Waseda University (President Katsuhiko Shirai) will start a graduate course in
“Scientific Journalism” under the Graduate School of Political Studies (Department head Takayuki Ito). The course is being set up with aid from the “New Area Human Resource Development Program” of the Science & Technology Promotion fund of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Intake for the new course will be 15 students, with classes and lectures starting from April 2006. The university plans to begin a test program this fiscal year to prepare for the actual intake of students, scheduled to start from April of next year.
1. Background and aims of the program
In recent years, science and technology has generated much social interest. However, along with this interest, a feeling of mistrust also exists towards science and technology among people, leading to a falling number of students who take sciences and a dislike for science courses among the elementary and junior high school. One of the reasons for such trends is the lack of qualified people to explain scientific and technological advances in simple terms. Waseda University plans to address this problem by training professionals in the graduate course on disseminating scientific and technological topics to people.
The aim of journalism has been to spread information and awareness among the population about government policies, industry developments, the latest social trends, etc., to allow people to make informed decisions about such matters. Such a function is especially important these days, with science and technology playing an important role in society and economics. However, it would be untrue to say that we already have a sufficient framework in place, to nurture journalists specializing in science and technology.
Waseda University has provided Japan with many illustrious journalists and key personnel in the mass media since its conception. It also has eminent alumni of researchers and technologists active in every field of science and technology. With such alumni and teaching resources already present within the university, Waseda plans to nurture science and technology journalists of the 21st century. Waseda University’s Politics and Economics Department, which has already nurtured several journalists, has been chosen to start the graduate course in “Scientific journalism.”
This course will create journalists focused on science and technology as well as broadly aim to nurture resources to spread scientific and technological information, such as public relations spokespersons, scientific communicators, science teachers. etc. Specifically, the university will cover the basic skills required in spreading information as well as a basic knowledge of science and technology through its graduate course curriculum.
Students eligible to apply for this course include under-graduate, graduate and PhD students, post-doctoral students and working professionals, regardless of a background in science or literature. After completing the course, the students will play a role in scientific information communication as journalists in science and technology and related mass communication media, science and technology related public relations officers and spokesperson in museums, and as science teachers in high schools, researchers in journalism theories, etc.
The program will receive aid from the Ministry of Ed for a period of 5 years starting from 2005, after which the university plans to introduce a science and technology journalist course in its Political Research Department. The program will also give graduates of the course a chance to continue with their studies and pursue a PhD within Waseda University.
2. Basic principle of the program
The program will be similar to other graduate courses of the university, with a course curriculum and research. The curriculum will comprise of (1) basic knowledge, (2) issue-based areas, and (3) practical work. The first two parts of the curriculum will include classroom coursework, while the practical involves learning skills in scientific communication and international communication. Research will comprise of a research paper written by each student. The university plans to hire additional staff and lecturers to help provide research guidance to the students.
The basic lectures will introduce theories of journalism and international communication and students from a non-science background will gain a basic introduction to science. Issue-based area will cover a basic introduction to areas of high social interest, such as genome research and environmental issues in biological sciences, energy issues and IT in engineering sciences, life style and health issues, and risk management in combined research domains. The practical will have journalists train students in interviewing skills, writing an article, preparing a press release, and preparing digital contents. In international communication, the university will arrange for practical work, lectures in international communication and internships in mass communication media, at research institutes, etc. Moreover, each student will be assigned a science guide and a literary guide to assist them with research papers.
3. Plans for the present year
The present fiscal year will be spent preparing for accepting students during 2006.
Once preparations have been completed, the university plans to arrange explanation tours in every university to gather applicants. From autumn this year, a test program will begin with students from both within Waseda university and outside, and curriculum and study material for the next year will be decided. Additionally, the university will conduct research into other similar programs to increase the value-add of Waseda University’s course.
The program will also aim to benefit engineering and science under-graduate and graduate students of Waseda university by arranging workshops on each student’s research topic and organizing seminars to help the students hone their skills in articulating their research work.
4. Accepting students in the next fiscal year
From April 2006, Waseda University plans to admit 15 students to the new course. The course will be adjusted according to the lecture schedule of the Graduate School of Political Studies to avoid overlapping of classes. Admission tests will be held by February of next year and applicants will find information about the course along with the application for Graduate School of Political Studies of Waseda University.
[For further details, please contact]
Graduate School of Political Studies, Waseda University
TEL.: 03-3208-8534 FAX.: 03-3204-8957
E-mail：gspolit-web-master@list.waseda.jp
