Mei-Writing Summer Camp 2024
General Information
Part I – General Information
1. What is special about Mei-Writing summer camp?
Mei-Writing Summer Camp (MWSC) is organized by the Department of Academic Writing
Education (also known as Mei-Writing). MWSC is designed as an active learning program for
all university students, regardless of their fields of study. Conducted as an intensive course,
MWSC covers all the necessary academic skills, including logical thinking, academic writing,presentation, team building, and leadership. The primary goal of MWSC is to transform general
education outside the classroom setting so that a suitable learning environment can be created
to promote students’ active learning and develop their self-confidence in thinking,communication, and leadership.

Concept Diagram1

Mei-Writing Summer Camp 2024
General Information
2. Time and Location
In 2024, the camp will be held at 国立信州高遠青少年自然の家, from September 6th to 9th(4 days 3 nights).

3. Camp Capacity
In 2024, the maximum camp capacity is set at 24 participants, including 2 instructors, 1 student
organizer (TA), and 4 leaders (TA).

4. Eligibility for being a camp participant
(i)
(ii)

All graduate students from either Nagoya University or Gifu University,
3rd or 4th-year undergraduate students from either Nagoya University or Gifu
University.

5. Eligibility for being a camp leader
In 2024, to be employed as a camp leader (TA), he or she must be (i) a graduate student(Master's or Doctoral) of Nagoya University, and (ii) fulfill at least one of the following
conditions:(a) Completed the course of either Research Skills T.
(b) Completed the course of Research Skills SC (summer camp).
(c) Completed a series of Nagoya University library workshops on “Logical Thinking
Skills and Academic Writing”.

6. Eligibility for getting the course credits
All students who fulfill the requirements in 4 are eligible for getting course credits after
successfully completing all the camp activities.

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General Information
7. Transportation
Participants of the camp will be transported to and from the campsite by bus. Below is a brief
travel plan:
To the campsite:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)

Depart from Toyota Symposium Hall, Nagoya University (Higashiyama Campus)
Stop at Nagoya JR Station (different from previous years)
Arrive at 国立信州高遠青少年自然の家

From the campsite:(iv)
(v)
(vi)

Depart from 国立信州高遠青少年自然の家
Stop at Nagoya JR Station (different from previous years)
Arrive at Toyota Symposium Hall, Nagoya University (Higashiyama Campus)

8. Accommodations
All participants of the camp will stay at the accommodations provided by the campsite. One or
two big lodges will be allocated to male students. One or two big lodges will be allocated tofemale students. Two teacher’s rooms will be allocated to the camp instructors.
Note that accommodations are no longer free of charge at 国立信州高遠青少年自然の家.
Each student will have to pay 1,200 yen per night for their stay at the campsite.

9. Insurance
All participants of the camp are required to buy insurance that covers the entire camp period.
A JTB staff will come to Nagoya University to collect the insurance fee two or three weeks
before the camp.

10. Necessary Expenses
Transportations to and from the camp are free. Participants only have to pay foraccommodation and what they consume at the campsite, such as food, drinks, snacks, etc. Someof the voluntary leisure activities such as hot spring tour, etc., may also require payment. Ingeneral, we ask everyone to prepare 20,000 yen for the whole camp.

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General Information
Part II – Camp Activities
11. Orientation session
The orientation session of the camp will be conducted by the camp organizer and instructor
one or two weeks before the camp. The instructor will introduce the camp and show videos ofpast camps. The organizer will introduce the facilities at the campsite, inform about thegathering time and location on the departure date, etc. One important part of the orientation
session is the ice-breaking activities among the participants. Participants will get to know theirteam leader and members for the first time. A welcome party will be held after the orientation
session.

