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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill. For further reading regarding JETs and the law, he recommends JETs with J.D.s.
Anyone see Kore-eda Hirokazu’s 「誰も知らない」(Dare-mo Shiranai), the movie about the mother who abandons her four children in a Tokyo apartment? I thought of that movie when I learned that 4/10 law graduates over the last forty years are neither practicing lawyers nor judges. What happened to them? Did they land on their feet? If you’re going to law school will you end up like them? Found out more here.
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill. For further reading regarding JETs and the law, he recommends JETs with J.D.s.
You studied political science before JET didn’t you? Do not lie! For those of you with a healthy interest in politics, specifically international relations, please read, “How Law Schools Behave Like States in International Relations Theory,” and tell me who’s the realist.
Andrew R. McCarthy (Akita-ken, 2005-08) is a law student at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law focusing on international trade, business, and tax. He currently runs the blog JETs with J.D.s, an information source for current JET alumni law students and prospective law students for career paths and approaches within the current legal market. For those considering law school and trying to comprehend the costs and the risks of such an endeavor, he also recommends The Law School Tuition Bubble.
As a prospective student, one of the hardest choices you have to make is which law school you will choose for enrollment. While you naturally want to make sure the school you choose has the faculty and course selections you are looking for, how are you going to choose amongst the schools that meet those criteria? The instinctive choice, one would think, would be to choose the school with a higher ranking. Higher rankings open more doors, right? And if “C’s get degrees,” what need is there to worry about taking a hit to your GPA if it means you get a degree from one of the top schools in the country?
Not so, say two law professors. UCLA law professor Richard Sander and Brooklyn law professor Jane Yakowitz argue that the “eliteness” of your degree doesn’t matter as much as your GPA. When it comes to predicting career success, they say, it’s all about the grades. So, while C’s may get degrees, it’s the A’s that get what pays, if you will. My first reaction to this, not being part of an elite law school myself, was: “Excellent!”
My second thought was: “Wait….. what?”
The rest of my reaction is here.
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill. For further reading regarding JETs and the law, he recommends JETs with J.D.s.
I’m pretty sure that most Jets Wit out there live here in New York. If so, you’ll be right at home with this week’s post—where I chide the Big Apple for adding five law schools during its 1970s economic and demographic slump. But when your contract expires please return to NYC, JETAANY needs your support!
Andrew R. McCarthy (Akita-ken, 2005-08) is a law student at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law focusing on international trade, business, and tax. He currently runs the blog JETs with J.D.s, an information source for current JET alumni law students and prospective law students for career paths and approaches within the current legal market. For those considering law school and trying to comprehend the costs and the risks of such an endeavor, he also recommends The Law School Tuition Bubble.
You may not have to channel Miss Cleo to get legal employment these days. But, in addition to the healthy dose of luck you’ll need, the legal career services world has created a brand new buzzword concept through which all prospective employees can be vetted: emotional intelligence. What is emotional intelligence, you ask? Emotional intelligence, or as those trying to sound more professional than they really are might call it, “EI,” is the demonstrated ability to show, and practice, professional competence by providing good answers to hypothetical questions and connecting with interviewers. The idea behind the concept is that you are being hired not just for your legal acumen and ability to detect italicized commas in a document of hundreds of pages — you’re being hired to develop and maintain clients. What does this all boil down to? What help, if any, does a JET background provide? Is law school even conducive to developing “emotional intelligence?”
All those answers (or at least educated guesses) are right here.
Andrew R. McCarthy (Akita-ken, 2005-08) is a law student at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law focusing on international trade, business, and tax. He currently runs the blog JETs with J.D.s, an information source for current JET alumni law students and prospective law students for career paths and approaches within the current legal market. For those considering law school and trying to comprehend the costs and the risks of such an endeavor, he also recommends The Law School Tuition Bubble.
Former JETs naturally have a little bit of adventurer in them. Unfortunately, the sedentary life of the law student spells disappointment for those of accustomed to a more active life. This isn’t to say going out and enjoying life doesn’t happen in law school. But if you like inordinate amounts of time reading and editing italicized commas, however, you’re in for a real treat.
Fortunately, life after law school doesn’t necessarily have to be like that — and if you still have that glimmer of a sense of adventure and the desire to live in not-so-often traveled parts of the world, a judicial clerkship in on of America’s international territories might be what you’re after.
To read information regarding clerkships available in Palau, click here.
For those interested in American Samoa, here.
For those interested in clerking for the Northern Mariana Islands, information is available here.
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill. For further reading regarding JETs and the law, he recommends JETs with J.D.s.
I’m not sure, but some JETs who go on to law school choose Temple University, or at its Japan Campus (TUJ) as I did. For those of you who’re Pennsylvanians or contemplating studying law in Pennsylvania, I have for you a Frankensteinian experiment, “Failure to Launch: The Curious Case of Wilkes Law School, PA.”
