From EWU to Tokiwa University : Learning the lessons of life and human relations
Sunday, 10 October 2010
Habib Mohammad Ali
Human life is full of experiences and events that cultivate the depth of exposure and of interpersonal behavior. Our understanding about us and about others change every day. These internal traits always make us happy or sad or mixed or something different, making an impact on our daily complexities. Our survival depends on how much we have existing resources like money, education, energy and proper time to use them. A combined approach of these resources helps people realise about how much they are fit in a context where they have been located or relocated.
This article will try to reflect on such perceptions that came one by one as a result of my stay in Japan for the purpose of receiving higher education.
It was, of course a great feeling for me, to get a chance to have higher study in a country like Japan with a prestigious scholarship. I was destined to Tokiwa University located in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. My preparation was not so good at the time of departure, although after reaching there, things become normal through a number of facilities like learning the basic Japanese language, knowing how to shop in the shopping mall and how to behave in an intercultural context. The first impression came from an old Japanese who offered me a bottle of grape juice and two pieces of cake once I was getting into the Mito city from Narita airport. I was accompanied temporarily by a US school teacher from the airport while that Japanese understood my long journey and listened to our interaction. I didn't want to accept her offerings, although out of courtesy, I had to take them and say "thank you so much."
Life was getting a little bit difficult with regard to cooking because of my lack of experience in cooking. After three weeks, I became a good cook through a continuous struggle on learning it. I missed my mother and was thinking that she worked really hard to feed us everyday. Sometimes, I invited my Japanese and US friends to take Bangladeshi food and they praised my cooking. It was a great lesson that came as a byproduct of my endeavor in Japan. Day in day out, life went through different realties, overarching my education, research, traveling and interaction with people from different nationalities. Commuting by bus and train, buying daily necessities like drinks and other stuffs in shopping malls and vending machines and getting money through bank require a network based electronic system - what I had previously known about Japan as a country of machine got proved on my way to deal with the daily life there.
As a major part of my activities in Japan, I was almost tagged with my classes from German, Indian and US professors. Their company enriched my views and I understood that when I finished my studies finally. My US professor also corrected my pronunciation and inspired me to talk like a real "Mercian", putting some basic contributions in my personality. This was also enhanced by the classes of the Indian professor. I got in touch with some basic important things about life and reality that are very essential for developing as a human being. His approach was to learn about life and reality side by side while continuing academic education. Sometimes, I fell down from the rhythm of my study. However, he kept suggesting to me not to lose optimism. Still, I can recall the class when he taught me about "optimism" interrelating it with our daily life. Life is based on optimism ; otherwise, people could not survive in this world.
My German Professor was the mentor of my thesis as well. He had also a unique approach to teach the students. He always taught me that I have to speak English very slowly in international business. Apart from the study of Victimology, he showed me how to deal with situation in an unknown context with a practical example from sociological, psychological and semiotics point of view. He explained to me why people do certain behavior in certain contexts and how we can deal with such situation - concepts like that always hover on our mind, as we deal with a very complex issue in my thesis. My two years' association with him had paved my way to be a researcher, especially on how to deal with an issue from the very beginning to the end. How a single phrase can be a matter of a chapter in a thesis and how to put the concepts consistently -- I have learned them from him.
My all courses were designed in English language. It was a great experience when I was able to complete a paper for presentation in 13 international symposium on Victimology in Japan. At the same time, I sent it for publishing in a peer-reviewed international journal in a Canadian institute. The phrase "peer-reviewed" was stuck in mind when I had joined East West University as the Public Relations Officer three years back. While correcting an advertisement for faculty requirement, professor Mohammed Sharif, current vice-chancellor of East West University told me the meaning of that phrase and its implications. The journal editor in Canada selected my write-up after a process of reviewing. It was such an event that made me sleepless one night: my article would be published in a journal guided by a Canadian institute - I couldn't believe it.
The staff of Tokiwa University were helpful and I got every support with a cheerful approach. They were really busy in their jobs and always paid the value of time -- that comes from the feeling of becoming meaningful in life. Their way of interpreting the world is different from us in many ways like they can feel the pain inside others and they always try to keep their word. Professionalism is also prevalent in their life style and thereby the development in that society is very high. One thing I realised once I tried to understand the Japanese society: some people try to get away from the mainstream of life when they are not valuable in that society. Poverty, elder abuse, bullying in the school and domestic violence are rising these days. The amazing and rewarding aspect of Japanese culture is that they never speak about their problems before anyone or they always try to hide such discussions that may degrade their social status. What is modesty is also revealed by the behavior. They never show their pride of anything like assets or precious things that they have. Modesty and sobering attitudes are the symbols in their life.
