Global Citizen Fellowship 2025 NY Program
This July, as part of the Global Citizen Fellowship (GCF) launched by JICUF in April, a summer program was held in New York over two weeks. The GCF is a year-long fellowship for undergraduate students at ICU, designed to help them explore their personal values, deepen their understanding of the world and their place in it, and consider how they can contribute to the common good. Out of the 14 inaugural fellows, 12 participated in the New York program. Here is a report on their experience.The summer program was structured around three core components. First, the fellows engaged in discussions with individuals who are actively working as global citizens at […]
JICUF and ICU Establish a Graduate Scholarship for Students Impacted by Conflict
This month, JICUF and ICU agreed to establish a graduate scholarship for students who have fled conflict and relocated to Japan. JICUF and ICU already offer full undergraduate scholarships to two new students with refugee backgrounds annually through the Japan Education Pathways program, and will add one full scholarship in the master’s program starting spring 2026.
JICUF President Paul Hastings Chairs a Session on Language Education at UNHCR’s Annual Meeting in Geneva
JICUF President & CEO Paul Hastings was in Geneva from June 24 to 27 to attend the annual meeting of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Hastings proposed and chaired a session on language education, which plays a crucial role in the integration of refugees into host communities. The panelists were representatives of Japan’s Immigration Services Agency, Duolingo, Bard College, and a Syrian refugee student in Slovenia.
JICUF Co-Hosts a Conference on Refugee Education at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand
On June 12 and 13, JICUF co-hosted a Global Task Force on Third Country Education Pathways Community of Practice meeting at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The theme of the meeting was “Preparing Displaced Students from Burma for Education” and approximately 70 representatives of governments, NGOs, UNHCR and higher education institutions as well as students participated from a dozen countries. As the title suggests, the meeting focused on learning about the situation of displaced Burmese refugees and finding durable solutions through education.
Cultivating Community at the 2025 Othmer Research Fellowship Spring Workshop
On June 7th, 2025, JICUF hosted the inaugural gathering of the Othmer Research Fellows at International Christian University—a day marked by dynamic collaboration, peer feedback, and candid dialogue across disciplines. The workshop included reflections from ICU alumni and concluded with motivating insights from JICUF Board Member and Grants Committee Chair, Dr. Machi Dilworth. Read the full story and see more photos.
JICUF Japan Office Hosts C-Week-Related Events
In April, the JICUF Japan Office hosted three events in conjunction with ICU’s Christianity Week. JICUF Led Spring Community Events at ICU JICUF hosts community events each semester to foster connections at ICU between students, staff and faculty. On Thursday, May 15, JICUF hosted a community event in the dining hall that brought together 40 participants who enjoyed a fun and relaxed evening together, sharing food and interacting for more than two hours. During the event, participants gathered at various tables to introduce themselves and respond to a set of prepared discussion questions, aimed at deepening mutual understanding. Since the event was held just before Christianity Week, two thought-provoking questions […]
JICUF Grantee Highlight: Singing Songs and SDGs Storytelling in Spanish Class
Project title: “Singing Songs and SDGs Storytelling in Spanish Class” Grant recipient: Adiene Hishiyama, Instructor of Spanish Amount awarded: 300,000 yen Adiene is on the far left (All photos on this page taken by Yu Goto) Adiene Hishiyama, who has been teaching Spanish at ICU since 2018, held a workshop on learning Spanish songs with support from JICUF’s faculty grant. This workshop not only improved the participants’ vocabulary and pronunciation through singing, but also explored issues such as migration and poverty which were reflected in the songs. The project culminated in a performance at the Nishi-Tokyo City Cultural Festival held in November 2024. Through this project, the students not only […]
Introducing Fusae Nara, JICUF’s New Chair of the Board
In April, Fusae Nara, who joined the JICUF Board of Trustees in 2022, was appointed the Chair of the Board. Fusae is a graduate of ICU with a BA in international law and MA in public administration. Please join us in welcoming her in her new role!
JICUF Co-hosts Events on Refugee Higher Education with Wilfrid Laurier University
In late April, JICUF co-hosted three events in Japan on the theme of expanding higher education access for displaced students: a roundtable on Burmese and Rohingya refugees at the University of Tokyo, a presentation by Wilfrid Laurier University’s International Students Overcoming War (ISOW) team, and a full-day student workshop for student action for humanitarian causes at ICU.
My Journey at ICU – Viktoriia
Five Ukrainian students arrived on the ICU campus in May 2022, just shy of three months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Two of these students, Ivanna Tomchichenna and Viktoriia Koretska, completed the Master’s program in Public Policy and Social Research and received their degrees this spring, graduating from ICU. (You can read that article here) In the following, Viktoriia, who has secured employment at a company in the Kansai region and is about to take her first steps as a working professional in Japan, reflects on her time at ICU. When I arrived in Japan nearly two years ago, everything felt uncertain. I had left behind my home, my […]