This is Mikael Kai!

My name is Mikael Kai, a pioneer student of School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Department of Integrated Global Studies (also known as IGS). This course is the first ever undergraduate program taught in English at Hiroshima University. My dad is a Filipino while my mom is a Japanese, making me a Japinoy. I decided to enter IGS because 18 years of my life, I’ve been studying at the Philippines, and I think that it was time for me to explore the other half of myself.
It’s really different here in IGS. In your first year, you are free to choose your own subjects and manage your own class schedule. The degree is quite unique as well. It is not Bachelor of Arts nor Bachelor of Sciences, it’s Bachelor of Arts and Sciences. In your second year, you would choose from three different fields. You could check out more information about this at the website. Studying at a new country is a different experience as well. New culture, new food, and new kinds of fun. Of course, I’m sure that you’ll learn how to speak in Japanese at IGS! You will really learn a lot of new things when you are different.

This is Professor Kawamoto!

IGS is an undergraduate program taught in English. You don’t have to study Japanese before coming to Japan. In the classes, you will discuss and work together with students from many countries. Studying with students who have different backgrounds enables us to overcome differences in values, take an unbiased look at ourselves, understand diversity, and have flexible thinking. IGS students do internships and have an option to study abroad other than in classes. Through them, you can develop your interests to study fields at university and get a job after graduation.

IGS aims to develop students to have specialized knowledge and contribute to the global society. Curiosity and passion for learning are the keys to success!

This is Professor Taferner!

Welcome to IGS!

My name is Robert Taferner. Currently I am an Associate Professor teaching within the Integrated Global Studies Program.

Currently we are in the second year of IGS. As we are expanding our experiences through many challenging courses, study abroad and internship opportunities, the study of a third language, and the development of Academic Study Skills.

Our exciting new international Program offers students an excellent opportunity to study a variety of contemporary academic subjects in English. IGS is divided into 3 Fields of Study: Culture and Tourism, Peace and Communication, and Environment and Society.

My research is in the area of Peace and Communication. I research Intercultural Sensitivity (within the field of Pragmatics) as a means to facilitate peace between individuals as they engage in problem-solving activities, workplace interactions, and general communication within and between cultures.

Furthermore, I am very interested in Psycholinguistics. Within this field, I am consolidating the notion that when there are differences in first and second language pre-linguistic conceptualizations, learning the second language will be more difficult. This hypothesis is particularly interesting when applied to the learning and acquisition of spatial and temporal prepositions (e.g., in, on, and at) and adpositions of other languages throughout the world. I call this the Cross-linguistic Image Schema Differential (CISD) Hypothesis where image schemas and schematic integrations are investigated.

Other IGS Professors also offer a variety of stimulating topics for you to study in English. We hope you join us in expanding our global reach into the future at Hiroshima University.