News Letter

1. Memo from the Professor

My dear International Students and Researchers,

Happy New Year. Allow me to send this greeting message at the end of December because I want to convey news about events and seminars that will take place early part of the new year. Do you make New Year’s resolution regularly? In the process of management in general, especially in Japan, we use PDCA cycle which stands for Plan, Do, Check and Action. It is proven management process otherwise known as Deming cycle which is considered to be effective for control and continuous improvement. Considering the New Year’s resolution being a Plan, what you have, or have not done through the year is Do. It is good practice to Check what you have accomplished out of your list of new year’s resolution, and more importantly, Check what you did not complete. Then analyze the causes why you did not accomplish the objective and prepare the Action plan which will lead to your next new year’s resolution. The PDCA cycle must be repeated regularly and the review cycle can be short or long. For example, if you set a goal to obtain JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) level N1 in three years from the scratch, plan to achieve N5 or N4 in the first 6 months. Apply the PDCA cycle when you receive the JLPT test result to adjust your study plan. Check the progress regularly so that you can adjust your Do activities soon enough to reach to your objective in a timely manner.

2. Important news on Japanese E-learning

Registration for ALC NetAcademy 2 Japanese E-learning is in progress (12/25/2018-1/17/2019). If you are interested in taking this course, please apply from the link below:
https://www2.synfoster.hokudai.ac.jp/Hi-System/public/index.php?act=eve&id=347#top

By applying for this course, you will receive an on-line account to access to this E-learning service effective from February 1, 2019 through January 31, 2020. Because ALC will cease from supporting this E-learning service at the end of March, 2020, I-HoP has regretfully decided to discontinue the provision of this free Japanese E-learning service. Therefore, the current registration is the last chance for you to obtain this E-learning account free. If you are already enrolled to the existing 12 months account which may expire sooner than December, 2019, you are not eligible for application this time, and there will be no renewal of your account.
It is regretful that we no longer provide Japanese E-learning program as a part of our service. Please note, however, that there are many free e-learning contents on the web or on TV, some of which are safe, trustworthy and useful. For example, JF Japanese e-learning Minato (http://www.jfkc.jp/en/material/jf-nihongo-minato.html) which is operated by the Japan Foundation (an outfit supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) is friendly to both the beginners and advanced learners. Doctoral course students who are studying in English may not have enough time to attend Japanese language classes which is available in or outside the campus because most of them require mandatory attendance of a few hours a day. As the language learning requires consistency, it is highly recommendable if you dedicate certain hour(s) a day (like early morning or late in the evening) to concentrate on Japanese learning or practicing in which e-learning can be a practical and flexible media.

3. Entrepreneur Seminar and Events

3.1 How to Launch your Own Business (1/11/2019)
Be your own boss, by creating your business to accomplish what you want to achieve in your life. A new addition to our Transferable Skills Seminar is dealing with “How to launch your own business”. I-HoP is inviting a mentor of many start-up companies and an entrepreneur, Mr. Kazuaki Oda. The seminar is followed by a small party (free) where you can continue your dialogue with the lecturer. Reservation can be made by accessing the following site:
https://www2.synfoster.hokudai.ac.jp/Hi-System/public/index.php?act=eve&id=369#top

3.2 Japan Business Model Competition (Due at 18:00pm Friday, February 4, 2019)
World largest social business model competition, Hult Prize whose campus level final at Hokkaido University was already held on Saturday, December 15. A similar global competition of university students which is specialized in lean start-up is called IBMC, International Business Model Competition. You may apply directly to this global competition by submitting your presentation by April 1, 2019 to: http://www.businessmodelcompetition.com/
A local level competition in Japan for IBMC which is called Japan BMC is also inviting contestants. Japan BMC will be held in Kawasaki city on March 2, 2019. Students applying from outside Tokyo, once selected as a winner, will receive 50,000 yen per team to cover a part of their domestic travel cost. The winning team of the Japan BMC, which is qualified as a Quarterfinalist, will receive full travel expense support by the organizer to join the global competition to be held on May 10 in the US. Registration for the Japan BMC can be made at: http://japan-bmc.com/
You can make entry and compete in English but the entry form on the web is only in Japanese.

4. New Scholarship Program for Life Science

IGP, International Graduate Program, of Graduate School of Life Science has been awarded by MEXT for recruiting graduate students with scholarship for the following two programs. If you have friends in your home country who might be interested in the life science, please disperse this information.

5. Science Writing Skills & Presentation Skills Seminar for Graduate Students & Young Researchers

https://www.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/2018/12/18/59890/

There will be two sessions targeted for graduate students and
researchers in both Life Sciences & Medicine, and Natural
Sciences & Engineering. (in English ONLY)
You will be also possible to participate in either one session only.

Date
2019/1/16 Wed
Sci　13:10-16:00、Med　17:30-20:20

Place・Max
Large Auditorium, 2nd Flr. Science Bldg. #5 200 participants
Lecture Room III, 1st Flr. Clinical Medicine Lecture Bldg. Graduate
School of Medicine 100 participants
Eligibility
Graduate students and researchers in both Life Sciences & Medicine, and
Natural Sciences & Engineering.

Program
Session1：Science Writing Skills
＊13:10-14:40 (Sci) / 17:30-19:00 (Med)
Session2：Presentation Skills
＊15:00-16:00 (Sci) / 19:20-20:20 (Med)