Priorities:Sophia University Student Priorities
Contents
- 1 2023 Strategic Priorities
- 2 2022 Strategic Priorities
- 3 2021 Strategic Priorities
- 4 2020 Strategic Priorities
2023 Strategic Priorities
Strategy #1 Bilingual Networking Event
Background:
This idea of Bilingual Networking Event originated during our discussion about how we might “Promote Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” as outlined in one of the five criteria used for creating the Landscape Canvas. Sophia University currently has multiple initiatives and activities aimed at encouraging students in pursuing their interests in various fields, of which a few feature aspects related to Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E). Events such as Yotsuya Hatch, a business pitch contest hosted by Sophia Start-Up Club, and Hult Prize, an annual global start-up competition, are some of the examples showing there are people in Sophia who are interested in this field. However, despite the implementations of such contests, we concluded that there is a lack of sufficiency in the current resources provided for students at campus to practice I&E. How might we help those start-up and innovation enthusiasts connect to others with the same mindset, so that they can interact and come up with ideas more powerful than any other groups? This is where our Bilingual Networking Event comes in, and based on our interactions with potential users, we concluded that startup enthusiasts are really in need of having the opportunity to meet with the same-minded people as well as real entrepreneurs at their university. In addition, since we want to open this opportunity to everyone at campus, including both Japanese and International Students, we decided to make it into a Bilingual Networking Event, where there will be support from staff to assist with language barriers.
Structure:
The most important aspect of this project is the way we approach each stakeholder and the relationships we build with each of them. First, as for the approach to students, we will focus from the perspective of supporting their careers. Students should be approached first and foremost from the perspective of supporting their own careers, and should be relatively tolerant of students who may present a higher barrier if approached from the perspective of I & E. Secondly as for the entrepreneurs, we would let them use it as a place to test their products and to encourage career adoption. Third, for professors, it would be better to target professors, especially those doing I & E research. This way, there is a possibility that the project itself can be tied to their research. Fourth, regarding university staff, in light of Sophia University's policy, we think it would be better to have them enter the project from a career perspective. These are just hypotheses, and we believe that these can be tested and adjusted again and again in the future to make the project more stable.
Steps:
- Gather as a team and define what the goal of each program will be and set a concrete content of the program.
- For each program there will be a specific persona that we would want to approach, so define them.
- Contact the campus representative and ask for the availability of the venue, and set the date of the event.
- Ask for companies, schools and entrepreneurs for funds, and indicate that as for a return they would have an opportunity to get intouch with international students and also will have an opportunity to do a presentation regarding their business.
- As all stakeholders are clear, map out the plans for all action that will be taken until the day of the event.
- Create an agenda list for the members and assign the tasks.
- Promote the event via instagram, school paper, and any advertising channels.
- Create an image design for the event and make a registration page on peatix.
- Prepare name badges for participants with their names and organizations, promote the information of experts in advance (SNS, Email, etc…) to increase participation.
- Depending on the budget, arrange a catering service that suits the event’s theme and duration while taking in mind the dietary restrictions and allergies.
- The leaders should communicate well and efficiently with each other, and make sure that all plans and logistics are in the right place before the day of the event.
- On the day of the event, implement various ice-breaking activities and interactive workshops to facilitate networking opportunities.
- Gather feedback from participants at the end of the event through Google Forms.
- Send a follow-up email to all participants, including students, to say thank them for coming.
- Analyze the success of our event based on the objectives we set, such as, offering students the opportunity to network, etc…
- Learn the key lessons that are received from the feedback, and plan for the challenges of the future.
Strategy #2 Japanese Innovation & Entrepreneurship Course
Background:
Sophia University offers a variety of opportunities for students to engage in I&E, such as through classes, activities, and many more. However, many international students in Sophia University are seen to frequently participate and actively engage with it, while large numbers of Japanese students do not. Moreover, the likely reason for this participation shortage is caused by the lack of awareness and value of I&E among many Japanese students. Though there are Japanese students who are seen to be keen on I&E, they both lack resources to explore I&E in depth. To support students in Sophia University to continuously support their I&E journey, and spark interest in the concept to those who are unaware, our group is interested in making a website solely about I&E. In the end, we want to be a resource hub that enables students to not only learn about I&E, but also take actions in being involved and creating an impact.
