Proposal for Establishment of Asia Pacific Multicultural Collaboration Center (APMC)

This is a proposal to establish an independent administrative institution that will conduct education, training, research, and exchange designed for constructing a peaceful and stable society by soft power through multicultural collaboration between Japan and Asian-Pacific countries.

July 2021

Introduction

The Cold War between the East and the West that lasted more than 40 years ended with the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, releasing expectations for the realization of world peace. Instead, nationalist and exclusionist political ideologies suppressed during the same Cold War flared up in many parts of the world, causing insecurity in our society and escalating conflicts and acts of terrorism. The same is true in the Asia Pacific region where ethnic and religious as well as territorial conflicts have recently resurfaced.

The former nations of the Eastern Bloc and other developing countries have attained remarkable economic development in recent decades, largely through drastic changes in their political structures along with the introduction of market economies and the development of open economic systems. Many countries in the Asia Pacific region, formerly known as “developing nations,” were also able to achieve and have continued to maintain economic growth, particularly China, whose giant market and manufacturing power currently exert tremendous influence over the world’s economy.

Behind the rapid economic growth, however, lurk critical regional and global problems that include environmental, energy, health and information concerns, which are now at the stage where an immediate response is imperative for their solution.

Today, former developing nations in the Asia Pacific region are increasing their political and economic clout. In the process, they have been expressing discontent over issues such as post-war compensation and intensifying their ethnic self-assertion that all were previously stifled by political pressure and economic inequality; these sentiments and assertions could easily erupt at any moment. Under the circumstances, it is extremely urgent for every nation in the world to work hand-in-hand now, with the common purpose of seeking solutions to these international, inter-ethnic, environmental, and other problems.

Japan brought tremendous damage all over the Asia Pacific region during World War II. As part of its post-war compensation efforts, the Japanese government initiated international cooperation and assistance programs in Burma (presently Myanmar) in 1954. These measures have since developed into grant aid and financial loans, technical assistance, and other programs mainly carried out under JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), all of which had been highly evaluated overseas. Today, however, the grants and loans extended by Japan are no longer as highly regarded, particularly in so-called emerging nations that are experiencing rapid economic development. It is difficult to eliminate ethnic-related feelings of distrust and discontent merely through grants and loans. To create and maintain peaceful and stable human societies, one can no longer rely only on “hard” power as exercised in the fields of politics, economics, and order and security, but also on “soft” power such as cultural intelligence and communication abilities to help eliminate the discontent in people’s hearts and create communities that accept and recognize the diversity of human life and our mutual interdependence in an increasingly globalized world.

Soft power can be nurtured when people from Japan and other nations in the Asia Pacific region are given the opportunity to come together. Moreover, if diverse peoples live under the same roof and are tied by bonds of mutual respect for each other’s cultures and traditions while engaged in reciprocal and face-to-face dialogues, they can develop into leaders for the next generation.

With these purposes in mind, we propose to create a new international institute for education, training, research, and exchange in Okinawa, Japan, which has long served as the gateway to the Asia Pacific region through its history of encounters with the region as it is also greatly accepting many of the different cultures that arrive on its shores. We believe the institute can contribute greatly to the establishment of peace and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region; it will be named, tentatively, the Asia Pacific Multicultural Collaboration Center (APMC).

Vision

Construction of peaceful and stable societies in the Asia Pacific region through soft power

Goals & Missions

(1) Promotion of multicultural cooperation on the basis of equal partnership that goes beyond the current conventional international cooperation programs

(2) Education and training of the next-generation leaders who can contribute to peacebuilding and the construction of sustainable societies

(3) Conducting research on principles and policies for transcending political, economic, cultural, religious, and other conflicts

To achieve these goals, the following nine items of the mission have been prepared:

These items are identical to many items of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)

that have 17 goals stipulated by the United Nations. While SDGs are specified as the goals to be achieved by the year 2030, APMC is determined to continue working for these goals as long-lasting ones.

