This research group aims to reimagine the field of International Educational Development by bridging theory and practice. It intends to do two main activities: 1) facilitating a series of dialogue between next generation scholars and practitioners in this field to better understand each other; and 2) proposing new image of the field through collaborative explorations of the past and current experiences. The research team has already launched an informal study group last year, where we learned that scholars (or theories) and practitioners (or their practices) have somehow “passed” each other without really engaging in dialogue. For example, scholars tended to perceive JICA as a monolithic actor rather than paying attention to individual feelings and struggles inside the organization, whereas practitioners tended not to utilize researchers’ perspectives and critiques fully in their daily business. The proposed research group, therefore, tries to have continuous dialogue between scholars (or theories) and practitioners (or their practices) so that we could deepen our understanding about how and why there has been such a distance between them as well as whether we ought to bridge the gap or not, what it means, and how. Unpacking these questions in collaboration with the two parties may help reimagine the field of International Educational Development.

The purpose of this study group is to define “internal internationalization” in terms of employment, education, health-care and community. We aim to achieve this via field work, public lectures and symposium, in a collaborative effort throughout the industry-academia-government network. This network consists of private companies, research institutions, schools, the public sector, and civil societies.  In addition, we intend to disseminate our research and insights to the general public, not only to JASID members.

“Internal internationalization” has often come up in discussions about multicultural coexistence, international exchange and cooperation, and International Covenants on Human Rights in the fields of sociology, anthropology and political science.  Based on prior research, we focused on changes in the labor environment that came as a result of rapid changes in Japan’s demographic composition due to the ultra-aging issue.  In particular, we can contribute to a multicultural society flourish by evaluating the status of foreign workers from different angles. We would form our evaluation based on acts such as the September 1, 2017 “Partial Revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” and the November 1, 2017 “Act on Proper Technical Intern Training and Protection of Technical Intern Trainees.”

To that end, this study group will carry out research and analyze “internal internationalization” by sharing data throughout the industry-academia-government network in regular study group sessions.  Additionally, research results will be disseminated by publications, lectures and symposiums.

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