENT and STUDENT VIEWS
Interview with Mariana Vilarraga Rodriquez (Colombia) AKADEMIA student
Interview with Andrew Valenti (Italy)AKADEMIA graduate 2024
Interview with Maggie Li (China)AKADEMIA graduate2022
Interview with Evan Short (Australia)AKADEMIA graduate2022
Other Elective Courses from the Faculty of International Liberal Arts
Basic Level
Principles of History (4 credits)
Principles of Philosophy (4 credits)
Principles of Sociology (4 credits)
Principles of International Relations (4 credits)
Principles of Politics and Globalization (4 credits)
Advanced Level
Global Ethics (4 credits)
Non-Profit Organizations and Public Sector (4 credits)
Sociology of Globalization (4 credits)
Comparative Politics (4 credits)
STUDENT VIEWS
Fernanda Hiromi Shimabukuro, 2nd Year AKADEMIA student
My name is Fernanda and I’m from Brazil. I’m 20 years old and I just completed my second year in the Faculty of Letters.
Why did you choose the Faculty of Letters? What is attractive about AKAKEMIA for you?
I chose the Faculty of Letters, specifically at Soka University, because I was interested in the broad umbrella of academic subjects within the Humanities that is offered by this
faculty. Usually in Brazil, the Letters Program tends to be more related to language and
literature courses only. However I saw that at Soka University the Faculty of Letters had subjects ranging from, of course, language and literature, but also sociology, anthropolo-gy, philosophy, and many more subjects. That sparked my interest, mainly because I believe that Humanities subjects have a lot of interlaps with one another, and this multidiscipli-nary structure allows students to have a wider range of approaches and perspectives to tackle ideas. In my eyes, that is also the main attractive feature of AKADEMIA, studying a mix of Anthropology, Philosophy, and Peace Studies provides an opportunity to reflect on
issues and concepts with a lot of depth and humanity.
What has been your experience studying in AKADEMIA?
I have enjoyed studying in AKADEMIA. While it can be challenging that all academic subjects within AKADEMIA require a lot of reading, and it might also give off the impression that those subjects are theoretical with little practical application. However, I feel that AKADEMIA helps students to grow through building connections between what is studied and their own lives. Issues explored within classes do not have clear-cut answers and require you to engage with your worldviews, perspectives, dogmas, the way you were raised, the ideas surrounding you, the media you consume, the people you know, the environment of the university, your own life experiences, and so on.
For example, in Anthropology we often use theories such as that of Michel Foucault’s concept of power and discourse to understand certain attitudes toward gender, race, etc. While no theory is of course, capable of giving a simple straightforward explanation as to why
society is set the way it is, it engages with how our thinking is formed, why we give legitimacy to certain ideas, who benefits from those ideas, and so on. I feel like I have learned a lot and enjoyed the opportunity to engage more critically with how I think. In summary, it has been fun.
What are your plans after graduating?
As of now, I do not have a set plan, however, I have always enjoyed reading and writing so in the future I would like to work in the publishing industry. I also considering pursuing a Masters degree. I will not go back to Brazil right after graduating as I want to gather some career experience working in Japan.
What would you recommend to new students thinking of applying to AKADEMIA?
Liking to read and write is not a requirement, but it does make life a lot easier if they are planning to enter Letters and thinking of applying to AKADEMIA. Evaluation is often focused on written work rather than tests, so I think that style suits a profile who prefers open-ended questions, discussion, and connecting a wide range of issues in more complex ways rather than someone who is more black-and-white in their outlook. So my advice would be to think about whether or not that fits their interests and likes and apply accordingly.