Structure:
We will have professors and students engaged in I&E to participate in the project. Firstly, as we will offer information (e.g: What is I&E, its values, etc.) regarding I&E, professors who are teaching or involved in any I&E classes or activities will cooperate in strengthening the importance of the concept. Moreover, as many professors are teaching in English and Japanese, we will have them promote the website as much as possible, or offer the source for students to use in their research. For students, there are many involved in projects including Hult Prize and UIF. Our website is willing to offer students on the Sophia campus with activities that unleash their potential and interest in I&E, and we will have students engaging in I&E to support this process by having their organizations, circles, clubs, etc. be sponsored on our website. In addition, if there are upcoming events or activities within these groups, we would like that information to be posted on our website to encourage students to engage.
Steps:
- Conduct a survey & collect opinions regarding I&E from students and faculty members.
- Identify clubs, circles, and organizations within Sophia University actively/being involved in I&E.
- Recruit professors and students that are willing to support the project by offering information about their activities and knowledge.
- Receive feedback from stakeholders on information that can be included on the website.
- Creating a website, and getting feedback from a larger number of students and professors.
- Adjust the website according to professors and students' feedback; discuss with professors for possible improvements.
- Revise, and repeat 6.
Strategy #3 Create a Design Thinking (DS) course as part of the Data Science program to enable students to acquire and learn DS
Background:
Sophia University has realized the need for data science and has successfully expanded its required courses and accompanying courses over the past few years, adding numerous courses. It has greatly improved the bottom line of students' abilities in quantitative aspects. Here, I strongly believe that design thinking should be integrated. The significance of design thinking is that it takes a user-first approach, which develops the qualitative ability to understand problems and needs. This foundation of thinking is also the foundation of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and I believe that it is of great significance for young students to gain learning experiences to understand the concept of Design Thinking before they form their careers, in order to live in the complex world of the future.
Structure:
・Benefits to Stakeholders
・Who are stakeholders→university and data science program officials
(i) Making it a subject in the data science program makes it easier to gain cooperation with existing Data Science programs.
(ii) They can also better emphasize the significance of a subject already existing by marketing design thinking.
・Potential needs
University leadership wants to attract good students and researchers and to keep Sophia education competitive and attractive, students want to acquire the skills that better prepare them for the challenges ahead, etc. But they all share in common that they are Sophia’s who work towards solving the wicked problems that challenges us at different levels.
・Benefits to students
(i) Developing both quantitative and qualitative skills since it is assumed that most students interested in data science will take it because the course is expected to be taken after the required Data science class.
・How to appeal to students with "no prerequisite knowledge" (motivation for students to participate)(i) Have a brief presentation announcing the course posted on Moodle for the final Overview of Data Science session.
(ii) Adding an overview of the course to the existing UIF website may attract students who have already read the existing articles and are interested in the course.
・Timeframe/Implementation costs
(i) 1 to 2 years required (course materials, content, and application, etc.)/cost of inviting lecturers and creating course materials
・Identify resources
(i) Seek help from data science program departments
Factors: (know-how, advice, voluntary cooperation, information, further stakeholder contacts)
(They have started from scratch within the last year, advertising on all media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, posting ads at the bus stop in front of the university, and opening a data science clinic)
Steps
1) Refine and radically revise the plan
2) Discuss at the meeting and gain inputs from cohort
3) (Before the stakeholder meeting, ask several stakeholders "what they think, "reality", and "setbacks". Depending on the degree of feedback, go back to 1).
