[Podcast Column] What It’s Like to Learn in English at Waseda: Faculty Perspectives Across Disciplines

“Season 2 of Waseda University’s English podcast series Rigorous Research, Real Impact highlights faculty members who teach in English-based degree programs across the University. In these conversations, in addition to showcasing their own research, professors from different disciplines reflect on how the programs they teach in are structured, their own teaching style, and how international classrooms shape learning and research. This article brings together their perspectives to showcase the diversity of English-taught education at Waseda. From interdisciplinary liberal arts environments to specialized graduate schools, read on to learn more about a selection of programs from the professors themselves. *The quotes and information contained in the quotes were current at the time of the episode release during the 2025 academic year. Episode 1: Graduate School of Human Sciences Episode 2: School of International Liberal Studies & Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies Episode 3: Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies Episode 4: School of Political Science and Economics & Graduate School of Political Science Episode 5: School of Social Sciences “TAISI Program” Episode 6: “JCulp” and “Global-J” Episode 7: Waseda Business School Episode 8: School of Social Sciences “TAISI Program” Faculty of Human Sciences– Graduate School of Human Sciences Episode 1 — Associate Professor Theron Muller Assoc. Prof. Muller emphasizes rapid program growth and an unusually wide geographic mix of students in the Graduate School of Human Sciences, which he links directly to a more dynamic and research-active classroom environment. Prof. Muller (08:19): “The English-based degree program at the Faculty of Human Sciences is relatively new. We’re just going into our fourth intake now, and it’s seen an explosive growth in popularity.” “I think one impression a lot of people have of graduate school in Japan is that it’s very kind of Asia-centric, like there’s certain countries in Asia that students tend to come from. I think one nice aspect of our program is we have representation from a much broader expanse of the world. So, we have students from Latin America, and then we have students that are from Europe and also from the western part of Asia, not just the eastern part of Asia. So, it makes for a really international and dynamic space for students to be able to learn and to pursue their research.” Prof. Muller (09:28): “The Applied Linguistics in Practice course that I teach is a graduate-level, one-quarter course, so it’s quite a fast course…” “Instead of trying to do a kind of shallow overview of all of applied linguistics, what I try to do in that course is I try to touch on issues of how to think about doing applied linguistic research and how to think about using the methods of applied linguistic research in their own dissertation studies.” Faculty of International Research and Education– School of International Liberal Studies & Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies Episode 2 — Associate Professor Bryan Hikari Hartzheim Assoc. Prof. Hartzheim* highlights that the emphasis is less on a fixed disciplinary core and more on flexibility across media and cultural studies (and more) at SILS and GSICCS, noting both the openness and ambiguity that come with an interdisciplinary liberal arts structure. *Currently on sabbatical Prof. Hartzheim (10:40): “…I think Waseda has a couple advantages for students and researchers who want to study games or new media. One is that we have SILS. I’m speaking in English, so I’m assuming to like an English-listening population, but one of the advantages SILS has is that you can study in English. All the classes are [offered] in English. And for our undergraduate students who come here, in English, they can study classes in media, various media subjects, new media, old media, journalism…” Prof. Hartzheim (16:00): “I think both SILS and our graduate school, GSICCS, their advantage is that they are these broader liberal arts programs. GSICCS is maybe centered more around communication and cultural studies. And they do have a very interdisciplinary focus…” “For some students and researchers, this can be frustrating because there’s maybe not enough of a center. But for some students and researchers, I think this can be really liberating because it does invite a lot of different kind of approaches and ideas.” Prof. Hartzheim (13:06): “I teach a class in game studies. It’s a big kind of lecture. And I teach a seminar, a zemi , in media convergence. Most of the students in this class, they get an overview of the fundamentals of the area of study, which is game studies or media convergence…” “And then for the seminar, for example, they’ll do a graduation thesis on a topic that’s related to the class theme.” “So, I’ve had students do all sorts of stuff related to games, related to animation or anime…” Faculty of International Research and Education– Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies Episode 3 — Professor Alexander Bukh The Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies offers classes taught in both English and Japanese, and Professor Bukh focuses on how this bilingual structure expands both accessibility for international students and academic depth across regional studies. Prof. Bukh (11:31): “Well, so first of all, we’re a graduate school, meaning that you can do either master’s or PhD or both with us…So, we are a bilingual graduate school, meaning that we offer the possibility of studying in both English and Japanese. And it’s very much up to the students which course they choose, but in terms of courses, they can choose courses in English and in Japanese as well. So, for those who don’t speak Japanese or for international students who don’t speak Japanese, this is a great opportunity to do a degree, but also to learn Japanese in the process. And for those who do have a really good Japanese