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill. For further reading regarding JETs and the law, he recommends JETs with J.D.s.
Before leaving to teach in Saitama, I remember going to a Minnesota handcrafts shop in the Mall of America to find gifts for my new coworkers that reflected my home state. I think I bought some of them a bag of wild rice and then I bought a beautiful box of assorted jelly beans from Candyland on North Wabasha in Saint Paul. All were well received. When I left JET, though, even then I knew better than to study law in my home state of just over 4,000,000 with all four of its law schools in the Twin Cities. For those of you who’re Minnesota JETs like me, or want to study law in the North Star state, these posts are for you.
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.
Law school isn’t always a bad option. If you bring more than a bachelors (of arts!) degree to the table, you have a better chance of coming out ahead after graduating. For those of you whose eyes are bleeding from memorizing kanji for the JLPT 一級, take a break and read this post. Don’t worry, it’s in English.
By JQ Magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
The year 2010 is an auspicious one for New York and Japan. Fifty years ago, Gotham became Tokyo’s first sister city, and 150 years ago this month, a samurai envoy paraded down Broadway after clinching diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Nippon.
To celebrate that distinguished day, tributary events here in New York have included the annual Japan Day @ Central Park on June 6 which recreated the original samurai procession, a special lighting of the Empire State Building on June 16 to commemorate the actual anniversary date, and now, the Museum of the City of New York’s exhibition Samurai in New York: The First Japanese Delegation, 1860, on view from June 25 through October 11, with a special gallery tour on Saturday, June 26 hosted by project director Kathleen Benson, Yuko Suzuki of the Consulate General of Japan and Eric Campbell of the consulate’s Japan Information Center.
Read the rest of the article here.
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.
Wait a second? Why would I defend the ABA when it fails to act on the tuition bubble? I have my reasons between labor cartel and attorney oversupply, and you can read them here.
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.
Do you like tables? Not kotatsu! I mean data tables! Ones that show where law schools and law students are geographically saturated in the United States. If you’re considering law school in the U.S., you have to see where not to go.
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.
Plenty of people accept the facts about runaway law school tuition, but they think legal education is in a “bottleneck” until the economy recovers and law starts paying off again. Watch me defend the Dojo in, “Bottleneck Attack!”
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.
Higher education costs more each year, but if a law school is just a bunch of classrooms, a library, and faculty, why is attending it so much more expensive? Place your bets on who will win the final bout of the Big Bubble Battle before clicking!
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.
If American law schools are festering in a tuition bubble, universities must be too! Right? Break out the tako-yaki and watch universities and law schools enter the sumo ring to see which bubble is bigger.
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.
Like me, many American JETs contemplate going to law school when faced with their contracts expiring. You may hear about the value of the Juris Doctor – the degree that’s so flexible you can do anything with it. Find out why you should recontract and save your yennies by reading this.
JET alum Michael Auslin testified before Congress in April about the current state of U.S.-Japan relations. Auslin is a professor of Japanese history and politics and currently the Director of Japanese Studies for the American Enterprise Institute in D.C.
http://www.aei.org/speech/100137
by JET alum Michael Auslin
Mr. Chairman, Senator Inhofe, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the current state of U.S.-Japan relations, and to look ahead at the role the relationship will play in future economic and security developments for both countries. Despite current difficulties in the relationship, I believe that close ties with Japan are essential for the United States to retain a credible strategic position in East Asia and for future economic prosperity in both Asia and America. Yet we must also recognize that relations between the United States and Japan will be more tenuous over the next several years, requiring close communication and a frank assessment of how the relationship benefits each partner.
This past January, Washington and Tokyo observed the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-Japan Alliance, one of the most successful bilateral agreements in recent history. Yet the past seven months of the U.S.-Japan relationship have been consumed with a growing disagreement over whether Japan will fulfill the provisions of a 2006 agreement to relocate Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from its current crowded urban location to a more remote setting on the northern part of the island. Given that the state of U.S.-Japan relations concerns not only the economic relations between the world’s two largest economies, but directly influences the larger strategic position of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region, any substantive change in the U.S.-Japan alliance or in the political relationship that undergirds it could have unanticipated effects that might increase uncertainty and potentially engender instability in this most dynamic region.
To read the whole transcript, go here: http://www.aei.org/speech/100137
If you’re in the San Francisco area and are looking for a TESOL Certificate Program (Teaching English to a Speaks of Other Languages), the Intercultural Institute of California is an affordable option.
Priced at $1499 for a 140 hour, 4-week course, the non-profit program covers teaching grammar, listening and speaking, writing and reading for those who want to teach English abroad or in the United States. Contact Kevin at kevinsim@iic. edu or Sina at sina@iic.edu or 415.359.9099 for further questions.
