Japanese American Study Association To Hold Conference On Guam

Japanese American Study Association To Hold Conference On Guam

Monday, 08 February 2010

Guam - The American Studies Association of Japan, one of the largest academic associations for "Americanists" in Japan, will hold its annual research conference outside of Japan.

The University of Guam will be the venue for the 2010 conference which will be held March 20 and 21. Approximately 20-35 researchers will convene at the University to present results of research on a wide variety of aspects of American studies, including U.S. culture, politics, foreign policy, language, and education.

The keynote address will be delivered by Mr. Koki Kobayashi, Member, House of Representatives of Japan. He is a senior member of the Japanese parliament and one of the senior leaders of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) which took control of the Japanese government last fall.

"One reason for the selection of Guam as the first meeting of the association outside of Japan is the growing interest in the realignment of U.S. military forces in the western Pacific among Japanese Americanists and JDP political leaders," said Michael Stoil, assistant professor of political science at UOG. "Additionally, members of the visiting group have expressed interest in learning more about nursing education and the teaching of English as a foreign language at the University of Guam."

Scheduled presentations in English at the conference will include a paper on U.S.-Japanese foreign relations by Yukiko Amakawa, Associate Professor, Teikyo University, and a paper on the relationship between U.S. strategic interest in Guam and the principle of self determination by Stoil.

Written by : News Release