1. To promote mutual understanding among participants from various countries and enable them to overcome regional and ethnic prejudices

2. To nurture internationally-minded persons who respect regional and ethnic diversity

3. To heighten awareness about human rights, welfare, labor, and gender, among others

4. To establish societies with proper hygiene, and healthcare, and whose members live long and healthy lives

5. To conduct research for the establishment of poverty-free and sustainable economic systems

6. To guide societies and communities away from mass consumption and into the reuse and recycling of resources

7. To conduct research on achieving sustainable food, water, and energy

8. To approach environmental problems and digitalization of society from a global point of view

9. To develop and disseminate education that fosters global citizenship

APMC Programs (Education, Training, Research, and Exchange)

To achieve the purposes of APMC, four kinds of programs will be pursued: education, training, research, and exchange. APMC will set up several funds, including scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students, and fellowships for visiting scholars and other guests. The main languages to be used in the institute will be English and Japanese except in international conferences where several different languages will be used through translation and interpreting.

Participants who complete their respective programs will be granted certificates for completion, with the results of their achievement in each program to be made public through the institute’s website on regular news and reports; the results will also be notified through membership mailing lists. An alumni network will also be established to serve as a “leaders’ community” for the Asia Pacific region.

Each activity specified in the following programs is intended to exemplify the basic functions that this institute should serve. The participants, however, are not limited nor bound by what is specified in the institute’s programs in pursuit of the activities of their own interests.

(1) Education Program

A. Graduate (M.A. & Ph.D.) Course

Graduate school students will be accepted primarily for the purpose of fostering people who will seek to research activities in accordance with the goals and missions of the institute. The scholarship will be offered for students from the Asia Pacific region, on the basis of their suitability to the goals and missions of this institute, their academic performance at university, motivation for study, and their research plan. The ordinary screening system will be applied in accepting undergraduate students pursuing study at the graduate school, and the graduate students (M.A. students) pursuing work toward the doctoral course. The outline of educational programs and the graduate school coursework will be shown as follows:

Subjects: Those students who have finished or are expected to finish university coursework, are willing to engage in research from the international perspectives

The number of students accepted: About 20 students with master’s degrees, and 20 students with doctor’s degrees each year (100 students in 5 years) including Japanese students

The period for the scholarship: 2 years for master’s degree students and 3 years for doctor‘s degree students

Scholarship: Admission fee, tuition fee, transportation fee, living expenses, etc. will be provided.

Enrollment: While students will be enrolled in graduate schools in Okinawa affiliated with APMC, the location of the base for their research activity can be flexibly arranged.

Optional: The students can participate in one of the ongoing research projects at APMC as an intern.

B. Undergraduate Course

The institute will accept students who are determined to study in accordance with the goals and missions of this institute. It will select the students who will apply for the scholarship to be offered by this institute. The criteria for the selection of applicants will be based on their adaptability to the goals and missions of this institute, academic performance in high school, motivation for study, and living conditions. The outline of the educational program and the undergraduate coursework will be shown as follows:

Subjects: Senior high school graduates or those with equivalent educational backgrounds, endeavoring to work internationally in the future

Number of students accepted: 25 students including the Japanese (A total of 100 per 4 years)

The period of study: 4 years for the undergraduate program in addition to a half year for the study of Japanese

Scholarship: Admission fee, tuition fee, transportation fee, living expenses, etc. will be provided.

Enrollment: The students will be enrolled at universities in Okinawa affiliated with APMC.

Participants in program B will undergo a preparatory course before their formal enrollment, including the study of Japanese for six months. During their preparatory course period, they are expected to live together in the student dormitories of APMC and engage in active interaction with other participants.

All students in programs A and B can participate in a variety of exchange programs of the institute to acquire professional knowledge and improve their communication abilities. Moreover, they are expected to participate in “intercultural communication (IC) workshop”prepared and coordinated by IC facilitators to learn about the diversity 5 in race, ethnicity, and culture and to develop a sense of mindfulness and skills to make full use of such diversity.

(2) Training Program

To nurture leaders of the next generation who can respect diversity, overcome cultural barriers, and challenge to solve problems, short-term training programs called “transcultural leadership programs” will be offered at APMC. The selection of the trainees will be made based on their enthusiasm to work in accordance with the goals and missions of the institute. All course participants will be expected to engage in exchange and joint-study projects with colleagues from different cultural backgrounds, as they also gain a deep awareness of their own identities and promote mutual understanding, and are helped to grow into future leaders. The outline of the training programs is shown as follows:

Subject: People who are inspired to be leaders in their respective field

Training Period: About 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the nature of the program

Field of Training: Politics, economy, international relations, history, culture, environment, peace, etc.

