Global Leadership Program – The University of Tokyo

Global Education for Innovation & Leadership

PHASE 1
GEfIL INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECT（実践研究）

2023-2024

Abbreviated Version

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PHASE 1 Syllabus

Page 3

Aim of the Course

3Teamwork

4

Attendance Requirement

5Mentors’ email addresses

5SDGs Chart and Compulsory Reading

6

Learning Schedule 2023-2024

7First Abroad Program Info Session

7

Interim Presentation

9

Second Abroad Program Info Session

9

Final Presentations

11

Special Event with Sponsor Companies

112

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECT PHASE 1 – SYLLABUS
Aim of the course
This course aims to provide you with global leadership skills, interdisciplinary researchskills, basic skills in project planning and management, the competence to work
effectively in teams with diverse members, to enhance your communication andpresentation skills in English, and to acquire a good understanding of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). You will need these skills for your own research project inPHASE 2, and for becoming a future global leader.

Structure of PHASE 1PHASE 1 emphasizes active learning that puts you in charge of your studies. To this end,
we employ the project method in which you will go in teams through a process consistingof 3 large steps (and several smaller ones), indicated in the following graphs.

Ideation

Research* Problem identification* Project planning* Research (background, existing
solutions, unsolved problems)* Fieldwork/survey/interviews* Project execution* Solution design* Revision of project* Feasibility check

Presentation* Presentation content* Abstract writing* PPT design, visuals* Rehearsals* Q&A preparation

Topic of PHASE 1
Each student team will choose one of the SDGs, determine the related target the teamwants to achieve in Tokyo by 2030, and conduct in-depth research on how to reach thetarget.
The goal of the team project is to create an idea for a policy/activity/enterprise/product/service in order to achieve the target. Student teams are encouraged to becreative, bold, and original in their projects.

3Teamwork
Since the complexity of the SDGs demands collaboration between “experts” of diverse
knowledge-backgrounds, the research projects of PHASE 1 will be carried out ininterdisciplinary teams of students with similar interests but from different majors. Bothas a team and individually, you will experience a research project on a “real world” issue,
from the planning stages to the presentation of your findings and action plans. The focus
on SDGs in Tokyo by 2030 has been chosen to enable students to conduct fieldwork
where desired and applicable, and thereby gain experience of working on-site withdifferent stakeholders.
The classes in PHASE 1 will be conducted in a combination of lectures, skill exercises,
teamwork, group discussions, supervisions as well as fieldwork.

SLACK - Online Teamwork Platform
We use a teamwork online platform – SLACK – to communicate within your team, between
teams, and with the GLP-GEfIL teaching staff. After receiving an invitation email, please
follow the instructions to register yourself on SLACK.
Make sure to regularly check the SLACK pages, as the teaching staff will frequently
upload information material and Power Point files of the lectures given during PHASE 1.

Learning OutcomesStudents will learn to1) set targets and an agenda for tackling complex issues such as the SDGs,
2) critically analyze sources and research material,3) design a research project and explore solutions for “real” problems,4) select and apply appropriate methods of analysis and innovation,5) conduct feasibility and applicability assessments,
6) manage project time efficiently,7) communicate and work in interdisciplinary and international teams,
8) debate on research issues with peers and critics,
9) present findings and solutions in English for a large audience.

Assessment:
PHASE 1 is assessed by a combination of40%

Individual Research Report of 1,800 – 2,200 words (in English) to be submitted by
28 February 2024 (Wednesday), noon. The report should display your individual
contribution to the team project.

40%

Final Team Presentation on 18 or 25 May or 1 June, 2024 (Sat.)(TBC);

20%

Interim presentation of teamwork on 17 February,2024 (Sat.);

4IMPORTANT - Attendance Requirement:
Students shall make effort to attend all the workshops. Workshops 1, 2, 3 are crucial toyour team’s success. Workshop 7 requires everyone’s attendance for their team’s final
presentation. Missing one of these four compulsory workshops will result in a fail in
PHASE 1, thus no longer be eligible to receive a GEfIL scholarship for the Abroad Programs,
neither to progress to PHASE 2.
Please talk to your mentor (not TAs) if you have to be absent. If you miss other workshops
for valid reasons, you will be required to conduct an alternative task on each missedworkshop.