4) Execution (project start)
2022 Strategic Priorities
Strategy #1 Japanese Innovation & Entrepreneurship Course
Background:
It could be said that Sophia University overall lacks classes or activities with entrepreneurship-related themes, especially those offered in Japanese. Through interviews, it became clear that Japanese students are not aware of the importance and value of I&E. It also seems like the goal of a typical Japanese university student is to go through the job hunting process and graduate, for which taking classes of interest is not a high priority nor a motivation. However, as the definition and aims of I&E are explained, Japanese students seemed to be open to learning more about these skills as they saw how this could be applied in daily life inside and outside the university. The lack of opportunities in Japanese medium has unfortunately limited their opportunities to be more involved with I&E courses/events. Thus, by making a Japanese I&E course and increasing accessibility of this, it is hoped to encourage and boost awareness and experience of I&E on campus, particularly among Japanese students.
Structure:
Collaboration with professors will be key for this project. Because there are more English-based I&E courses taught by foreign professors on campus, it is ideal to invite Japanese professors to teach similar content but in Japanese. However, as the concept of I&E may not be so established in Japan, looking for foreign professors who currently teach I&E courses in English who can speak Japanese may also bring new insight and contexts. This will require administrative work and will be a long-term project, yet planning with collaborators seems promising to increase the opportunities to engage with I&E.
Steps:
- Conduct a survey and collect opinions regarding I&E from students and faculty members from the Japanese-speaking departments
- Identify the need for implementing I&E courses (according to survey results)
- Recruit professors that are willing to support the implementation of this project and present them the set purpose and goals
- Address the idea to professors to receive feedback and comments
- Discuss with Japanese-track professors / foreign I&E professors about possible I&E courses that could be implemented in the Japanese language
- Create a sample syllabus with professors
- Test the idea by creating mock I&E courses course on campus (university-wide)
- Get Japanese students' feedback on the mock course
- Adjust the syllabus according to students' feedback; discuss with professors for possible improvements
- Test the idea again (revised mock I&E courses)
- Get Japanese students' feedback on the revised mock course
- Final adjustments/discussion with professors & board members
- Put forward the class syllabus and plan to the administration in charge
- Official implementation of the New Course
Strategy #2: Sophia International Society (SIS)
Background:
Sophia University offers three English-taught programs–The Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLA), the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), and the Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures (SPSF)–creating a vibrant and diverse environment for students to engage in academic and social events. However, as research through interviews with English program students was conducted, many students expressed a lack of fulfillment in their university life, as interactions between students as well as faculty members from the English-taught programs are limited and lacking. Moreover, the impact of the COVID pandemic further exacerbated the experience of loneliness and social isolation among students, making many lack a sense of belonging to Sophia University. Therefore, the establishment of the “Sophia International Society” is aimed to foster effective communication, improve integration between English-taught program students, and amplify diverse voices from students and faculty members in order to create a friendly and safe space for English-speaking students.
Structure:
Students in the English-taught programs will be the center of the Sophia International Society and will organize SIS with the help of student leaders elected from each department and year. Within SIS, student leaders will work in different committees, such as the public relations and events committees, along with other student members. They will carry out projects for both students and professors could lead, join, and take part in. In this way, students will feel more connected with their peers and professors as they work on various projects that can bring positive changes to SIS and our campus. Social and interactive events such as grouped lunch sessions, outings to explore Tokyo, and career seminars may also be held by SIS and will be open to all students and faculty members from the university. It is important to note that the Sophia International Society does not intend to exclude non-English program students from participating in SIS events and activities, but rather simply emphasize on the use of the English language. SIS is also envisioned to be the bridge between English-taught and Japanese-taught programs so that further integration can be made on campus in the future.
Steps:
- Talk to Prof. Maruyama and other faculty members about the possibility of creating the Sophia International Society
- Gather group opinions/thoughts on ideas (e.g. SPSF, FLA, FST)
- Send recruitment survey to find students from each department
- Organize a meeting to discuss the possibility and brainstorm ideas for this committee
- Create mission, structure/framework and functions of the organization
- Create group hangouts/calls with departments to discuss
- Send out survey for to gains student voices on the solutions
- Prototype one of the solutions
- Enact one of the functions outlined by the group (e.g. group meeting with all of SPSF, guest lecture, website, information gathering)
- Assess prototype solution completion - was it successful/unsuccessful?