Intercultural Institute of California - English Language Program - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages certificate program
The Global MBA at Doshisha Business School, Kyoto, is a young, growing, high-quality and globally orientated program that builds upon the existing and highly regarded Japanese language MBAs. We welcome applications from highly motivated individuals seeking to develop internationally orientated careers in the global economy. As a former JET myself I consider the GMBA an excellent option for those looking to gain an MBA and to develop careers in international business and management. The Global MBA will equip you will the knowledge, skills, network and intellectual framework expected and required of twenty-first century global businesspeople. Our first JET alumnus will be joining us as a GMBA student in September and we look forward to further applications from JETs.
Find out more
If you are interested in finding out more about our program I strongly recommend that you visit our webpage, http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/ , where you can find more details about course content and structure, video interviews with faculty and students, online business seminars and much more.
Provisional applications
We welcome provisional applications from potential candidates as an initial step towards the formal application process. Simply submit your CV/resume and a personal statement outlining your motivation for applying to the Global MBA by email at your earliest convenience. These documents will be reviewed by faculty members who will pass on their comments within a week. This is an opportunity for potential candidates to confirm their eligibility and suitability for the program. There is no cost for this provisional application.
Funding opportunities
I should also like to draw your attention to the generous funding opportunities that we are offering for 2010 entry including two full MEXT scholarships (full fee waiver, monthly stipend and return flights) and a range of monthly stipends. Full details can be found on our webpage but please be aware that only applications received by the March 31st deadline can be considered for this funding.
Visit us
If you are in or near Kyoto, why not call in and see us? We are delighted to meet with applicants and to show them around our facilities. During normal teaching periods we are also more than happy to introduce you to current students and faculty. Please contact the office directly should you wish to arrange a visit.
Any questions?
Feel free to contact us at anytime should you have any questions or queries related to the course and the applications process.
Finally
As a JET alumnus I can fully appreciate what it means to be contemplating the end of your time on the program and what your next step will be. The Global MBA offers an excellent bridge to your future career and will equip you will the knowledge, skills, network and intellectual framework expected and required of twenty-first century global businesspeople. I look forward to receiving your application.
With best wishes,
Dr. A. Staples
Global MBA
Doshisha Business School
astaples@mail.doshisha.ac.jp
Via JETAA DC President Michelle Spezzacatena:
Mansfield Fellowship in Japan
Federal employees with a strong career interest in issues of importance to the U.S.-Japan relationship now have the opportunity to apply for a Mike Mansfield Fellowship.
During the two-year program, Fellows spend a year working full-time in Japanese government offices, preceded by a year of full-time rigorous language and area studies training in the United States. After completing the program, Fellows return to their U.S. agencies with proficiency in Japanese and practical, firsthand experience with Japan and its government that enables them to contribute to their agencies’ Japan-related work.
For more information about the Fellowships, information sessions in Washington, D.C., and application guidelines, please visit www.mansfieldfdn.org or contact Ms. Sara Seavey, Program Assistant, Mansfield Fellowship Program at 202-347-1994 or sseavey@mansfieldfdn.org.
Application deadline: April 1, 2010.
The Mansfield Fellowship Program is administered by The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation with the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, as grantor.
Thanks to JETAA NY Webmaster Lee-Sean Huang for passing this on:
The latest from JET alum Michael Auslin, a professor of Japanese history and politics and currently the Director of Japanese Studies for the American Enterprise Institute in D.C. This one part of The AEI Outlook Series.
The U.S.-Japan Alliance: Relic of a By-gone Era?
http://www.aei.org/outlook/100929
by JET alum Michael Auslin
The U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation was signed in Washington, D.C., fifty years ago this month. Few alliances last half a century. The fact that this one has is a testament to its strength, but it is also the result of East Asia’s failure to develop stable political and security relationships in the decades after World War II. It also reflects Japan’s postwar political realities and the choices successive Japanese governments made to maintain the country’s largely pacifist global role. Yet, the pressures on the alliance today raise questions about how well it can adapt to changes inside Japan, the United States, and throughout Asia. If the alliance is to survive, how should it change to best serve the evolving national interests of Japan and the United States?
Key points in this Outlook:
* The U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation has helped maintain peace in Asia for the past fifty years.
* Security-related issues regarding North Korea’s nuclear-weapons program and China’s growing military raise important political questions for the future of the alliance.
* Today, the Obama and Hatoyama administrations must decide if they view the alliance as a key element in their security strategies or as an outdated relic of a bygone era.
To read the whole paper, go here: http://www.aei.org/outlook/100929
Jonathan Golub, Esq. (Saitama-ken, 1996-97)
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For JetWit readers working in law or financial services, you may be interested to know that attorney Jonathan Golub (Saitama-ken, 1996-97) was a major contributor to a recent article on the topic of hedge funds and a proposed law that would require many hedge fund managers to register with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).
Jonathan is a senior financial services associate at Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP. He advises investment advisers on a wide variety of matters including private investment fund formation and compliance with securities and commodities regulations.
