Intercultural Communication Center (ICC)Waseda University

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About the ICC

The ICC is a venue for intercultural exchange and interaction.
It is Waseda students – both local and international – who make the ICC a true global community.

International students come to Waseda University from all over the world. Plus, thousands of students from Waseda participate in study programs abroad each year. In 2006, the ICC (then International Community Center, now Intercultural Communication Center) was established to take advantage of this diverse campus environment and further enrich intercultural exchange.

True to its name, the ICC is a space where students of all nationalities and backgrounds are welcome. Through interaction, students develop a new understanding of the world around them, while creating new values and interests.

Local Student?
At the ICC “local student” refers to someone who, regardless of nationality, has grown up or been educated in Japan

Philosophy

Contact with foreign cultures plays an important role in providing opportunities for the creation of new culture. Our Alma Mater includes the following lyrics:

From east and west, from age to age
All tides of civilization
In one huge whirlpool ever surge
Round this great island Nation

This song was written 100 years ago. At a time when it was still unusual to see non-Japanese on the street—when internationalization was in its infancy—our founder, Okuma Shigenobu, had already discovered the potential for creating new culture through contact with foreign ones.

It is now the 21st century, and our campus has changed dramatically. Walking around, you will see students from many different cultural backgrounds, and hear a mix of languages. International students from around the globe who study at Waseda all bring with them their unique culture and perspectives. It is the same with the local* students studying here, who come from every corner of the country. These changes have made Waseda a place where cultures meet—a dynamic campus where new culture is born.

By creating an environment where international and local students can freely exchange thoughts and ideas, opportunities are cultivated to learn about coexistence and mutual understanding. The potential is also created for developing leadership skills and other abilities. Such opportunities become valuable learning resources for all students.

Alongside the students whose future potential shines so brightly, Waseda University is fortunate to have a large network of alumni who are passionate about supporting their juniors, and a surrounding community which is happy to cooperate with the University and its activities. Interaction among these three groups—overcoming such borders as generation, social standing and nationality—fosters the growth of a space which has mutual exchange as a natural part.

The Intercultural Communication Center (ICC) was established in June 2006 to promote mutual exchange across the boundaries of background and nationality and create new culture and ways of thinking.

One of our school’s founding principles is “Developing Good Citizenship.” Nowadays, this is interpreted as “Education of Global Citizens.” The ICC has a mission to help create the “whirlpool” in our Alma Mater, which spreads throughout the university, encouraging all students as Global Citizens to contribute to the advancement of mankind.

Concept

Furthermore, from July 1, 2017, in accordance with the Waseda University Promotion of Diversity Declaration issued by the Waseda University Office for Promotion of Equality and Diversity, the ICC is dedicated to create and preserve “an environment in which all members of the University, their dignity and their diverse values and lifestyles being respected, can make the most of their individuality and abilities, regardless of sex, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, nationality, ethnicity, creed, age and so on.”

The ICC encompasses two main concepts.

(1) Providing various opportunities for student-based mutual exchange

The ICC strives to provide an environment for exchange that provides equal benefits for all parties involved. All participants in the ICC’s programs and activities are regarded as equal, regardless of background.

  1. Interaction between international and local students
    The ICC facilitates many kinds of exchange opportunities: Language and cultural exchange, discussion of domestic and international issues, music and dance, sporting tournaments, field trips, etc.
  2. Interaction between students and faculty & staff
    The ICC supports exchange between students and faculty and staff members. Opportunities are provided for discussing topics such as language and culture, as well as a whole range of international issues, where participants can freely share their thoughts and interact with each other, regardless of their academic background or status. This includes the many international researchers residing at Waseda.
  3. Interaction between students and alumni
    The ICC aims to provide opportunities for learning and networking for past and present students. With over 50,000 current students and 620,000 alumni, countless possibilities are created from exchange and cooperation between past and present generations of Waseda students.
  4. Interaction between students and the local community
    The ICC recognizes the potential of meaningful exchange with the surrounding local community, and aims to provide opportunities for interaction where both parties can learn from each other.

icc_rinen

(2) Providing up-to-date information to further intercultural understanding among students

The ICC aims to promote intercultural understanding though supplying and receiving relevant information about Japan and the world at large, in a variety of forms.

  1. Information Corner
    Information boxes containing tourist brochures covering all 47 prefectures in Japan, as well as all international students’ home countries, together with other information received directly from students themselves about their home countries, are available and immediately accessible. A wide selection of guidebooks, novels and comics are also provided for the reading pleasure of visitors.
  2. Information Board
    Not only ICC-organized events and activities, but also various types of information regarding intercultural exchange opportunities and extracurricular activities facilitated by a variety of organizations is offered in regularly updated form.
  3. ICC Lounge
    The ICC Lounge is a living, breathing space on campus where information from around the world is shared and exchanged. Whether it be posting the latest information or discussing new event proposals with students, the ICC actively seeks to respond to the needs of all its users.
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