From June 6th (Saturday) to June 21st (Sunday), the Kaori Miura Laboratory of Faculty of International Studies of Culture invited Jacob Vasquez, a specialist in next-generation agricultural leadership development and agricultural business management at Butte College, California, USA, as part of the Fulbright Specialist Program *, an international academic exchange program implemented by the US government. Students and faculty members from the Faculty of International Faculty of Human Sciences Faculty of Life Science Sciences, Global Food Business Program (GFBP), engaged in diverse exchanges centered on "food," "sports," and "culture."
▶人間科学部スポーツ健康科学科特別授業（6/9）
Ms. Vasquez lectured in the department's "Special Lecture on Sports Management" (taught by Professor Goichi Hagiwara). She discussed the current state and challenges of collegiate sports in the United States, using videos and images to illustrate examples from American football and the market size of the NCAA (National Collegiate Association). During the Q&A session, students asked questions about American sports culture, such as "In the US, where multi-sport participation is common, when do athletes typically specialize in a particular sport?" This provided an opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the differences between American and Japanese sports culture.
▶国際文化学部「食」をテーマとしたディスカッション（6/11）
A discussion on food waste was held with students from Faculty of International Studies of Culture. First, Ms. Vasquez explained the current situation and causes of food waste in the United States. Following that, the students presented the results of a survey they conducted among university students on "food consumption." In a lively discussion based on these findings, the participants delved deeper into common social issues in both Japan and the United States, comparing the differences in culture and customs between the two countries.
▶地域向けスポーツ交流イベント（6/14）
A flag football clinic, which will be an official event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, was held for local elementary school students. Mr. Vasquez, who has experience as an American football player and coach, provided instruction. This event was co-hosted with the U.S. Consulate in Fukuoka and was part of the "America 250" project commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, with Consul General Versa Perkins also in attendance. Although the children initially struggled with throwing the ball and scoring touchdowns in this unfamiliar sport, they were seen playing with smiles on their faces, making it an opportunity for U.S.-Japan cultural exchange through a sport that originated in the United States.
▶本学食品加工プラント見学（6/15）
Under the guidance of Professor Muneaki Yonemitsu of Faculty of Life Science Department of Life Science, and the student club Food Development Research Group, we toured the university's food processing plant. In addition to a facility tour, we received demonstrations and tastings of products developed by the research group using food ingredients that would otherwise be discarded, and we held a discussion comparing Japanese and American food cultures.
▶グローバル・リーダーシップ・プログラム「Stanford e-KyuSan U」（6/16）
In May, Ms. Vasquez delivered an online lecture from the United States on the theme of "Agriculture in California," and had been participating in this program remotely beforehand. This time, she came to Japan and participated in the class in person. On this day, under the facilitation of a SKYLabo staff member, a design thinking workshop was held. Students explored ways to solve social issues from various perspectives, focusing on "people," and considered concrete solutions. Ms. Vasquez listened to the students' presentations of the prototypes they had come up with and supported the workshop by offering hints to further develop their ideas.
▶日米食材を活用した学内調理実習（6/18）
Together with GFBP students, we conducted a cooking practical using rice from Fukuoka Prefecture and California rice from the United States. GFBP students explained cooking methods and the characteristics of each type of rice, and we prepared dishes such as sushi rolls, miso soup, and Okinawan zenzai (sweet red bean soup) using ingredients harvested at Meisho Farm in Yoshinogari, Saga Prefecture. Through the practical, we were able to compare the tastes of the two types of rice.
▶農業ビジネス特別講演会（6/19）
Under the theme of "Sustainable and Smart Agricultural Business Models," we introduced the current state and latest trends in the U.S. agricultural industry, including specific examples. We learned how agriculture and agribusiness are connected to daily life, international trade, and the food system, and also had the opportunity to compare the characteristics of the agricultural and food systems in the United States (California) and Japan.
Further details about our activities during our stay are available on our official social media accounts.
The archive of the special lecture is available here.
Please take a look.
*This program invites experts from the United States to Japan for 2-6 weeks to conduct special lectures and seminars at educational institutions and medical facilities.
[Faculty of International Studies of Culture / Faculty of Human Sciences / Faculty of Life Science / Global Food Business Program]
