Japanese Studies Outreach Event

On 11th May 2023, Pembroke College welcomed 50 Year 10 & 12 students and teachers from Dartford Grammar School (DGS) for a Japanese Studies taster day. DGS has produced one of the highest numbers of Japanese language learners in Britain. This is thanks to its unique curriculum in which all students study either Japanese or Mandarin from Year 7. Following a warm welcome by the organiser Dr Chinami Oka, the day started with a critical examination of women’s literature in Japan led by Dr Juliana Buriticá Alzate. Through group work in a Japanese language taster session and an Oxford-style ‘soft drinks networking reception’, the DGS students had the opportunity to mingle with ten current Oxford students. The DGS students proactively asked questions to the Oxford students, on topics ranging from studying Japanese to living in Oxford. The DGS students also had an Oxford-style lunch experience at the historic Dining Hall and a walking tour of Oxford’s iconic architecture, including the Radcliffe Camera and the Old Bodleian Library.

With heartfelt thanks to:

Organiser: Dr Chinami Oka (Tanaka Junior Research Fellow in Japanese Studies, Pembroke)

Participating Faculty Members: Dr Juliana Buriticá Alzate (Departmental Lecturer in Modern Japanese Literature, Pembroke) and Kaori Nishizawa (Lecturer in Japanese Language, Pembroke)

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Volunteers: Zhihang Wang, Joel Littler, Lucie Colonna, Isabella Goodall Turner, Pollyjean Webb, Elizabeth Bonnett, Phoebe Thomas, Lily Macfarlane, Simona Byuzyukeva