- Consider further improvements, functions and/or re-structuring
- Create review framework on the topic
- Recruit members to sustain the SIS
- Official implementation of the SIS
Strategy #3: Sustainable Bento: Making good use of food surplus
Background:
From cafeterias, food trucks, and to cafés, there are many food options available to students and faculty members at Sophia University. However, throughout the campus research conducted by the team, it was clear a great amount of edible food that was thrown away in cafeterias. As food loss and food waste become increasingly severe issues at a global scale, edible food going to waste in cafeterias indeed does not seem ideal. Therefore, with this initial goal of solving food surplus in mind, a survey pertaining to this issue was created and 99 responses from students across different departments were received. According to the survey results, many students are aware of the issue of food surplus and are also keen to solve it for the betterment of the campus. Surprisingly, there is a high demand for food options available after 15:00 on campus, as there are few to none. With this situation, a brainstorming idea was that of selling “Sustainable Bentos”, which can not only solve the problem of food waste but can also offer food options for students as well as faculty members after lunchtime, therefore helping Sophians to stay energized throughout the day at university.
Structure:
The sustainable bentos are envisioned to include edible food that was not sold during the cafeterias’ opening hours and to be sold at a later time at a cheaper price. Although not concretized, part of the profit could go to the student staff selling them and the rest to the cafeterias. It is envisioned to collaborate with the University’s Asset Management office to understand the backgrounds behind each of the 4 cafeterias and 2 cafes on campus and to work together with the office to facilitate this project in each of these places.
Steps:
- Research on food management ecosystem and stakeholders on campus
- Interview students (for demand) and main stakeholders (regarding supply side)
- Identify the key pain point
- Think of solutions to tackle the key issue
- Conduct survey with students and faculty for feedback on the ideas
- Conduct a stakeholder meeting to propose the project idea
- Collaborate with stakeholders throughout the project-making process
- Prototype the final chosen solution
- Survey students and faculty for feedback on idea to make improvements
- Refine the prototype with feedback from stakeholders and users
- Recruit members to sustain the project
- Official Implementation of the project
Strategy #4: Create an I&E startup collaboration hub
Background:
Sophia University does not seem to have many opportunities for students to interact with those working, especially in the I&E area. Many Japanese students are not familiar with this concept and do not know its use of it either. Additionally, unfortunately, in Japanese society, university students in their 3rd and 4th year in the job hunting process often merely look into big companies. They are not so interested nor aware of the venture or startup businesses. For this, having the opportunity to interact with people involved in such initiatives may open new doors and options for their job hunting process as well as allow them to generally gain new experiences. By closing the distance between ventures/startups and students, and simultaneously making use of open spaces on campus for such activities, it is hoped that I&E becomes more present even merely as a concept on campus.
Structure:
What is envisioned for this collaboration hub is ventures and startups utilizing the empty classrooms available on campus, especially on weekends and long holidays for a lower than the market price or for free, in exchange for opportunities for Sophia students to participate in these activities and meetings. Through this, the incoming of diverse startups and ventures will help to promote innovation and entrepreneurship on campus as it enables new opportunities to enter Sophia university’s door, for which students and faculty can benefit intellectually and socially in regards to the expansion of connection and self-exploration for their job-hunting or graduate school journey.