Apart from everything, the loveliness of Mito city carries an emotional pulse in my memory. This had been developed from my habit of traveling whenever I got a small chance amid the busy life in Japan. The city is surrounded by a lake, a belt of mountains and a line of green trees with a national park called "Kaira Kowen". I could see the mountain always from the laboratory where I used to retrieve information from Internet and read other materials for study and thesis. Jogging outside in the evening, cycling in the greenery areas and traveling with my professors had occupied my relaxed-time completely. My attachment with this Japanese educational institution has also put me one step ahead in my life: a broad network with international scholars and a feeling on how can we make our life meaningful. These things were also embedded as a guided principle in mind for a long time of life. I could recall a suggestion from Mr. Jalaluddin Ahmed, former President of Board of Directors of EWU: he told me always to keep a very good relation with inner and outer peopleof an organisation. A good public relations is very important not only for an institution, but also to be an expert in any professional fields. All these teachings accompanied by my major theoretical guidelines always hammer my mind, and thereby I can't abstain myself from the job of Public Relations again. One of my friends working in a mainstream daily also predicted that once I was about to take off for Japan.
The final days in Japan were very painful for me for I had to say "good bye" to all of my well-wishers there. The Asian community, especially, were very helpful in every aspect of my life there. It seemed that my problem meant their problems. Some people told me to stay there like others, but I thought "No": I came here taking "Study-leave". EWU was waiting for me. I had to be back also for all of my friends, relatives and friends in my motherland. People can realise the meaning of their motherland only, if they stay abroad for a long time for assignment-based works. Bangladesh has also a lot of problems; however, it is our own country. In future, we must be like a developed one; just we need some good and dedicated people to think for the marginalized conditions of our country. I found the same philosophy in Dr. Mohammed Farashuddin, the current President of Board of Trustees of EWU during an occasion recently: he was saying that we also have to think for such people who survive with the lowest facilities in the society; we breathe the same air, however, they can't get the same facilities. My classes in Japan have already finished, but after coming to Bangladesh, another class has started ---a class that is with the scholars of East West University in the way of relating it with the public inside and outside.
The writer of this article has recently finished his MS from a Japanese University and currently is resuming his job as the Public Relations Officer at East West University, Dhaka. His research interests include irregular migration, gender-based violence, climate change, and public relations. Comments are welcome at habib.jp@gmail.com.
Human life is full of experiences and events that cultivate the depth of exposure and of interpersonal behavior. Our understanding about us and about others change every day. These internal traits always make us happy or sad or mixed or something different, making an impact on our daily complexities. Our survival depends on how much we have existing resources like money, education, energy and proper time to use them. A combined approach of these resources helps people realise about how much they are fit in a context where they have been located or relocated.
This article will try to reflect on such perceptions that came one by one as a result of my stay in Japan for the purpose of receiving higher education.
It was, of course a great feeling for me, to get a chance to have higher study in a country like Japan with a prestigious scholarship. I was destined to Tokiwa University located in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. My preparation was not so good at the time of departure, although after reaching there, things become normal through a number of facilities like learning the basic Japanese language, knowing how to shop in the shopping mall and how to behave in an intercultural context. The first impression came from an old Japanese who offered me a bottle of grape juice and two pieces of cake once I was getting into the Mito city from Narita airport. I was accompanied temporarily by a US school teacher from the airport while that Japanese understood my long journey and listened to our interaction. I didn't want to accept her offerings, although out of courtesy, I had to take them and say "thank you so much."
Life was getting a little bit difficult with regard to cooking because of my lack of experience in cooking. After three weeks, I became a good cook through a continuous struggle on learning it. I missed my mother and was thinking that she worked really hard to feed us everyday. Sometimes, I invited my Japanese and US friends to take Bangladeshi food and they praised my cooking. It was a great lesson that came as a byproduct of my endeavor in Japan. Day in day out, life went through different realties, overarching my education, research, traveling and interaction with people from different nationalities. Commuting by bus and train, buying daily necessities like drinks and other stuffs in shopping malls and vending machines and getting money through bank require a network based electronic system - what I had previously known about Japan as a country of machine got proved on my way to deal with the daily life there.
As a major part of my activities in Japan, I was almost tagged with my classes from German, Indian and US professors. Their company enriched my views and I understood that when I finished my studies finally. My US professor also corrected my pronunciation and inspired me to talk like a real "Mercian", putting some basic contributions in my personality. This was also enhanced by the classes of the Indian professor. I got in touch with some basic important things about life and reality that are very essential for developing as a human being. His approach was to learn about life and reality side by side while continuing academic education. Sometimes, I fell down from the rhythm of my study. However, he kept suggesting to me not to lose optimism. Still, I can recall the class when he taught me about "optimism" interrelating it with our daily life. Life is based on optimism ; otherwise, people could not survive in this world.
