亲朋棋牌

At Tohoku University, a semester-long Intercultural Collaborative Learning (ICL) class has brought together 36 students - half of them international and half from around Japan - to explore Japanese fermented foods with a special focus on Sendai's distinctive miso tradition.

The class, which has grown in popularity since it was introduced three years ago, is an example of Tohoku University's pioneering approach to internationalization through collaborative learning.

"For our international students, it's about understanding Japanese culture and community," explained Associate Professor Rumi Watanabe, who teaches the class. "For our domestic Japanese students, we want to expose them to a broader perspective on issues and the communication skills necessary to thrive in a global environment."

Throughout the semester, students deepened their knowledge of Sendai miso through lectures and a factory tour that challenged their preconceptions.

"I'm used to eating miso back home but never knew how miso was made or the history behind miso," said Low Jun Yan, a student from Malaysia. "My biggest takeaway from the field trip was seeing how detailed and diligent the factory workers were and the exceptional care they take at the factory, especially with hygiene."

This sentiment was echoed by Chinese classmate Ma Xinyi. "In China, what we call a factory is usually a really big noisy place with many machines and many workers. But the miso factory that we visited was small and really clean and tidy. It was so different from my image of a factory, and everyone was very proud of their work and their miso. It inspired me a lot."

What makes this class particularly effective is its project-based approach. After gaining theoretical knowledge, students were put into groups and tasked with developing new recipes that incorporate Sendai miso into dishes from their homelands.

"Sendai miso, with its higher soybean-to-rice ratio and slow fermentation, offers a strong umami flavour that might surprise even Japanese students from other prefectures," noted Watanabe. Students discovered this distinctive flavour could enhance not only traditional Japanese cuisine but international dishes and even sweet desserts like madeleines.

For their final project, students prepared their miso-infused creations for representatives from the Sendai Miso Association, the University Co-op (which manages the campus cafeterias) and each other.

Masahiko Yamagata, Vice Chairman of Sendai Miso Japan, praised their creativity. "The dishes were really good and we were happy that the students found ways to promote the rich umami of Sendai miso."

The industry connection also creates potential real-world impact. "One of our major goals in this initiative is to expand into overseas markets," said Yamagata. "The students' work will be very helpful as we consider how to combine Sendai miso with the food cultures of different countries."

Tohoku University currently offers some 70 ICL classes annually - the largest number among Japanese national universities - with plans to expand to 100 classes within the next five years.

Director of the Global Learning Centre Kazuko Suematsu, who leads the university's ICL initiative, emphasizes the classes' focus on collaboration with external stakeholders. "We not only bring together international and domestic students, but also collaborate with local communities, local companies and international organisations like UNESCO."

The Sendai miso class, for example, connects students with a traditional local industry while encouraging them to think globally about its potential.

For Tokyo native Aya Tsuruta, the class provided valuable cross-cultural communication experience. "I took this class because I'm interested in meeting international students, speaking in English and learning how to introduce Japanese culture to the world." International students likewise gained appreciation for Japanese traditions while contributing their own cultural perspectives.

By integrating intercultural collaboration into the university experience, Tohoku University hopes to better prepare graduates to thrive globally while helping local communities adapt to internationalization. It's a recipe for success, perhaps as rich and satisfying as Sendai miso itself.