World Partnership Forum in Ibaraki
Please contact the organizer ASAP if you are interested in participating in this forum. 200 seats are available. First come, first served.
World Partnership Forum in Ibaraki*
Date: October 20, Saturday
Venue: Epochal Tsukuba
* The forum will be simultaneously interpreted into English.
Keynote Lecture: "Pushing Our Faculties to the Limit: The Challenge" by a Noble Prize winner 江崎玲於奈(Dr. Leo Esaki), who was also a chancellor of Tsukuba University from 1992 to 1998.
Time: 13:15pm to 17:00pm
- Doors open at 12:45
- Forum begins at 13:15
- Lecture: 13:30 to 14:15
- Panel discussion between Dr. Esaki, about 10 ambassadors to Japan, and representatives of the economic circle: 14:15 to 15:45
- Dialogue between the ambassadors and local students: 16:00 to 17:00
Please visit this page or download the flyer/application form here.
Or e-mail Ibaraki Prefectural Government's International Affairs Division : kokuko[AT]pref.ibaraki.lg.jp if you have any questions.
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Tsukuba Schools Information Sessions in October
> Meikei Gakuen High School
Open Campus Day*
October 20, Satuday
From 10:40am to 12:30pm
* This information session is for children who are in the 4th and 5th grades and students who are in the junior high schools. Must apply between 12:00pm on October 1 and 6:00pm on October 10.
Meikei is a prestigious private school that is known for its support programs for returnees. The school puts strong emphasis on English education and global understanding. Meikei also has its own art and other programs that public schools don’t have. The school holds an art exhibit at Tsukuba City Art Museum and brass band concert at Tsukuba University every year.
> Namiki Secondary School (Opens next Spring)
Information session for 5th graders and their parents
October 27, Satuday
First session: 9:30am to 11:00am
Second session: 11:30am to 13:00pm
Enrollment limit: 811 parent-child pairs (1622 people) each session.
Apply through your child’s school. 5th graders in public schools in Ibaraki have received a letter about these information sessions a few weeks ago. Please contact the Namiki Secondary School preparation room ASAP if you and your kid(s) are interested in attending the session. The sessions are for "5th graders and their parents", so participants are required to attend the session in parent-child pairs. The October 27 sessions are for 5th graders and their parents only. No exceptions.
The information sessions for 6th graders were held last month. The last time I checked, there will be an open house next year.
Click here to view the brochure for this new school.
Please also see "Tsuchiura Nihon University Secondary and a new school in Namiki" for your reference.
From the Namiki High School website:
Namiki High School will change to Namiki Secondary School in 2008. The secondary school unifies the lower and upper secondary school education and allows students and parents/guardians to select a six-year consistent course. It gives the students the advantage of a continuous six-year study plan. According to this, we can greatly enhance a student’s individuality and creativity or cultivate his/her rich humanity and sociality among the different aged students.
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Tsukuba Botanical Gardens
Blizzard Boy wrote an article about Tsukuba Botanical Gardens, one of Tsukuba's science-related tourist attractions. I have lived in Tsukuba for five years now and have not been to the Botanical Gardens yet (another confession: I haven't been to the top of Mt. Tsukuba either!). I think I will take Blizzard Boy's advice and go there next spring.
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Japanese Classes at Tsukuba Information Center
A message from Keyaki no Kai
Nihongo Keyaki no Kai will start its Autumn Japanese Language Class on October 16th. Foreign people who live in and around Tsukuba may attend the class.
The Introductory Class is designed for the students who are learning Japanese for the first time. Beginner I Class is for students who can read and write HIRAGANA and KATAKANA, and can engage in simple conversation. Beginner II Class is for students who have studied Japanese for more than 6 months and can understand verb and adjective changes.
TIME and PLACE
From October 16th (Tue) 2007 to March 4th (Tue) 2008
17 classes in total
Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Tsukuba Information Center (next to Nova Hall)
COST
Students are required to purchase a text book (1500 yen) at a book store. Every student has to pay 3000yen for miscellaneous expenses (including photocopying expenses) on 2nd October, at registration.
REGISTRATION and PLACEMENT
Registration takes place on Tuesday, October 2nd from 10:00 to 12:00 at the Tsukuba Information Center. If you can’t come on that day, you can pick up the application form at Tsukuba Information Center.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Tsukuba-shi Nihongo Keyaki no Kai
TEL: Ms. Kuruta 029-887-7221 (from 19:00 onward) or Ms. Hattori 029-852-3483
E-mail: nihongo0311[AT]yahoo.co.jp
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Alien Times Makes the News
Alien Times was featured in an article in the Ibaraki edition of Asahi Shimbun.
英字情報誌２０年・つくば (in Japanese)
The article briefly discusses the history of the Alien Times from its conception in 1987 to the present day situation. The Alien Times website is also mentioned. Perhaps this article will help to raise the profile of the newsletter so that we can continue to receive funding from the Expo Foundation and increase our revenues from advertising.
The article is going to be deleted from the Asahi Shimbun site in two weeks, so here is the text.
英字情報誌２０年・つくば
2007年09月26日
つくば市で発行している月刊の英字情報誌「エイリアン・タイムズ」（Ｔｈｅ ＡＬＩＥＮ ＴＩＭＥＳ）が、創刊２０年を迎えた。留学生や外国人研究者らが多く住む地域で、生活情報を得る手段として重宝されてきた。編集長で米国人宣教師ティモシー・ボイルさん（６０）は兵庫県へ移ることになり、今月を最後にバトンタッチする。
ティモシーさんが教会の仕事で同市に移り住んだのは８６年。「当時から万博の影響もあり外国人は多かったが、生活情報を得る手段は『口コミ』くらいだった」。翌年６月、生活に役立つ情報を英語で発信しようと米国人の友人ら４人で情報誌を手作りした。しばらくは作成費用は自腹と寄付。その後は財団法人「つくば科学万博記念財団」がスポンサーとなり、地元企業の広告料と合わせて印刷代などをまかなっている。スタッフは全員ボランティアだ。
同誌はＡ４判で８ページ。内容はイベント紹介や日本語の勉強など多岐にわたっている。寄稿者にはフランスやロシアの出身者がおり、英語以外の記事が載ったことも。千部がＴＸつくば駅構内や筑波大学など市内外の約３０カ所で無料配布されている。今月号のトップでは、飲酒運転への厳罰化が取り上げられている。
２０年で同誌も大きく変わった。０２年には、カナダ人のシェイニー・クロフォードさん（３６）が同誌ホームページを作成。過去の記事も閲覧できるほか、誌面に載らない情報も掲載している。
ティモシーさんは「（読者から）感謝してもらったことが何よりの思い出。優秀なスタッフがいるので何の心配もしていません」。次期編集長の小野三枝子さん（３２）は「ささいな情報でも、不安をもって来日する人たちのために続けていきたい」と話している。
同市によると、市内の外国人登録者は１３１カ国の７０８４人（８月３１日現在）。県内で最も多く、人口の３・４％を占めている。
同誌ウェブサイトはwww.alientimes.orgへ。
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