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Clare Hall, University of Cambridge Summer Visiting Student Program Report

2013 Academic Year
Ayako Matsuura : MA in International Relations/Public Administration

By virtue of the University of Tokyo, RCAST group, I am honoured to have been invited to participate in the visiting student program at Cambridge University's Clare Hall. Two weeks have passed since I first arrived at the university, but my entire experience has been intense and rewarding.

This one-month program is divided into two terms: in the initial two weeks, visiting students join the summer school program, and in the latter two weeks, students concentrate on conducting their own research. We have just completed the initial two weeks, and, at this point in the program, I would like to describe the daily life activities and studies that have taken place at Cambridge thus far.

At Cambridge University, all professors and students belong to one of the colleges, and students typically live in the college to which they belong. It is a pleasure for me to stay in Clare Hall. All students are assigned to single rooms but share kitchen and shower facilities. The environment is very clean, neat, and tidy, while the small indoor garden has a traditional English atmosphere, making us feel at home. All of the students in the building eat in the same dining room, an arrangement that presents valuable opportunities for them to interact with each other. One of the best things about this arrangement is that we are able to engage in discussions with students in other fields.

The climate in Cambridge is very pleasant in August. As you can see in the attached photos, the churches and gardens are exceptionally beautiful when seen in the radiant sunshine. It can sometimes feel a bit chilly when it rains, but overall?at least for me?no other city is more comfortable than Cambridge.

In summer school, I attended two classes: 'The rise of civilization' and 'The threats and challenges in contemporary Britain'. I found both classes very intriguing, and not only did the material further my understanding of the themes themselves, but they also highlighted other related disciplines.

In the class on "The rise of civilization", the instructor lectured on the topic in great detail. What I found to be the most interesting was the instructor's mention of architecture, cultural symbols, and religious aspects of each civilization. He also made comparisons of each civilization and clarified what the common features and points were, which allowed us to analyse not only the civilizations themselves but also key aspects in the lives of human beings. Because I am majoring in political science, I am very interested in the political implications of ancient civilizations, including their hierarchical system.

The class, 'The threats and challenges in contemporary Britain', covered a more modern era. The lectures focused more on current problems, including immigration, healthcare reform, crime, religious matters, and other political issues. What I found interesting is that almost all of the topics we discussed are somewhat similar to current issues in Japan; in spite of the entirely different cultural contexts, the situations are significantly similar. I feel that there may be a possibility to further discuss countries cooperating with each other for policymaking purposes, which is related to my main research interest.

The summer visiting program provided me with a tremendous opportunity to engage with foreign students from all over the world. The students came to the program from different cultural environments, and they are of various ages and majoring in different fields. We were able to exchange information that is familiar to some but not to others.

Cambridge summer school offers a variety of interesting experiences. I am sincerely appreciative of all the teachers and students at the university and, most of all, the RCAST, which offers this program.

(Sep. 14th 2012)

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