Szymon Urbanowicz
Name: Szymon Urbanowicz
Department: Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Program in Educational Development and Cultural and Regional Studies
Course: Cultural creation course
Country: Poland
Research Field: Empowerment in Japanese education
Supervisor: Associate Prof. Nayaka Ayami
Career and Academic Background before TAOYAKA Program
My name is Szymon Urbanowicz. I completed two bachelor’s degrees at the same time back in Poland. One at the University of Gdansk – Political Science and the other, English with Teaching at Ateneum University. I came back to Hiroshima University after 3 years as a Taoyaka student.
I came to Saijo for the first time thanks to JASSO scholarship in September 2013 as a Hiroshima University Study Abroad Program (HUSA) student and I fell in love! It was one of the most active and fruitful periods in my life. I joined Globalization Support Internship with Dr Naomi Tsunematsu during which we collaborated with Higashi Hiroshima and Kure City Halls. The experience was really diverse, I got a really good insight of Japanese professional life and I was able to challenge many tasks including organizing a cultural exchange meeting with a local school, creating a guidebook for the local area as well as making a promotional movie for the city of Higashi Hiroshima. Thanks to this professional training I was able to enter another internship at Mazda Motor Corporation Headquarters, what let me grow further as a future employee in Japan. The exchange year was also the time when I met my current academic advisor – Professor Ayami Nakaya, her class on Japanese Education System left a huge impression on me. I became really attached to Japan and surprised by its approach to education.
Research Plan in TAOYAKA Program
My current research is devoted to the concept of empowerment in Japanese education. I would like to spread its good practice around the world to show the positive and unique aspects of Japanese education in regards of empowering students. In the world, Japan Is often considered as a hell examination country and I want to change this image through my research.
Career Plan after TAOYAKA Program
After completing Taoyaka program I would like to keep on spreading the practice of empowerment not only in school environment, but also in management or any other future career as empowerment is globally universal. I am also determined to keep on broadening my knowledge on Japanese culture and language.