language ability, it’s an opportunity to take classes in English and to improve their English both in terms of speaking and listening, but also in terms of writing as well.” Prof. Bukh (12:41): “And I think my colleagues, they’re great experts that cover various aspects of international relations… So, you can, you get exposed to first-class researchers that look at, you know, international relations, so the politics, but also the economic aspects, the cultural aspects, popular culture. And we all, we offer courses and guidance in all of those areas. So, I think GSAPS is definitely a unique and a good place to pursue your graduate or your postgraduate study.” Prof. Bukh (13:30): “The two courses that I teach, I teach both in English and in Japanese. One is basically looking at nationalism and international relations. So, this is a broad course. It covers various issues and disputes from around the world, including Northeast Asia, but not limited to. And we’re looking at the role nationalism or national identity plays in shaping these conflicts. This is one course.” Prof. Bukh (13:55): “And another course, I’m looking at the Korean peninsula and most importantly, Japan’s relations with the Korean peninsula. So, for those students that are interested in learning about Japan-Korea relations, the course would be for them. We basically start from the, well, late 19th century and go all the way to the present day. So, these are my two main courses that I teach these days at GSAPS.” Prof. Bukh (14:21): “In terms of intellectual environment and research opportunities, well, I mean, the students have obviously, they have access to Waseda’s library, they participate in other courses. So, I think it’s really beneficial for them intellectually. In terms of intellectual environment, I’m trying to keep it interactive. I don’t really like lecturing. So, my courses, basically, they’re based on interaction between me and the students…I try to encourage them to think by themselves how to interpret various issues, various cases that we discuss. We do quite a lot of group work as well. So, I think students who like to interact with their peers, other students, but also to do independent work, search for material by themselves, I think they will find my courses quite appealing.” Faculty of Political Science and Economics– School of Political Science and Economics & Graduate School of Political Science Episode 4 — Associate Professor Jack Seddon Assoc. Prof. Seddon describes the teaching environment at the Faculty of Political Science and Economics as being shaped by research-led instruction, ranging from large lectures to highly focused seminars that connect coursework directly to faculty research interests and notes the importance of political science and economics as the “heart” of Waseda. Prof. Seddon (12:26): “There are so many factors [to introduce], but if I was to kind of boil it down to three main things, the first thing I’d say is that our faculty and our facilities are kind of world-class. And so those students will have the opportunity to study a whole range of different topics and get really high-quality training…” “The other thing is that being here will give them a unique opportunity to learn about and to become part of Japan and part of the academic culture and community here…” “And I think the third thing that really stands out for me about the environment here is that especially for political science and economics, it’s really the heart… of Waseda…” Prof. Seddon (14:34): “I teach introductory classes, introductions to comparative political economy and international political economy.” “And then I also have a zemi class, which is a much smaller group for undergraduates that are a bit more advanced in their studies.” “And then I also teach master’s students, and I teach those more advanced classes in specific topics that are driven by my own research. So specifically, the history of money and also the history of commodity markets.” Faculty of Social Sciences– School of Social Sciences“TAISI Program” Episode 5 — Associate Professor Megumi Kagawa Assoc. Prof. Kagawa describes the TAISI program in the School of Social Sciences as a small, highly interactive community where close faculty-student engagement, discussion-based learning, and fieldwork create a strong approach to global issues. Prof. Kagawa (11:05): “I think the School of Social Sciences’ English degree program–we call it the TAISI program–this is kind of unique, and we are a very small community compared to other English programs at Waseda. And that’s why I remember every single student’s name, and then I know how they have grown up and their capacity too. We’re trying to give very detailed comments. So that’s why I think I see their development within the four years.” Prof. Kagawa (11:33): “…[For] peacebuilding, we need to know how to talk. So, in my classes, we have a discussion-based class. And then 60% of students come from all over the world. So that means it’s kind of an everyday model UN. So, in my class, sometimes I have 20 different countries from six different continents. So, we talk about peace. Of course, everybody has a different background of peace and governance, but we learn from each other. So, my class, first we have a lecture class and then the other 20 minutes is for the group discussion. So, people can learn while not only reflecting on a topic, but also how they talk with other students or nationalities. Our program’s required credits are lower than other places. That means you have more freedom to choose. If you know the specific topic you like to study, we are very intense. So, I think it’s good for the student to learn.” “We have a field work. My class is one of the field work classes. I take [students] to the Philippines to meet with the local people, how they talk, and then visiting with a JICA office or visiting with an embassy. And then how the diplomats work, how the UN works, and how all of the international actors work together. And then this is not only learning their work, but also your future