Steps:
- Research and connect with stakeholders that have connections to space management
- Ask Sophia about their usage of space and campus, especially Bld.15
- Look for open spaces that could be effectively utilized, especially during the weekends
- Plan further stakeholder meetings
- Think about how we can ensure safety (membership card could be an option) and how students will be able to engage with them
- Make a plan of action
- Recruit people that will be willing to use the space (find a website to post this and promote it with the consent of the university)
- Collaborate with start-ups related to I&E and negotiate with them to offer service to Sophia students in return
- Organize and have a test run
- Analyze what went well and how we can improve in order to react and respond
- Official implementation
2021 Strategic Priorities
Strategy #1 Improving Information Sharing on the Loyola Bulletin Board
Background:
Sophia University provides students with a vast amount of information about upcoming events, student life, extracurricular activities, scholarships, study abroad programs, and more through a bulletin board on the Loyola Web Service. However, as we conducted research and interviews for the Landscape Canvas, we found that many students have a difficult time accessing this information due to issues with the search function, language barriers, and a number of other reasons. Not only do these barriers make it difficult for students to access general information provided by the University, but they also prevent students from easily finding opportunities related to Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Therefore, we developed the assumption that the Loyola bulletin board is not working as well as it should. In order to address this, our idea is to improve information sharing at Sophia by enhancing the current bulletin board. We hope that our research and findings can be a catalyst for more extensive developments of Loyola and act as a first step in improving information sharing at Sophia so that a greater number of both Japanese and international students can learn about I&E resources and opportunities that are available on campus.
Structure:
We will need to discuss what possibilities there are to improve the existing platform with the Loyola Web Admins at Sophia. Through the feedback we received from students via a questionnaire, we found that while there are some students who are satisfied with the current system, the majority of students are dissatisfied with the system and face common problems. Therefore, we believe that some minor modifications and the addition of several functions can have a significant impact on how students perceive the Loyola bulletin board and make important information even more accessible than it is now. Some of the changes we want to make to the Loyola bulletin board include: 1). An own category for I&E 2). A function to save posts 3). A filter function to separate posts written in English and Japanese 4). Adding more information written in English and making it easier to find 5). Adding more specific categories and a way to filter them 6). The ability to customize the type of information students receive by email.
Steps:
1. Create a first prototype, a vision of how we imagine it can look like. 2. Based on the feedback gathered from students on their experiences and opinions about the bulletin board’s functions, make a more detailed list of improvements we want to make. 3. Get in touch with the web administration at Sophia and explain to them the wishes of the students. In addition, find out if they are willing to work with us to improve the bulletin board. 4. Make adjustments based on possible limitations of the Loyola site. 5. Launch the new, improved Loyola bulletin board.
Strategy #2: Sophia Interdisciplinary Forum
Background:
Sophia University’s main campus in Yotsuya, Tokyo, is home to a wide range of faculties and graduate schools in both the sciences and humanities. However, through our research and interviews, we recognized that there are still many divides that exist between departments that make it difficult for students, faculty, and staff to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration. We believe that these barriers are stifling creativity and innovation. Therefore, we started to ask ourselves: “How might we create a space that brings together students from many different departments?” and “How might we break down the invisible walls between students, faculty, and staff?” The idea we had was to create a quarterly forum where anyone can freely join to discuss a wide range of topics that fit under the overarching theme of sustainability. Through the Interdisciplinary Forum, we aim to provide a safe and welcoming space that fosters communication, collaboration, and connection among students, faculty, and staff at Sophia. By breaking down disciplinary walls and bringing people together, we hope to promote more creative thinking and inspire participants to collaborate on innovative projects together. The Forum will act as a precursor to the Innovation Sparker Program (Strategy #3) and other I&E related activities on campus that can provide students with further skills to go through with possible ideas and projects to initiate change.
Structure:
The Interdisciplinary Forum will take place on a quarterly basis (once every three months), and it will be student-led and student-centered. However, it will also be welcome to all faculty and staff at Sophia who are interested in discussing topics and themes related to sustainability with students. To facilitate this Forum, we will need to organize a core group of students who can decide the quarterly themes, invite guest speakers, manage the social media platforms for advertising the forum, and oversee other important matters. This would also require the support of faculty and staff. The Forum will start conversations among different members of Sophia and influence participants to become more open to new ideas and ways of thinking.
Steps:
1. Share our ideas with students, professors, and staff members in order to collect feedback on specific matters, such as how to structure the Forum and what themes to include. 2. Define what makes this Forum distinct from other gatherings at Sophia. 3. Contact students, faculty, and staff who might be interested in organizing and/or participating in the Forum, such as those affiliated with SPSF. 4. Organize a group of students who can act as the core facilitators, as well as a group of faculty and staff who are willing to provide their support. 5. Decide what some of the quarterly themes for the Forum could be. 6. Decide whether this Forum will be conducted online or in person (if in person, where?) 7. Invite guest speakers to participate in the Forum. 8. Advertise on social media and the University bulletin boards (including Loyola).