12. Workshop series on Logical Thinking and Academic Writing
This workshop series will be conducted by Prof. Lai on Day 1 (afternoon), Day 2 (morning),Day 3 (morning), and Day 4 (morning). The objective of the workshops is to teach students
how to think clearly and convincingly in academic writing. Two major areas will be covered:(i) understanding the importance of having a clear thesis statement in academic writing andlearning how to build one through writing a group essay, (ii) understanding the importance ofhaving a logically convincing argument in academic writing and learn how to build one basedon the thesis statement developed. All the teams will be asked to write a group essay based onsome common keywords, although each of them is encouraged to develop, based on thekeywords, a unique thesis statement and logical argument for their essay.

13. Team-Building Training
The entire camp will be conducted in the spirit of “cooperating to compete”. Every student
participant will be allocated to a team of 4 or 5 members throughout the camp period. Teammembers are selected based on creating a well balanced between different nationalities anddisciplines. Under a multinational and multidisciplinary environment, team members need tolearn how to communicate in English and explain their ideas in a clear and convincing mannerto the audience from different fields. And most importantly, they need to learn how to support
each other and work together. All the teams will compete for a top prize based on their groupworks. The prize will be awarded on the final day.

14. Leadership Training
Five students from the camp participants will be chosen to form the leadership and management
team of the camp. One of them is the organizer, and the other four the team leaders. Together
they will manage and lead the camp. The camp organizer will (i) lead a team of four teamleaders, (ii) make plans about the camp location, period, schedule, activities, (iii) conduct PR
activities for the camp, (iv) chair leadership meetings, etc. Each of the team leaders will (i) leada team of four or five students, (ii) help the organizer plan the camp schedule and activities,(iii) conduct PR activities for the camp, (iv) participate in the leadership meetings, etc. Through4

Mei-Writing Summer Camp 2024
General Information
the practical experiences of how to manage and lead, the student organizer and leaders willlearn valuable lessons about how to become managers and leaders. The leadership training will
start four or five months before the camp.

15. Presentation Training
Every team is asked to give a final group presentation on the last evening of the camp. The
presentation is the final competition among the four teams, which is a decisive factor inchoosing the winning team of the camp. After the presentation, all the camp participants will
vote to decide which one of the teams wins the top prize. Every team member will work fromDay 1 for the final group presentation. In order to win the votes from the audience, every teammember will contribute to making their group presentation unique and attractive. By working
together with other team members in this way, students will learn important presentation skills
that are missing from the ordinary presentation course.

16. Morning Exercises
Every morning during the camp period, each team leader will take turns to lead the morning
physical exercises. The exercises are usually dances that are invented by the leaders. They areextremely fun and exciting!

17. Campfire & BBQs
Campfire and BBQ are the symbols of summer camp! They are important for making the camp
fun and enjoyable. Participants can take these opportunities to bond with their fellow campmembers and strengthen their friendship.

18. Other leisure activities
In addition to the campfire and BBQ, the camp organizer and leaders will also organize manyother leisure activities such as sports activities, hot spring tours, short-distance hiking, etc., tomake the camp as fun and enjoyable as possible.

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General Information
Part III – Overall ScheduleDay 1(1) Arrive at the camp site(2) Lunch(3) Camp orientation(4) Workshop on logical thinking for academic writing – introduction(5) Teamwork (let’s build a great team!)(6) BBQ(7) Welcome party
Day 2(1) Morning exercise(2) Breakfast(3) Workshop on logical thinking for academic writing – thesis statement(4) Lunch(5) Teamwork (prepare for the group presentation 1)(6) Teamwork (prepare for the group presentation 2)(7) Dinner/BBQ(8) Hot spring tour (optional)
Day 3(1) Morning exercise(2) Breakfast(3) Workshop on logical thinking for academic writing – logical argumentation(4) Lunch(5) Teamwork (prepare for the group presentation 3)(6) Teamwork (prepare for the group presentation 4)(7) Dinner(8) The final group presentation! (and the awards ceremony!!)(9) Celebration party with campfire & fireworks

Day 4(1) Morning exercise(2) Breakfast(3) Workshop on research ethics(4) Lunch(5) Sightseeing and outdoor activities(6) Going back home6