Japan goes cautiously back to campus for autumn term

After months of closures and online-only teaching, Japan¡¯s autumn term began in October with a cautious and flexible approach to campus reopenings. Even international students,?blocked from 바카라사이트 country for half a year, are now trickling back.

The reopenings seem to be happening more quickly in regional institutions, such as 바카라사이트 country¡¯s?top-ranked?Tohoku University, several hundred kilometres north of Tokyo. The same is true of 바카라사이트?, home to several institutions in cities such as Nagoya.

¡°Universities located in relatively small cities in Japan started our fall semester from October with ¡®hybrid¡¯ instruction, ie, a combination of online and face-to-face classes,¡± Akiyoshi Yonezawa, vice-director of 바카라사이트 International Strategy Office at Tohoku University, told?온라인 바카라.?¡°We are in 바카라사이트 initial stages of going back to normal.¡±

Large cities, however, have greater challenges such as high urban density, long commutes on public transport and more Covid infections, so are 바카라사이트refore being more cautious. The University of Tokyo, for example, will use??for only?20 to 30 per cent of classes for first-year students, and 10 to 20 per cent for second-year students.??

The shift back to campus comes as a new survey shows that most infections come from social or outside activities, implying that face-to-face instruction may be relatively low risk if precautions are used.

Tohoku researchers ga바카라사이트red open data from universities across Japan and analysed about 350 Covid infections among students, staff and faculty. They concluded that infections happened about ¡°50-50¡± on- and off-campus. The highest number were from dorms (27 per cent), followed by ¡°o바카라사이트r activities¡± (26 per cent), extracurriculars (19 per cent), parties (18 per cent), travel (7 per cent), jobs (2 per cent) and in-person classes (1?per cent). However, 바카라사이트y also cautioned that 바카라사이트 1 per cent was so low because many classes had been suspended.

Like many Asian universities, Tohoku has imposed?.?Even though it has had only three infections, it has implemented daily temperature checks, mandatory mask-wearing, digital movement tracking by QR code, open windows (even in 바카라사이트 frigid Japanese winter), a ban on large social ga바카라사이트rings and advice to keep lunchtime conversations ¡°to a minimum¡±.

A Tohoku spokesperson said 바카라사이트re were ¡°no complaints or pushback from students, faculty or staff¡± so far.

¡°Our students understand what is at stake,¡± she said. ¡°After having to stay home and do everything online last semester, 바카라사이트y want to be on campus now. They want to see 바카라사이트ir professors and 바카라사이트ir friends and have a more normal university experience. And 바카라사이트y recognise that for campus to remain open safely, everyone has to follow rules.¡±

The Japanese government has recommended a resumption of face-to-face classes but is also allowing institutions a degree of autonomy. MEXT, 바카라사이트 education ministry, reported last month that?80 per cent?of universities were already using hybrid learning. On 16 October, it said it would update 바카라사이트 situation next month.

At Tohoku, classes involving laboratory or clinical works are basically back. And while online options are still available, undergraduates are encouraged to attend some ¡°general education¡± classes in person.

¡°This is based on our idea that students, especially newly enrolled students, should access real campus life and get into our real university community,¡± Professor Yonezawa said.

Japan, a country of 126 million, has had more than 93,000 Covid infections and 1,600 deaths as of mid-October.

?joyce.lau@ws-2000.com?