The Hirayama Ikuo Volunteer Center (WAVOC) Waseda University

What is a minor?

Waseda University has launched a University-wide Minor System, which any undergraduate student can use regardless of their undergraduate school or year. The University-wide Minor System enables students to continue their major discipline while studying another academic subject in a structured way, thereby gaining a second string to their bow.

What is a Social Contribution and Volunteering minor?

In a Social Contribution and Volunteering minor, designated subjects are those related to knowledge, information, or practical methods for taking action toward the resolution of social issues. We have therefore prepared many practical subjects that lead to “taking action”, through fieldwork in social contribution and volunteering, of course, as well as in business, institutions, politics, and so on. Specifically, we offer the following three structured subject groups.

1 Understanding a Field – Touch on, explore and understand a field that interests you

Deepen your understanding of a field related to social contribution or voluntary work, such as environment, education, human rights, welfare, sport, regions, etc.

2 Practice Methods – Learn methods of linking awareness to action

Learn practical methods for taking action toward social contribution, such as in various field-related business, organization management, politics, etc.

3 Contextualizing Self in Society – Verbalize your own lifestyle and values in the face of social problems

Consider your own volunteer experience, learn proactively from it, structuralize it logically, and develop the ability to verbalize it.

In Understanding a Field, you gain a structural understanding of ongoing social problems and issues, and in Practice Methods, you study the methodology for taking action to try and solve those problems. In Contextualizing Self in Society, you develop the ability to link theory and practice by connecting your knowledge with your experience. We have also established practical subjects for you, together with teachers and other subject students, to cultivate these abilities while gaining field experience.

We have established many other minors too

If you find a new area of interest related to society through Social Contribution and Volunteering, you can link it to your other studies. For instance, we have students taking combinations of university-wide minors such as Peace Studies and Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language. We hope that all our students will utilize the university’s education program to reach their full potential and go on to play an active role in society as unique and talented individuals.