Here are two videos of Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, from a keynote speech he gave at the University of Missouri in St. Louis back in October.
In the first, he talks about the connection between manga and anime and traditional Japanese line-based aesthetics–or what Takashi Murakami now calls “Superflat”:
And in the second video, he discusses the fundamental differences between American visual iconography and Japanese sensibilities, with a reference to Pokemon in America and McDonald’s in Japan:
JET alum and technical writer David Kowalsky has a nice book review on the book Twitterville: How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhoods in the latest edition of Sound Views, the newsletter for the Puget Sound Chapter of the Society for Technical Writers.
Here’s the link: http://bit.ly/3hix5A.
Have a look and feel free to share your thoughts on Twitter as well. Also, you can follow JetWit via Twitter at http://twitter.com/jetwit.
Two positions, one part time and one full time, at Marlboro College that were passed to Adam Hempling (Nagano-ken, 2000-02) by a colleague of his at Smith College:
JOB #1: Adjunct instructor for Japanese Aesthetics Course
Marlboro College, a liberal arts institution of 330 students and 39 faculty, invites applications for an adjunct instructor to teach a course on Japanese aesthetics during the spring term 2010. The course would serve as part of the academic preparation for a group of Marlboro students and faculty going to Japan at the conclusion of the spring semester to pursue several research projects on performance, photography, poetry, and contemporary Buddhist practice.
The course should address the theory of Japanese aesthetics as well as their expression in traditional and contemporary cultural forms across different media (dance, theater, literature, painting, photography, etc.). The course would be offered for two credits (rather than the usual four), and would likely meet only once per week.
Please send a cover letter including ideas for the course, C.V., and the names of two references to: Margaret Hunt, assistant to the Dean of Faculty, Marlboro College, PO Box A, Marlboro, VT 05344 EOE
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JOB #2: Freeman Foundation Undergraduate Asian Studies Initiative II
Staff Support Position
9/10/09 Read More
Via Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999), Assistant Director at the Donald Keene Center on Japanese Culture at Columbia University. To get on their e-mail list for future events, send an e-mail to donald-keene-center at columbia dot edu.
1. “Translation and its Postcolonial Discontents: Controversy over Toma Seita’s Reading of Kim Soun’s Japanese Translation of Korean Poetry in Postwar Japan”
October 14th, 2009 (Wednesday) 5:30-7:00 PM; Serk-bae Suh (University of California-Irvine); Location: 403 Kent Hall, Columbia University (116th St. and Amsterdam Avenue) http://www.keenecenter.org/content/view/100/126/#oct14
2. “What Will Be Almost Permanently Lost in Translation? A Cognitive Linguistic View”
November 5th, 2009 (Thursday) 4:00-5:30 PM; Seiichi Makino (Princeton University); Location: 569 Lerner Hall, Columbia University (114th St. and Broadway) http://www.keenecenter.org/content/view/100/126/#nov
From the JETAASC newsletter:
WEN CHAO CHEN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF EAST ASIAN STUDIES
Application deadline is January 15, 2010. Fellowships begin June 1, 2010, and conclude May 31, 2011. For further information and application materials please visit Next Generation Fellowship:
http://nbr.org/about/nextgenfellowship.aspx
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JetWit knows that a lot of JET alums are interested in working in the fields of international education programs and student services, so we asked future international ed expert Pam Kavalam (Shiga-ken, 2007-09) to talk to some JET alums in the field and share her conversation for the benefit of the JET alumni community:
Spotlight on University Administration
by Pam Kavalam (Shiga-ken, 2007-09)
Are you looking for a career that can utilize some of the skills you learned over in Japan- cross-cultural exchange, working with students, and (for the truly lucky) the offer to travel again? Think about working at a university- either in international exchange or student affairs. I sat down with Shannan Spisak (Kawasaki-shi, 96-98) to talk about her experience from the JET Program to higher education administration.
Tell me about your journey into the field of international education.
Shannan: After I came back from JET, I moved to New York City with a friend and worked at a private Japanese company for 2 years. I decided to switch careers to move into the international arena; the United Nations in particular interested me. I went on a number of informational interviews with fellow former JETs working in the field and they all recommended graduate school. I decided to study Peace Education and International Exchange at Teachers College, Columbia University. In order to finance my education, I took a job working as Assistant to the President of Barnard College while attending classes part-time. During the process of completing my M.A., I realized I had grown more interested in the education component of my degree than its relation to UN work. Consequently, my focus shifted towards seeking a career in international exchange in higher education.
What do you do now?