Strategy #3: Innovation Sparker: Design Thinking Intensive Program
Background:
From our work with mapping out the opportunities that students at Sophia have to pursue I&E, we noticed that there is a need for more programs and events that focus on fostering innovative and critical thinking to solve real-world problems. For many students, I&E can seem like a complicated and intimidating field, requiring a specific skill set. Our goal, however, is to show students at Sophia that everyone can take advantage of learning how to utilize an innovative mindset and learn important techniques like Design Thinking. Furthermore, the interviews and surveys we conducted revealed that many students have some knowledge about I&E but do not know where they can apply it or evolve their ideas. Based on this, we developed the idea of creating a 3-week long educational program on Design Thinking, followed by a 5-week consulting and creation period. This will provide a space where students can get exposed to Design Thinking, apply their learned knowledge to solve real-life problems, network with industries, and take the first step in becoming a changemaker.
Structure:
3-Week Online Design Thinking Crash Course --> 5-Week Project Development and Mentoring --> Competition (theme-based)
The 3-week long bilingual (Japanese/English) Design Thinking program would be limited to Sophia University students who will participate in the program and faculty/staff who will teach the basics of Design Thinking. After completing the program, participants will be given the choice to either continue the full program or stop just at the crash course. Those who choose to continue will be introduced to the theme for the competition, and the projects they develop must address and provide solutions for the given problem. During the 5-week project development and creation period, students are free to work with either English or Japanese students to build their projects. Throughout this period, all students will be able to receive mentoring and support from the program facilitators and staff. After completing their projects, participants will face each other in the Innovation Sparker Competition, where external groups may also sign up to join as long as their project fits the theme. This competition would serve as a gateway for university-industry collaborations, as businesses could build networks with potential employees by providing support through monetary means or by becoming judges of the competition. Participants would then pitch their project/solutions to a panel of judges consisting of the following: company managers, guest speakers, professors, students, alumni, and the president. In addition to getting the chance to experience the entire process of bringing an idea into fruition, winners would also receive prize money, recognition from companies and the University, a wider web of networks, the opportunity to get scouted by companies, and/or graduation credits. The curriculum for the program can be seen below:
Curriculum: (1 Quarter = 8 weeks = Length of Summer break)
First Week:
- Design Thinking Introduction: What is its purpose or its effect? Why is it important? Where can it be used or applied?
- Explain the steps to design thinking
Second Week:
- Design Thinking Brainstorming
- Analyze Design Thinking Model Projects and how creators apply their knowledge to solve problems
- Guest Speaker Invitation
Third Week:
- Analysis of the competition theme
- Introduce participants to resources the University provides
- Group brainstorming
End of Base Design Thinking Introduction Program
Fourth-Eighth Week
Group Check-Ins, Prototyping, Testing, Refining, Preparation for competition, Creating presentations and slides
Competition Week
Steps:
1. Conduct further research to accurately determine the desirability of the program. 2. Consult with Sophia University professors if they would be interested in helping to host the program or becoming guest speakers. 3. Contact several companies interested in partnering up with Sophia University to help support a program like this. Gage their interest in hiring winners of the program and sponsoring some students as well. 4. Propose our idea to Sophia University administration and see if they are willing to support the program financially, publicly, and/or academically (by counting credits towards students’ graduation requirements). 5. Contact UIF fellows to ask if some would like to become guest speakers for the program. 6. Perform trial programs to test out teaching methods and how long to execute a project. 7. Release program and start accepting applicants.
