UTokyo GUC Field Study Program 2026 Successfully Concludes!

The UTokyo Global Unit Courses (GUC), a short-term program organized by the Center for Global Education, welcomed international students to the University of Tokyo for a successful summer session. The newly launched Field Study Program was held from June 8 to June 12. Seven students who successfully passed the selection process participated in the program, gaining valuable learning experiences both on the University of Tokyo campus and hands-on field studies at the University of Tokyo Hokkaido Forest.

Before traveling to Hokkaido, students attended lectures on the Hongo Campus, where they learned about the history of Hokkaido, the development of tourism in the region, Ainu history and culture, and posthumanism. They then traveled to Hokkaido to learn about sustainable forest management through lectures, a museum visit, and hands-on fieldwork at the University of Tokyo Hokkaido Forest (UTHF).

Students then visited the Shirogane Blue Pond and Shirahige-no-Taki Falls in Biei to learn how natural landscapes are received as tourist destinations. They also visited Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, where they reflected on bioethics and animal rights by observing their behavioral exhibits.

On the last day, students visited the Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Memorial Museum in Asahikawa. The deputy director introduced the origins of the museum and the history of the Ainu people in Asahikawa. Students also gained a hands-on experience playing the Mukkuru (also known as Mukkuri), a traditional Ainu mouth harp. Finally, students reflected on their overall learning outcomes and shared their insights with one another, bringing the field study program to a meaningful close.

Feedback from the students was highly positive, with comments such as "The perspectives provided in the course helped me engage with each tourist site more thoughtfully, rather than simply enjoying them in a passive way," "What made this course unique was the direct exposure to experiences and perspectives that could never be fully gained through traditional classroom lectures," and " What impressed me most was the idea that there is a deep connection and balance between humans and nature, and that this balance can only be maintained through continuous effort and adaptation."