1st Edition

50 Years of US Study Abroad Students Japan as the Gateway to Asia and Beyond

By Sarah R. Asada Copyright 2020
    164 Pages
    by Routledge

    164 Pages
    by Routledge

    Since the 1960s, Japan has been a historical leading study abroad destination for US undergraduate students. This book explores the long-term impacts of study abroad through a lens of knowledge diplomacy and the cultivation of individuals with understanding of the host country and world through transformative international experiences. Based on extensive original survey data and interviews with alumni over nearly 50 years of the Japan Study Program, the book provides a historical perspective on the personal impacts of study abroad on academic, professional, and personal development. The author further explores knowledge diplomacy seen as the creation of an in-depth understanding of the host country, familiarity of the host region, and awakened consciousness of the world through subsequent life experiences.



    Recipient of the 2020 Best Book Award from the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) Study Abroad and International Students Special Interest Group.

    List of Figures
    List of Tables
    List of Abbreviations
    Acknowledgements
    Introduction



    Part 1: Study Abroad’s Personal and Social Roles in the 21st Century
    Chapter 1: Study Abroad as a High Impact Educational Experience in the Internationalization of Higher Education
    Chapter 2: Study Abroad through the Lens of Cultural Diplomacy and Soft Power to Knowledge Diplomacy



    Part 2: 50 Years of US Study Abroad Students in Japan
    Chapter 3: Changing Dynamics of US Study Abroad in Japan from Past to Present
    Chapter 4: Academic Pursuits and Yearning for Knowledge
    Chapter 5: Professional Development and the Transfer of Skills Across Borders and Cultures
    Chapter 6: Personal Transformation and a Lifelong Influence 



    Part 3: Study Abroad in the Age of Global Competition and Cooperation
    Chapter 7: The Individual Outcomes of Study Abroad through a Transnational Lens
    Chapter 8: The Contemporary Transnational Role of Study Abroad and Knowledge Diplomacy



    Conclusion
    Index



    Biography

    Sarah R. Asada is an assistant professor of Comparative and International Education in the Faculty of International Studies at Kyoritsu Women’s University (Tokyo, Japan). She received her Ph.D. in International Studies and M.A. in International Relations from Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan) and a B.A. in Language, Literature, and Culture with a focus on Japan from Antioch College (Ohio, USA). Her research interest encompasses comparative international higher education, the sociocultural context of education, international relations, and transnational mobility of students and scholars. She has conducted research in Japan, the United States, and Southeast Asia. In addition, she has over a decade of professional experience in study abroad program administration and management.