Reaction to the lecture from Dr.Paul Wadden.

  I watched the video clip of the lecture from Dr. Paul Wadden, and this is my reaction to it.

  I learned that there are a lot of similarities and differences between universities in the U.S. and universities in Japan through this lecture. Also, I understood why Dr. Paul Wadden said that ICU is a hybrid university.

  He said that the most fundamental similarity between universities in the U.S. and Japan is functions of universities. For example, universities prepare students for white-collar careers in business, government, law or medicine.  In addition, they train students to become leaders. However, I think that they are incidental functions. Certainly, it is important to get jobs after their graduation for most people, but I think that it is not main function of universities. To me, the most important function of university is, of course, to learn whatever I want, so I am not thinking about my future seriously right now. But to study hard will result in to make us possible to get "good" jobs, so in a sense, it is the main function of university to prepare students for white-collar careers in business.

  There are more differences than similarities between them.
   First, although it is easy to enter universities, it is very hard to graduate in the U.S., but in Japan, there is the opposite situation. I was surprised that half of students in the U.S. cannot finish universities in six years. Compared with it, 90 percent of Japanese students can finish them on time. I could understand the meaning of "like an escalator" that Dr.Paul said.
  Second, he said that there is great freedom in the U.S. university but not in Japanese university. American or Canadian university students can change their department, major, even university, or to transfer more easily than Japanese students.

  He said that ICU is a hybrid university. ICU has some similarities and differences with Japanese universities. For example, ICU students are offered many choices for major and classes. I think it is a strong point of ICU. In addition, ICU students have more homework than the rest of Japanese university, but less than university in the U.S. We have to study hard to graduate from ICU. I think it is important to study hard during our four years in universities.

  He said that ICU has good points of Japanese and the U.S. and I agree with him. So I would like to take advantage of this opportunity.

  I enjoyed listening this lecture, and learned lots of things about universities and ICU. His words that not to accept his idea remain in my mind.