SUPPORT:
All of you and your teams will be guided and supported throughout your project by theGLP-GEfIL Mentors and post-graduate Teaching Assistants.

Mentors’ email addresses

5Reading Material for Preparation (*compulsory reading)

The SDGS in Action
https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals?c_src=CENTRAL&c_src2=GSR

COVID-19 and Human Development: Assessing the Crisis, Envisioning the Recovery,
by United Nations Development Programme
https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/covid-19andhumandevelopmentpdf_1.pdf

From Insights to Action: Gender Equality in the Wake of COVID-19, by UN Women
https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/Library/Publications/2020/Gender-equality-in-the-wake-of-COVID-19-en.pdf

Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2022
https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/Progress-on-the-sustainable-development-goals-the-gender-snapshot-2022-en.pdfHUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2021-22, Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping ourFuture in a Transforming World
https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2021-22pdf_1.pdf

6PHASE 1 Schedule for December 2023 to May 2024
Entrance Ceremony: Saturday, 9 December 9:30 – 12:00
9:30-12:00 Entrance Ceremony (Venue: Administration office Hall, Komaba Campus)

Assignment 1 (individual), for 9 December Workshop:
Please familiarize yourself with the SDGs basics.
STEP 1: Carefully read the Reading Material the Post-2015 [Kanie] report
Prescriptions for effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals inJapan (see links in the reading list on page 6).
STEP 2: Choose one SDG you are particularly interested in and consider thefollowing Guiding Questions:
What target you like to set?
Which measures have already been taken to achieve the chosen target?
What still needs to be done or is lacking in the measures in Tokyo?
Which specific areas and target populations of Tokyo are particularly affectedby your chosen SDG?
Use Slack to communicate with your team members, and to receive advice from GLPGEfIL Mentors and Teaching Assistants for PHASE 1.

Workshop 1: Saturday, 9 December 13:30 – 16:30
Venue: Venue: Rm 109, Building 1, Komaba Campus

First Abroad Program Info Session: 17:00 – 18:30
Assignment 2 (as an individual), by Friday, 15 December:
The following two steps are needed for the “Team Project Planning” session on
Saturday, 16 December:
STEP 1: Prepare one PPT slide to indicate your initial ideas for a project.
STEP 2: Share your slides on your SLACK team channel with your team members anddiscuss your ideas with them. Mentors and TAs will provide feedback.

Workshop 2: Saturday, 16 December 13:30 – 17:30
Venue: Rm 109, Building 1, Komaba Campus
Expert Mentor Lecture 1, Prof. Ai KIHARAN-HUNT, Peacebuilding: 9:30-12:00

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Assignment 3 (as a team), complete the following tasks and be ready for
the Individual Team Advisory Meeting between 6 – 31 January:
Task 1, As a team, please develop a Project Plan (that must be completed by
Wednesday, 15 May, 2024, before the Final Presentation) which shall:a.

Describe the purpose of your project and the method of achieving the goal.

b.

List the research questions and assign them to each member, which shallprovide a sub-topic for her/his Individual Research Report (due 28 Feb. 2024).

c.

Specify the dates of teamwork and assignments (setting the target, revising theidea, proposing solutions, preparing slides to share information on SLACK,
writing the Individual Research Report, having rehearsals for the Interim
Presentation, meeting the Mentor and TA, and the Final Presentation...)d.

Decide on who will send reminders, who will check the teamwork progress, andwho will alert the team, Mentor and TA to unexpected absence, etc.

e.

Plan a fieldwork/survey/interview and obtain a permission from your mentor.

f.

Conduct the fieldwork/survey/interview between February and April.

g.

Prepare a bibliography of academic and media articles, books, audio/visualmaterials, and surveys, etc. that is relevant to your chosen topic.

h.

Submit this Project Plan on your SLACK channel on by 30 December.

Individual Team Advisory Meetings (Friday, 5 January – Wednesday,
31 January 2024)
In this period, GLP Mentors, Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellow will meet withteams individually to provide advice, support, and feedback for each team’s Project
Plan. Meetings will be arranged in consultation with all team members.

Assignment 4 until Thursday, 15 February:1.

Prepare the Interim Presentation by ALL team members.
Format: A 5-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute Q&A.
The presentation will include: (1) project topic, (2) the number of SDGs, (3) thespecific problem identified, and (4) initial idea(s) of a solution.