2020 Strategic Priorities
Strategy #1: Central Innovation/Opportunity Hub
Background:
Sophia, as one of the represented schools in Japan, has provided opportunities and experiences for students to explore in their student lives. However, this information is often hidden in the school system, the websites, and bulletin boards. Often platforms for communication are filled with daily information such as school notifications and updates. Moreover, some program based opportunities are often communicated verbally by professors who do not show in the school online resources. Therefore, there is a need for students to have a central location where they could easily access this opportunity information to empower themselves and their school life. In other words, there is a need for Sophia university to have a virtual landscape that provides students with the latest programs/events where they can challenge themselves.
Structure:
This platform requires support from professors, the administration and students. These key roles are crucial users of this hub, and considering ways of implementation is necessary. Not only do we want to communicate information about opportunities that we have, but also take the most efficient process and output to make it into a user-friendly platform. We aim to create a process that can be sustainably managed after we graduate, but also something easy to use for the next generation who will be operating the system.
Steps:
1. In order to create this central hub, gathering as much information from professors, administrations, and from students/student organization is important. 2. Considering the information gathered, we would prototype a design of the website/platform that we would use for the hub. 3. Create the platform and implement functions for more efficiency of the platform. 4. Create templates and quick steps for those who will be adding information in the platform. 5. Try out the system with the information gathered. 6. Share it with a couple of students and revise the feedback points. 6. Open it to professors and students once updating the latest information. 7. Advertise the platform to the administration to be shared in the orientation for freshmen. 8. Advertise the platform to professors and students in class. 9. Fill in certain opportunities that are lacking or additional functions to adjust the diverse users in Sophia university.
Strategy #2: Pop-Up I&E Workshop
Background:
One of the core opportunities we have identified is the aspect of the community as a birthplace for innovation at Sophia University. We have particularly noticed the lack of opportunities for student’s to dive into I&E and the missing point of contact for I&E interested students. Even though there are students who would like to explore their interest in I&E, a central location or platform to take the first bite-size experience is provided. To address this opportunity, we would like to introduce a beginners pop-up I&E workshop for all people in the Sophia ecosystem. This workshop will be a three-hour crash course for participants to experience I&E basics by going through a Design Thinking process. Over one year, we will introduce a framework and guideline for the workshop that can be adopted by future UIF leadership circles and workshop graduates. Our workshops will be open to all people of Sophia, and we will aim for diverse teams in this concept. The workshop participant sizes could vary from 20 to 50 people.
Structure:
For the pop-up workshops, we will not require significant support from Sophia University staff. Depending on the format, the UIF team will be able to facilitate the workshop entirely by themselves. In case of a physical format, we hope to receive support from the University for well-ventilated rooms on the Sophia campus. Additionally, we would require an innovation toolbox with resources that would need to be restocked regularly after every workshop. We will test out the workshop with various groups (product development students, global studies students and potentially freshmen) before opening doors to the entire Sophia community. For now, we will start with virtual workshops for classroom students and in-person workshops for first-year students, under the supervision of the University administration, which will allow us to adhere to COVID-19 pandemic regulations. For the project to gain momentum, we will also post updates on a social media account to bring students to our workshops in later phases. Key will be to train students in our guidelines so that they can be official workshop facilitators to ensure continuity at Sophia.
Steps:
1. Prepare a questionnaire to find out student needs for the workshop framework in a virtual and physical setting. Based on questionnaire results develop basic guidelines, that can be adopted by Sophia (approved by Sophia Administration for on-site workshops), 2. Set vital target groups for the Y1 and set pop-workshop amount (present details to University), 3. Set up meetings with target group representatives (e.g. Prof. Maruyama with FGS, Dean Nakano for FLA, Dean Shimomura for FSE), 4. Draft one pop-up workshop guideline for beginners, 5. Create a marketing campaign that proposes this workshop as something accessible and available to all., 6. Use a test group in Horizon to test out workshops before implementation on campus, 7. Start with workshops. Ensure diversity numbers for the workshop., 8. Train students in workshop guidelines
Strategy #3: I&E Project Development Summer Camp
Background:
Sophia University is home to many students who are passionate about learning about international cooperation. Many courses offered in Sophia encourage students to explore topics such as poverty, equality, gender and global warming. At the same time, Sophia University has established partnerships with many universities in different areas of the world. It offers students several overseas program opportunities in which the participants take classes which are provided by the local institution focusing on a specific topic. Students who participate in these overseas programs perceive these as opportunities to find new areas of interest. They do so by observing diverse perspectives and talking to people who are at the frontline of their field of study. However, despite the skills and knowledge they gain, many students feel a lack of output from their learnings. One student who cooperated with us in the UIF interviews had enrolled in a 3-week overseas program in Paris, France to study EU environmental law. However, she found it disappointing and wasteful that she was not able to implement her learnings into a real-life after her return. The student believed that her newly acquired knowledge could be utilized to improve environmental policies in Japan. The sense of disappointment is the opportunity we would like to address. Our project is a summer program which takes place in Sophia University to provide students with the platform of outputting the ideas earned in the overseas program.