job. If you think about what kind of career you want to do, maybe you can peek at their work. So, I think it’s good to go. My class is not only the theoretical background, but also about the practical issues. So, I will teach them how to make a project proposal, how to get the budget. Because if you don’t have budget, there’s nothing you can do. So, I think we are trying to do something unique. And also, I keep the Chatham House policy. So, people can talk freely in my class, but people can use the information they learn in the class but cannot identify who said what. So, because we have different kinds of students, we come from all over the world…Some countries don’t have the freedom of speech. And that’s why we trying to guarantee their space to talk. So that’s how we try to enjoy talking about war with 20 different nationalities. And then in reality, those countries might be fighting each other, but we are still trying to talk. So, I think this is not only the theoretical part, but also they learn how to talk with other people too.” Faculty of Letters, Arts, and Sciences—Undergrad:“ JCulp ”, Graduate: “ Global-J ” Episode 6 — Professor Pau Pitarch Professor Pitarch emphasizes student agency in shaping the curriculum of his classes in the JCulP & Global-J programs, reflecting a pedagogical approach that prioritizes intrinsic motivation and co-created learning experiences. Prof. Pitarch (14:18): “I think first of all is just the people that we have here, the faculty, but also the students. I’m always amazed at the level of students that we get and how interesting our conversations are, how much I learn from them. But also, what we always try to do is to kind of put the student experience at the center and try to foster something I think is very important in any form of learning, which is intrinsic motivation. Like, you need to be invested in your learning as a learner. You need to have that intrinsic motivation.” Prof. Pitarch (14:50): “Some things I do, for instance, in my seminars with undergraduate classes, I always leave some slots in my syllabus empty, and I ask students to propose what they want to read, what they want to discuss, right? And then everybody proposes something, we vote on it. And most of the texts I don’t know because people propose animated films, they propose, I don’t know, contemporary novels that I’ve never read. But I think that’s good, right? Like, I also learn from it, and the students can also see me kind of tackle something new, not just coming to them and just telling them my spiel about Natsume Soseki, right?” Faculty of Commerce–“ Waseda Business School ” Episode 7 — Professor Alex Coad At Waseda Business School, Professor Coad frames entrepreneurship education as both practical and research-informed, highlighting how theory and applied analysis are combined to support innovation and management thinking. Prof. Coad (11:49): “…there are many things that can be taught in a business school regarding how to improve your chances of success for entrepreneurship. And so this is one area in which I think an education at Waseda Business School can help to put entrepreneurs in a stronger situation for their business.” Prof. Coad (13:20): “…In my seminar course ‘Firm Growth, Innovation, and Industry Dynamics,’ we try to discuss these things and to analyze critically what constitutes good management practice and good advice for entrepreneurs.” Prof. Coad (15:58): “…Yes, Waseda Business School, as you know, it is widely seen as the best place in Japan to get an MBA. It is widely recognized on the global landscape. So, why would students want to come to Waseda to study? So, I think there are many reasons. They might want to get or receive an education, a world-class MBA or MSc in finance. They might be interested in learning about Japanese society. They might want to live in Tokyo. They might want to receive an education along the lines that Waseda tries to prioritize, not only academically rigorous research but also actionable insights, actionable knowledge coming from a world-class faculty…” Faculty of Social Sciences– School of Social Sciences“TAISI Program” Episode 8 — Professor Yuhee Jung Professor Jung highlights the value of disciplinary breadth at TAISI, arguing that exposure to diverse fields, from economics to organizational behavior, strengthens students’ understanding of international human resource management. Prof. Jung (15:38): “So actually, I can say that the School of Social Sciences is the best place for students to learn HRM [human resource management]. Actually, I don’t teach just HRM; I mean, I teach international HRM. Nowadays, we cannot think of only simple HRM; we need international HRM. Also, I teach organizational behavior, but not only OB—I mean, cross-cultural organizational behavior.” Prof. Jung (16:05): “And not only me, the School of Social Sciences has very competent faculty members. They are each experts in various research topics, such as politics, economics, environmental economics, and like me, management. So, students can learn diverse perspectives and knowledge from these professors. So, I can say bravely that this place is the best place for students to learn HRM, especially nowadays.” Taken together, these conversations suggest that English-based degree programs at Waseda are not simply language-accessible versions of Japanese curricula, but distinct pedagogical environments shaped by international classrooms, interdisciplinary structures, and research-driven teaching cultures. They reflect a range of disciplinary approaches, from political economy and sociolinguistics to media studies and peacebuilding, all connected by a shared emphasis on international classrooms, research-informed teaching, and student-driven learning. While each program differs in structure and focus, the professors consistently highlight a common goal: creating spaces where students from diverse backgrounds can engage critically with global issues, both inside and outside the classroom.

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