Format of Training: Group training in a class consisting of 10 to 15 people including the Japanese

Methods of Training: Lecture, group discussion, joint-study, mutual guidance, project-based joint-production including study tour and field-work

Number of Trainees: Around 25 to 30 classes will be conducted annually, with a total of 300~400 trainees a year.

(3) Research Program

The institute will provide exchange opportunities for researchers, educators, professionals, and specialists in the Asia Pacific region to conduct problem-oriented research projects together. APMC will also establish joint research projects concerning urgent issues in the Asia Pacific region. The joint-research project on various issues in the Asia Pacific region will also be the object for application. The selection of the researchers of this institute will be made in compliance with the goals and missions of the institute. Moreover, participants in the research programs will be expected to lead and guide the education and training programs (1) and (2) above, either as coordinators or lecturers. The outline of the research program will be shown as below:

Subjects for Application: Researchers who are based in universities, etc. endorsing the goals of the institute

Period of Research: One year as a basic rule, flexibly adjusting to the research subject 6

Area of Research: Politics, Economy, International Relations, History, Culture, Environments, Peace, etc.

Mode of Research: Joint research with the full-time researcher of APMC or joint research with the other countries

Research fund: Funds will be provided, albeit with a certain upper limit amount, in accordance with the content of the research proposal.

Number of Researchers: About 20 researchers will be recruited annually, and the number of researchers staying at APMC at the same time will be up to 30.

(4) Exchange Programs (Conferences and Forums)

Exchange programs such as conferences, forums, symposiums, and seminars on the common problems and tasks of the institute will be conducted. The specific themes of this international communication program will be selected from proposals gathered from region-wide proponents in the Asia Pacific area. These international exchange activities will be held, sometimes via online, if necessary, thus reducing the burden of those who will be coming from distant lands. These international exchange programs will be using simultaneous or consecutive interpreting services, when necessary．The new insights or ideas derived from these interchange programs will be incorporated into the research project going on at APMC or will be proposed externally to such relevant agencies as each national government, and the United Nations, etc.

4. Facilities

APMC’s facilities will be constructed on the main island of Okinawa, which has an easy access to and from most Asia Pacific nations. The facilities include an administration building (directors’ and staff offices, meeting rooms), a research building (research offices), a conference hall (large hall, small hall, training rooms, seminar rooms), multicultural residence quarters for students, accommodation quarters for researchers and visitors, a library and archives, a public relations facility (ICT, multi-media), and a language center (translation and interpreting). *Two (large and small) conference halls will be equipped with simultaneous interpreting facilities to accommodate several languages.

5. Organizational Management

For effective management, APMC as a non-profit and non-partisan institute will seek to affiliate with the East-West Center in Hawaii, which has a history of more than 60 years of engaging in the education, research, and training of future leaders.

A. Number of Staff

Full-time staff: 50 researchers, 50 administrators, and support staff

Visiting staff: A total of about 100 (including researchers and administrators) depending on the on-going projects

*Administrative staff will be recruited widely from the Asia Pacific region.

B. Budget

Total annual budget: Approximately 3.2 billion yen (US$29.1million)

Breakdown

Expenses for Education, Training, and Research: 1.2 billion yen (US$10.9million) including scholarship

Personnel expenses: 1 billion yen (US$9.1million)

Management expenses: 1 billion yen (US$9.1million)

*It is presumed that the Japanese government will provide most of the funding, although a portion of the budget will also come from individuals and private sector donations.

C. Management Committee

Committees such as the Board of Directors will be established for the management of this Institute.

6. Reasons for establishing APMC in Okinawa

(1) Historical background of Okinawa, especially its engagement in peace diplomacy through trade with Asian countries since the 16th century;

(2) Geographical resemblance and similarities in the climate and natural environment with most Southeast Asian and Pacific island nations;

(3) Presence of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Okinawa, which has an excellent reputation as a training center for trainees who come from many countries; and

(4) Okinawa’s symbolic status as the only place in Japan that experienced ground war during World War II, and its strong desire for peace.

7. APMC Site

The prime candidate site for the center is the current compound of the University of the Ryukyus Faculty of Medicine (Uehara, Nishihara-cho, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa), after the faculty’s anticipated transfer to another location.

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