Structure:
There are three roles in this program, the organizing committee, the participants and the judge. The program is entirely run by the organizing committee, which consists of students who have participated in overseas programs before. The organizing committee and the judge suggests a topic problem, which the participants will develop solutions for in teams. The solution ideas generated by the participants will be voted in by the judge, and the top 3 solution ideas will be applied to Sophia University campus.
Steps:
1. Form an initial program planning committee led by UIF fellow members., 2. Research overseas programs offered in Sophia University currently., 3. Interview the participants of the past overseas programs with the following questions. a) What were the new ideas you learned in the program? b) How would you want to apply the original idea in real life? 4. Collect the responses to the questions and research if the application environment respondents wished is offered in Sophia., 5. Invite more students to the program planning committee and brainstorm how the environment provided can be improved and design a program model., 6. Invite professors who will be the judge in the program., 7. Pitch the program model to the office and get an approval., 8. Make an official organizing committee consisting of students who have participated in an overseas program before., 9. Test run of the program model, reflection and adjustment.
Strategy #4: Open Walls For Innovation
https://universityinnovation.org/wiki/File:Storyboard_of_Open_Walls_for_Innovation.jpg
Background:
Sophia has one of the most internationally diverse and unique students in Tokyo. While the university is well known for its reputation of the humanities departments, when it comes to Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Sophia has been lacking behind other universities in Tokyo. The reason behind it does not necessarily mean the institution hasn't really invested in I&E, but rather that students never had the opportunity to engage with I&E and to actually practice it in order to truly grasp the potential of I&E. Thus, before investing in any innovation labs, I&E boot camps, or I&E courses, students, as well as the institution as one, should work towards dismantling the narrative that I&E is only for the elite few, and work together towards understanding how innovation is for everyone. By introducing the Open Walls For Innovation Week, any open wall on campus becomes an innovative and entrepreneurial place for ideation, conversation, or to simply have fun. The goal is to create an innovative environment where students including the faculty, such as professors, are invited to share everything they have got to share, which they usually cannot do. This is would be extremely powerful since many students in Japan do not have the opportunity to truly engage with each other and to share ideas. Open Walls For Innovation wants to change that.
Structure:
This project will not require any staff, since the people who will work the most are basically everyone who walks along the walls of Sophia. However, we would require a small team responsible for re-stocking resources of the innovation toolboxes. Since we will start out with a trial, at only one designated place, instead of everywhere, it will be easier to manage and calculate how many post-its, sharpies, and utilities will be used. As for now due to the COVID-19 pandemic students are not allowed to enter the campus, thus, this is the ideal time to plan, manage, and ask for help. In order for the project to gain momentum, we will also establish a social media account, as well as, an online platform for students who cannot come to campus to participate.
Steps:
1. Conduct two pieces of research: Firstly, to understand whether students would participate and show interest in such a project. Secondly, to find sponsors or funds for the innovation toolboxes. 2. Formalize a Mission and Vision with the collected data 3. Organize a trial run for the project for two to three days to collect feedback and find the ideal locations. 4. Pitch the project to the administration to ask for funds and approval. 5. Create an online presence for the project. 5. Pilot Open Walls For Innovation Week
Related links
