News and Information

The 1st Thematic School on Master-Level Gender Studies in the Social and Human Sciences (SHS) fields was held from December 9 to 13, 2024, in Tsukuba, achieving tremendous success. This collaborative event brought together eight students from Université Grenoble Alpes’ (UGA) Faculty of Humanities, Health, Sport, Society (H3S) and ten students from the University of Tsukuba (UT).

Organized by Professors Hidehiro Yamamoto 山本英弘 and Muneo Kaigo 海後宗男 (UT), along with Professors Kevin Sutton, Florian Barrière, and Érika Wicky (UGA), the program included hybrid and in-person workshops at UT, fieldwork conducted in Tsukuba City and Tokyo, and group discussions on various methodological approaches to gender issues.

The event opened on December 9 with a meeting between UT Vice President for Global Affairs, Jun Ikeda 池田潤, and the UGA delegation, where an overview of the MEXT-funded Social Impact Project, launched this year, was presented. Students participated in lectures by Professors Érika Wicky and Akane Meguro 目黒茜 and engaged in group discussions fostering intercultural friendships. On December 10, an online lecture by Professor Sophie Louargant prepared participants for fieldwork projects on December 11. The following days included presentations of fieldwork results, lectures, and discussions, culminating in a concluding session and a commemorative photo at the Tsukuba campus’ Ishi no Hiroba Plaza on December 13.

This event exemplifies the growing success of student exchange initiatives supported by UGA President Yassine Lakhnech and Professor Yamamoto’s gender studies projects. Special thanks go to the faculty and staff of both UT and UGA for their invaluable contributions. We look forward to continued collaborations to sustain and expand such impactful programs.