My German Professor was the mentor of my thesis as well. He had also a unique approach to teach the students. He always taught me that I have to speak English very slowly in international business. Apart from the study of Victimology, he showed me how to deal with situation in an unknown context with a practical example from sociological, psychological and semiotics point of view. He explained to me why people do certain behavior in certain contexts and how we can deal with such situation - concepts like that always hover on our mind, as we deal with a very complex issue in my thesis. My two years' association with him had paved my way to be a researcher, especially on how to deal with an issue from the very beginning to the end. How a single phrase can be a matter of a chapter in a thesis and how to put the concepts consistently -- I have learned them from him.
My all courses were designed in English language. It was a great experience when I was able to complete a paper for presentation in 13 international symposium on Victimology in Japan. At the same time, I sent it for publishing in a peer-reviewed international journal in a Canadian institute. The phrase "peer-reviewed" was stuck in mind when I had joined East West University as the Public Relations Officer three years back. While correcting an advertisement for faculty requirement, professor Mohammed Sharif, current vice-chancellor of East West University told me the meaning of that phrase and its implications. The journal editor in Canada selected my write-up after a process of reviewing. It was such an event that made me sleepless one night: my article would be published in a journal guided by a Canadian institute - I couldn't believe it.
The staff of Tokiwa University were helpful and I got every support with a cheerful approach. They were really busy in their jobs and always paid the value of time -- that comes from the feeling of becoming meaningful in life. Their way of interpreting the world is different from us in many ways like they can feel the pain inside others and they always try to keep their word. Professionalism is also prevalent in their life style and thereby the development in that society is very high. One thing I realised once I tried to understand the Japanese society: some people try to get away from the mainstream of life when they are not valuable in that society. Poverty, elder abuse, bullying in the school and domestic violence are rising these days. The amazing and rewarding aspect of Japanese culture is that they never speak about their problems before anyone or they always try to hide such discussions that may degrade their social status. What is modesty is also revealed by the behavior. They never show their pride of anything like assets or precious things that they have. Modesty and sobering attitudes are the symbols in their life.
Apart from everything, the loveliness of Mito city carries an emotional pulse in my memory. This had been developed from my habit of traveling whenever I got a small chance amid the busy life in Japan. The city is surrounded by a lake, a belt of mountains and a line of green trees with a national park called "Kaira Kowen". I could see the mountain always from the laboratory where I used to retrieve information from Internet and read other materials for study and thesis. Jogging outside in the evening, cycling in the greenery areas and traveling with my professors had occupied my relaxed-time completely. My attachment with this Japanese educational institution has also put me one step ahead in my life: a broad network with international scholars and a feeling on how can we make our life meaningful. These things were also embedded as a guided principle in mind for a long time of life. I could recall a suggestion from Mr. Jalaluddin Ahmed, former President of Board of Directors of EWU: he told me always to keep a very good relation with inner and outer peopleof an organisation. A good public relations is very important not only for an institution, but also to be an expert in any professional fields. All these teachings accompanied by my major theoretical guidelines always hammer my mind, and thereby I can't abstain myself from the job of Public Relations again. One of my friends working in a mainstream daily also predicted that once I was about to take off for Japan.
The final days in Japan were very painful for me for I had to say "good bye" to all of my well-wishers there. The Asian community, especially, were very helpful in every aspect of my life there. It seemed that my problem meant their problems. Some people told me to stay there like others, but I thought "No": I came here taking "Study-leave". EWU was waiting for me. I had to be back also for all of my friends, relatives and friends in my motherland. People can realise the meaning of their motherland only, if they stay abroad for a long time for assignment-based works. Bangladesh has also a lot of problems; however, it is our own country. In future, we must be like a developed one; just we need some good and dedicated people to think for the marginalized conditions of our country. I found the same philosophy in Dr. Mohammed Farashuddin, the current President of Board of Trustees of EWU during an occasion recently: he was saying that we also have to think for such people who survive with the lowest facilities in the society; we breathe the same air, however, they can't get the same facilities. My classes in Japan have already finished, but after coming to Bangladesh, another class has started ---a class that is with the scholars of East West University in the way of relating it with the public inside and outside.
The writer of this article has recently finished his MS from a Japanese University and currently is resuming his job as the Public Relations Officer at East West University, Dhaka. His research interests include irregular migration, gender-based violence, climate change, and public relations. Comments are welcome at habib.jp@gmail.com.