Shannan: I work at the Institute of International Education (IIE) in the Global Scholarships Division. The IIE is a 90 year-old non-profit organization that runs over 200 programs around the world, including the Fulbright. I manage three international scholarship programs through the GE Foundation and the Chubb Insurance Foundation. I organize the review and selection of applications, notify finalists, award grants, and manage special components of the scholarships such as Leadership Development Seminars and Career Workshops. I also coordinate Read More
Hot of the JETAA DC yahoogroup, a really great JET-appropriate opportunity for JET alum academic and international relations types. FYI, JET alum Michael Auslin is a professor of Japanese history and politics and currently the Director of Japanese Studies for the American Enterprise Institute in D.C. See past JetWit posts about Michael Auslin here.
Japanese Studies:
An intern in this department will work under Resident Scholar Michael Auslin, head of AEI’s Japan Studies Program. Dr. Auslin is currently focusing on Japanese strategic thinking and security doctrine, as well as Asian maritime security issues.
Tasks include: researching, in Japanese and English, topics in Japan’s national security, maritime security issues, and Asia’s strategic security environment. The intern will also conduct research in support of publications and assist in the organization of AEI conferences and panel discussions. The ideal candidate for this position will have an interest in Japanese and Asian security affairs and reading ability in Japanese language.
All applications must be submitted online at www.aei.org/internships.
All applications must include a cover letter, resume, unofficial transcript, and short writing sample.
AEI internships are available to advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent graduates. A minimum of a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale is required. However, most successful candidates have at least a 3.5 GPA.
This internship is one of fifty offered by the American Enterprise Institute every semester. AEI’s internship program has repeatedly been named one of the top 100 internships in the nation. The work assigned to interns is highly substantive, consisting largely of academic research, conference attendance, and various other tasks in support of their particular department. Additionally, AEI internships offer a wealth of academically enriching opportunities, including access to our conferences and events; a series of policy lectures and career talks available exclusively to interns; and frequent intern happenings, informal gatherings providing the chance to interact with AEI’s prestigious staff.
If you have any questions, please contact Leslie.Forgach@ aei.org
Just found out that Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, has a review of “Tears in the Darkness,” a capacious, brilliantly narrated account of the Bataan Death March in World War II, featuring interviews with Japanese, American and Filipino veterans/survivors — in this month’s issue of BOOKFORUM. Inhumanity, with novelistic intimacy…
Read the review here: http://www.bookforum.com/inprint/016_03/4339
Pam Kavalam (Shiga Prefecture, ’07-’09) is planning on attending the NAFSA Regional Conference (http://www.region10.nafsa.org/Region%20X%20New/Conferences_Workshops/conf2009/index.htm) in Springfield, MA from November 2-5 and would like to connect to other JET alums who are interested in going.
NAFSA (www.nafsa.org) is the professional association for international higher education administration.
If you’re interested in, or already working inm study abroad, international student advising and recruitment or international education in general, this is the conference for you. It’s a great way to network within the Boston and New York areas, learn more about the field, and attend workshops that you can put on your resume.
Contact Pam for details about registration, transportation, hotel information, volunteering and costs.
Does anyone in the JetWit-a-sphere have any connections with administrations or faculty at any Japanese universities?
I ask because I know that there’s been a trend of Japanese universities trying to attract foreign students to study on their campuses. I think the reason is related to the declining population in Japan but I’m not sure.
Regardless, it seems to me that perhaps some of them would be interested in advertising on JetWit. JetWit has recently been getting over 400 hits per day and is used not just by JET alums all around the world but also by current JETs who are interested in getting a sense of what comes after JET. Simply put, there’s no other way to reach this many JETs and JET alums this efficiently.
So if anyone can put me in touch with appropriate people at some of these universities, or better yet, make them aware of JetWit and get them interested in sponsoring the site in some way, then that kind of help would be greatly appreciated.
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu,
Steven (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
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Thanks to Dr. Andrew Staples (Fukuoka-ken, 1996-99) (whom we learned about thanks to Eleanor Robinson (CIR Aomori-ken, 1999-2002)), JetWit has learned of another JET alum in the world of academia:
Dr. Christopher P. Hood (Aichi-ken, 1993-94) is the Director of the Cardiff Japanese Studies Centre at with is part of the Cardiff Business School at Cardiff University in the U.K.
Chris’ website does a good job of describing his background and career path as well as listing his books and other publications. Hopefully it serves as a guide and perhaps inspiration for other JET alums as well:
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Having become interested in Japan while I was at Concord College, I went on to study Japanese Studies and Business Studies at the School of East Asian Studies (University of Sheffield). Then, after a year on the JET Programme, I returned to Sheffield to do a PhD. Since August 2000, I have been a lecturer at and the Director of the Cardiff Japanese Studies Centre, part of the Cardiff Business School at Cardiff University. I am also an Associate Fellow at Chatham House.
I have also been working on a number of other projects over the past few years. For example, I was the editor of The Politics of Modern Japan, a 4 volume collection of articles on Japanese politics, published in 2008. I was also co-editor, with Prof. G. Bownas and D. Powers, of Doing Business with the Japanese, published in 2003.