2.

Prepare your team presentation slides and submit it on your SLACK channel byThursday 15 February.

Workshop 3: Saturday, 3 February 2024 13:30 – 17:30
Venue: KOMCEE East K211, Komaba Campus
Expert Mentor Lecture 2, Prof. Yuko ITATSU, AI and Society: 9:30-12:00

Workshop 4： Saturday, 17 February 2024 10:00 – 17:30
Venue: Rm 1212, Building 12, Komaba Campus

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(Interim Presentations)
ALL team members must participate in the presentation.

Assignment 5 (as an individual) Individual Research Reports due
Noon Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Report length: 1,800 - 2,200 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography) inEnglish. Submit to LPS’s My File→ 2024S1 2401-1 PHASE1 (Report)→uploading.
The report should consist of:Introduction: topic, background and rationale for your this research,
Research question and approach/methodology,
How your individual research is related to your team’s project,
Short literature review of relevant research and measures taken,
Development of your own ideas in answer to the research question(s),substantiated by critical analyses of collected data and literature review,
Conclusion and outlook (e.g. open questions or aspects you want to pursue
hereafter).
Please see the “Evaluation Criteria: Individual Research Report” in the Appendix tothe GEfIL Student Handbook.
You MUST provide references for all the sources you use or paraphrase (seeReferencing Guide uploaded on the Slack general channel).

Wednesday, 13 March:

Second Abroad Program Info Session: 17:00 – 18:30
Saturday, 16 March：
Venue: KOMCEE East K211, Komaba Campus
Expert Mentor Lecture 3, Prof. Alexandros GASPARATOS, Sustainability: 9:30-12:00

Workshop 5: Saturday, 23 March 13:30 – 17:30
Venue: Takeda Hall, Hongo Campus
Expert Mentor Lecture 4, Prof. Takahiro HIGASHI and Prof. Haruhiko INADA, Global Health,9:30-12:00

9Assignment 6 (as a team) until Friday, 5 April:
1. Read all the individual research reports in your team.
2. Submit on your Slack channel, a “Progress Report” (500 words) of your teamproject.
3. This report should indicate each member’s contribution.
4. Complete the problem analysis including the following items:a. Form and design of your solution;b. Needs of, and impact on, stakeholders;c. Possible costs of your project product and implementation and how tofund the project;d. Consideration of wider impact of the team’s solution and its application(e.g. environmental, social, economic, political, cultural).

Workshop 6: Saturday, 6 April 13:30 – 17:30
Venue: KOMCEE East K211, Komaba Campus
Expert Mentor Lecture 5, Prof. Masaaki KATSUSNO Global Education: 9:30-12:00

Saturday, 20 April：
Venue: KOMCEE East K211, Komaba Campus
Expert Mentor Lecture 6, Prof. Kensuke FUKUSHI, Sustainability: 9:30-12:00

Individual Team Advisory Meetings (Monday, 22 April – Thursday, 16May):
Assignment 7 (as a team) by noon, Monday, 6 May:
Teams must submit an abstract (about 300 words) of your final presentation on yourSlack channel, which shall include (a) the project title, (b) member names, (c) thenumber(s) of SDG, (d) the identified problems, (e) proposed solution, and (f) methodsof achieving the solution.
All the abstracts will be published as a pamphlet and distributed at the Final
Presentation on 18 May(TBD). Start working early on your abstract!
During this period your team should focus on preparing your final presentation. GLP
Mentors and Teaching Assistants will meet with your team to help you with presentation
rehearsals.

Saturday, 11 or 18 May 10:00 – 18:00
Venue: TBC

PHASE 2 Final Presentations:10Students from PHASE 2 give their final presentation in front of peers and representativesof the GLP Sponsor Companies. These presentations will help PHASE 1 students todecide on their own Thematic Field starting from September 2024.

Attendance is recommended for ALL GEfIL students.

Workshop 7: Saturday, 18 or 25 May or 1 June 9:00 – 18:00 (TBC)
Venue: TBC

PHASE 1 FINAL PRESENTATIONSALL GEfIL students must participate in your team presentations.

End of September 2024:
Abroad Program Report Session for Sponsor Companies
ALL GEfIL students must participate to express gratitude to the sponsor
companies.

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