The Overseas Field Seminar on “Livelihood, Environment and Peace: Studying in Vietnam” was successfully held. This program is organized in cooperation with Hue University and other local institutions. This year, twelve undergraduate students and four faculty members (Associate Professor Hitoshi SHINJO, Associate Professor Shuhei TANAKA, Assistant Professor Ryo NUKINA, and Assistant Professor Akiko HIGASHIGUCHI) participated in the field training. A total of 203 undergraduate students have visited Vietnam through this program.
The visit began in Hue City, the base for training in Central Vietnam, where we met with students and faculty members of Hue University. In addition to Hue City, the participants stayed in a mountainous area inhabited by ethnic minorities, gaining opportunities to learn about the lives of people in an environment and lifestyle undergoing change. At the end of our activities in Hue, the participants, together with Hue University students, jointly planned and conducted a three-day on-site survey, and presented their findings in active discussions with Hue University teaching staff members.
We then visited war heritage sites such as the Vinh Moc Tunnels and observed fisheries in the largest lagoon in Vietnam before moving on to Da Nang, the largest city in the central region. There, in collaboration with faculty members of the University of Da Nang, participants visited a dumping site and sewage plant, learning about the environmental impacts and initiatives behind urbanization. The final destination was Ho Chi Minh City, where we visited the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum to learn about the history of the Vietnam War.
Through an itinerary that began in rural areas with glimpses of traditional life, continued through provincial cities, and concluded in a rapidly developing metropolis, the participants traced the historical and ongoing transformation of Vietnam. This experience deepened their understanding of “livelihood, environment, and peace” in contemporary society while discovering similarities and differences with regard to their daily lives in Japan.
1_Reconstructed Community House of an Ethnic Minority, Mountainous Area
2_Colonial Architecture, Hue
3_Joint presentation with Hue University students