My research interests relating to Japan are broad, however the central themes are relating to identity and symbolism. My doctoral research and first book, Japanese Education Reform: Nakasone’s Legacy, were on education reforms in Japan and the influence of Prime Minister Nakasone.
My next project was on the shinkansen (‘bullet train’), looking at the ways in which it both reflects aspects of Japanese society and the ways in which it has influenced Japanese society. This book, Shinkansen – From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan, was published originally in 2006, with a paperback version published in 2007.
I am currently writing a book about the Japan Airlines flight JL123 crash in 1985. Although the book, Dealing with Disaster in Japan: Japanese and Global Responses to the Flight JL123 Crash, due to be published in 2011, will discuss the reasons for the crash, it will primarily be looking at what can be learnt about Japanese, and to some extent global, society by looking at what happened following the crash.
After this I am planning a book which will bring together my research to date as well as including some new material based on further fieldwork which has been ongoing for the past couple of years. This book will be looking at identity within Japan using several topics (education, attitudes to city mergers, attitudes to natural and man-made disasters, and attitudes to the development of the shinkansen network) as case studies.
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To learn more about Chris and his publications, go to the following links:
- Chris’ website: http://www.hood-online.co.uk/index.php
- Chris’ books and other publications: http://www.hood-online.co.uk/publications/
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You may have read recently about Eleanor Robinson (CIR Aomori-ken, 1999-2002) and her work with the new Doshisha Global MBA Program which begins in September. Thanks to Eleanor, we’ve also learned about another JET alum, Dr. Andrew Staples (Fukuoka-ken, 1996-99), who is a Special Visiting Professor at Doshisha Business School with a number of published writings that should be of interest to the JET alumni community.
Here’s more about Andrew and his career path so far:
JetWit: We understand your work has been published. Can you tell us what and where?
Andrew: I’ve published a few times with Palgrave in the Asian Business Series including the chapter in the new textbook (we are in the process of making PowerPoint slides to accompany the book, which has been selling well), a chapter in an edited volume titled Emerging Multiplicity, and my own single authored text published last year, Responses to Regionalism, which was based on my PhD thesis.
Publications by Andrew Staples:
- Asian Business and Management: Theory, Practice and Perspectives (see chapter 4)
- Responses to Regionalism in East Asia – Chapter titled “Japanese Production Networks in the Automotive Sector”
- Emerging Multiplicity – Integration and Responsiveness in Asian Business Development
JetWit: What was your path from JET to academics?
A: I was an ALT for two years in a senior high in Fukuoka prefecture before becoming the ALT prefectural coordinator in Fukuoka City for the final year. After JET I enrolled at the School of East Asian Studies (SEAS), University of Sheffield, U.K. to study for an MSc in East Asian Business (1999-2000). I funded this, by the way, with my pension and tax refund and a bit of university English teaching here and there, which is something other JETs could consider doing. Read More
Starting in September, Doshisha University in Kyoto will begin offering its Global MBA Program through its Graduate School of Business at Doshisha University in Kyoto. And JET alum Eleanor Robinson (CIR Aomori-ken, 1999-2002) is actively involved in the administration of the program.
After leaving the JET Programme in 2002, Eleanor Robinson studied International Relations at Kyoto University with a focus on the history of Anglo-Japanese relations. She is still in the process of completing her PhD thesis while also currently working full-time as an administrator for the Graduate School of Business at Doshisha University in Kyoto. Her job is to translate documents, assist international students and a range of other tasks. Eleanor notes that all of the classes on the Global MBA will be in English with an “Asia focus” and the program has a student cohort of 23 people from all over the world.
Links:
- Doshisha’s Global MBA – http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/
- Eleanor’s blog about her research and other work at Doshisha University: http://eleanorinjapan.wordpress.com/
- JetWit Study Program Page (listing all graduate and other programs of study we know of that might be of interest to JETs and JET alums): http://jetwit.com/wordpress/graduate-school/
The latest from JET alum Michael Auslin, a professor of Japanese history and politics and currently the Director of Japanese Studies for the American Enterprise Institute in D.C.
Go to http://www.aei.org/event/100118 for full event details. Go here for more posts about Michael Auslin on JetWit.
Japan’s Election: Democratic Breakthrough?
AEI event, Wednesday, September 2, 2009
 Photo Courtesy of chinadaily.com |
On September 2, AEI’s Michael Auslin will moderate a panel discussing Japan’s August 30 general elections. If it wins, the Democratic Party of Japan will focus on reversing the country’s sharpest economic downturn since World War II, but it will also face numerous foreign policy challenges. The panel will include Kevin Maher, director of the Japan desk at the State Department, Len Schoppa of the University of Virginia, and Nick Szechenyi of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. [READ MORE]
JET alum Lars Martinson, author of the graphic novel Tonoharu: Part 1, is not only currently studying East Asian calligraphy in Ehime-ken, he wants to write a comic book about his experience. And he’s in the process of seeking funding to help make this happen.
If you’ve seen Tonoharu: Part 1, you know that “comic book” barely does justice to Lars’ sophisticated and detailed drawing style. And having won a Monbusho Scholarship to help him fund the production of Tonoharu: Part 1, Lars knows a thing or two about getting funding (as further demonstrated in a previous blog post titled “How to Apply for a Monbusho Scholarship“).
That said, it’s never easy getting funding and income as an artist/illustrator. (See, e.g., Lars’ recent post on adapting his drawing style for professional and practical purposes.) So if anyone can provide any assistance or leads to help Lars with funding, please feel free to get in touch with him at blog [at] larsmartinson [dot] com.
For information about Lars, you can read his blog at http://larsmartinson.com. You can also read a nice article about Lars from the Winter 2008 “Digital Media” Issue of the JETAA NY Newsletter, written by Alexei Esikoff (Fukushima-ken, 2001-02).
For those of you who weren’t able to catch Roland Kelts’ (Osaka-shi, 1998-99) interview with Hayo Miyazaki in Berkeley, CA on July 25, a “fanatically thorough transcript” of the full interview has been posted at the GhibliWorld site: http://www.ghibliworld.com/miyazaki_on_stage_conversation_berkeley_july_2009.html
Over the weekend we mentioned that Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, gave a talk for the students in the Keio Academy of New York Japanese-English Bilingual Summer Program in Purchase, NY in connection with a two-week Digital Media Creation program. (Additional speakers in the program include Michael Arias, director of “ANIMATRIX” and “Tekkonkinkreet,” Shoji Kawamuri, animation director and mechanical designer and Yuji Nunokawa, CEO of animation producer Pierrot Co., Ltd.)
Here are a couple nice photos from the event:
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This past Thursday evening, Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, gave a talk for the students in the Keio Academy of New York Japanese-English Bilingual Summer Program in Purchase, NY in connection with a two-week Digital Media Creation program.
Additional speakers in the program include Michael Arias, director of “ANIMATRIX” and “Tekkonkinkreet,” Shoji Kawamuri, animation director and mechanical designer and Yuji Nunokawa, CEO of animation producer Pierrot Co., Ltd.
A significant number of JET alumni are working in, or interested in working in, the field of international education programs, also sometimes referred to as student services. With that in mind, here’s a good written and radio piece from NPR’s Weekend Edition titled “Houston Community College Has Global Appeal.” The piece delves into a trend of community colleges reaching out to international students and even setting up school outposts in foreign countries, partly as a way to recruit.
For any JET alumni interested in getting into the field of international education programs, it’s worth being aware that there may be some great opportunities available at the small college level.
Can anyone recommend any scholarships (or organizations/institutions that are good sources of scholarships) that might appeal to JETs/JET alums in addition to the ones listed below? If so, please post in the comments section, or feel free to e-mail directly to jetwit [at] jetwit [dot] com. We’ll make a more complete list available after getting responses.
- Monbusho
- Monterey Institute
- McGill MBA
- JAIMS (Japan-America Institute of Management Science)
- Temple University Japan campus MBA
- JLGC summer in Japan
Update:
- Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships http://www.rotary.org (Thanks to Shannon Quinn, former JETAA Pacific Northwest President, former JETAA USA Country Rep and currently the ALT Advisor to MEXT in Tokyo.)
Update #2:
A few more scholarships, thanks to Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999), Associate Director at the Donald Keene Center on Japanese Culture at Columbia University.
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Japan Foundation — grants for Ph.D. studies, short-term research, Japan-related organizations who need funding for Arts & Culture or Japanese Studies projects:
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Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Translation Prize (administered through Columbia University’s Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture):
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Shicho Fellowship for Graduate Study in Japan (adminstered through Columbia University’s Donald Keene Center of Japanese of Japanese Culture; only open to Columbia U grad students):
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National Endowment for the Humanities (Fellowships: Advanced Social Science Research on Japan):
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Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (fellowship program, creative artists’ program, etc.):
Thanks to Noriko Furuhata, the JET Liason at the Consulate General of Japan in New York, for letting me know about another JET alum professor:
- David Leheny, Professor of Japanese Studies at Princeton University, who has two books published:
His info has been added to the JetWit Library in both the Academic as well as Authors/Books sections.
Here’s the latest from JET alum Michael Auslin, a professor of Japanese history and politics and currently the Director of Japanese Studies for the American Enterprise Institute in D.C.
- The Rise of China: Essays on the Future Competition – Edited by Gary J. Schmitt, with contributions from Michael Auslin, Dan Blumenthal, Ellen Bork, Nicholas Eberstadt, Robert Kagan, Schmitt, and Ashley J. Tellis; April 2009; Contributors to this volume challenge the prevailing benign view of China’s rise and analyze what the United States and its allies might do in the arenas of foreign and defense affairs to meet the challenges posed by China’s increased political, economic, and military power.
- Obama’s Hundred-Day Scorecard on Asia Policy
Japan
Grade: BOne step forward, two steps back. Secretary Clinton’s trip to Japan as the first stop on her diplomatic voyage was an important symbolic gesture to reassure Tokyo that Washington still values it as its key Asian ally and a proactive attempt to reengage Japan. However, the U.S. failure to make clear its commitment to defending Japanese territory prior to North Korea’s missile launch, compounded by its inability or unwillingness to secure a new resolution punishing Pyongyang’s provocation–the United States ultimately codrafted a presidential statement with the Chinese–left Japan feeling isolated. Furthermore, Tokyo and Washington face potentially troublesome days ahead fulfilling long-standing alliance agreements to restructure forces. Symbolic gestures will be no substitute for a firm working relationship built on shared interests.
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
When I was in Japan back in March, a topic that was on everyone’s minds (or at least those of my single friends) was 婚活 (konkatsu), 
the idea of pursuing a marriage partner in the same way you would look for a job. The flip side of the coin is the companion term 離活 (rikatsu), referring to rikon katsudou or similar efforts regarding divorce. In keeping with the times, new dramas this spring season revolve around these themes. In the interest of anthropological research as well as satisfying my Japanese drama addiction, I checked out 「婚カツ！」 and 「コンカツ・リカツ」 .
The former stars SMAP member Masahiro Nakai as Kuniki Amamiya, a 34-year old who Read More
Via JETAA Texoma (Chapter 9):
Dear Texoma JET Alumni:
The Consulate-General of Japan at Houston is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for a special Research Student Scholarship available only to past JET Program participants. Like ordinary Research Student Scholarships, this opportunity provides recipients with round-trip airfare to Japan, all tuition expenses, and a monthly allowance of 152,000 yen (approx. $1450) per month. The scholarship term will be one-and-a-half to two years, extendable if the recipient is accepted to a masters or PhD program.
To qualify, applicants must be previous JET participants, citizens of the United States, have been born on or after April 2, 1975, and should be in good health. Furthermore, applicants must be able to arrive in Japan between April 1 and April 7 or between October 1 and October 7, 2010 and have intermediate or higher level Japanese ability. Proposed fields of study should be the same or related to a field applicants studied previously.
More details can be found at: http://www.houston.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/culture/page11-2.htm. The deadline for applications is June 26, 2009, so please start your applications soon. Be sure to include your JET experience on your application. If you have any questions, please contact me at 713-652-2977 x2114 or jetcoord@cgjhou. org. This is a tremendous opportunity, so we hope many of you will apply.
MEXT Scholarships
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Monbukagakusho: MEXT) sponsors Japanese Government Scholarships to enable aspiring foreign scholars from all over the world to study in Japan. To date, some 65,000 students from approximately 160 countries and regions around the world have studied in Japan under the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship program established in 1954. As of May 1, 2005, there were 9,891 foreign students studying in Japan as Japanese government scholarship students. Japanese proficiency is not required at the time of application unless otherwise noted; however, scholarship recipients are required to take Japanese language classes in Japan.
Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles accepts application for Japanese government scholarships from candidates who are the U.S. public and reside or attend universities in Southern California and Arizona.
Applications for following Japanese government (Monbukagakusho) scholarships for 2010 are now available. Completed application must be accepted by June 8, 2009. Please note that applicants who have Japanese nationality at the time of application are not eligible.
JET Program Alumni are encouraged to apply to the Research Student Scholarship (there MAY be a scholarship available for alumni ONLY through this.)
For more information, please go to: http://www.la.us.emb-japan.go.jp/e_web/e_m05_18.htm
This article from today’s NY Times puts a positive spin on job searching in the current economic climate, pointing out how the lack of traditional Wall St. jobs for business school grads has in a sense given many of them “permission” to pursue other jobs, such as teaching, managing a jazz club, applying for the foreign service or going to rabbinical school when they might otherwise have felt pressured to go for a high-paying, high-status Wall Street job.
Dakedo, if you read between the lines, what this means is a more competitive job market for everyone including JET alums. Now, when you apply for the foreign service or Teach for America or anything else, you’re competing against MBA students and other highly-qualified people for these positions.
Sore de, it’s more important than ever to take a proactive approach to the notion of career and job search. The ground is shifting underneath us, which is scary, but also means there are new opportunities. It’s no longer enough to think of jobs as familiar fixed categories for which you send your resume and wait for a company or organization to “give” you a job. This is the time to look around, figure out what needs are out there and create your own job and your own value, especially given the tools available out there to everyone such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Etsy.com, eBay and many others. While you may or may not succeed in creating your own job or business, going through the process will open doors, teach you new skills, give you more confidence and be more likely over time to lead to new opportunities and new jobs.
In other words, we all now have permission to take risks. Ganbatte kudasai!
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