Back to academia

Transcript

At my university here in Japan, we're finishing the academic year. We've finished exams and grading, and this week we determined who will be able to graduate in March. In my department this year is pretty good. Our students did well, and we didn't have any unpleasant surprises.

One of the ironies of university life is that academic work becomes a luxury in this season. We have a lot of paperwork, and some of us have to attend several meetings every week. It's nearly impossible for professors to find time for our primary work of education, research, and public service. Sometimes it gets pretty frustrating, especially during long meetings.

But in the midst of all this non-academic activity there are some bright spots. For example, the other day five colleagues presented summaries of their current research. We got to hear interesting talks about English language teaching, clinical psychology, ancient Buddhist texts, and new kinds of school libraries. It was great to sit in a meeting and learn something new.

After that meeting a small group of us gathered informally to share ideas for a new research and public service project. We were all enthusiastic about collaborating in creative and useful research.

On the same day my masters student submitted her thesis on how some urban middle school girls use mobile phones. Their patterns of mobile phone use differ greatly from the scary stories we get from the mass media. Her research makes a genuine contribution to our understanding of how young urban teenage girls use technology to maintain their social lives. The best news is that she's going to be a teacher. With more teachers like her, this country has a bright future.

I suppose I shouldn't complain. As much as I hate all the meetings, I have to admit that academic life can be very rewarding—as long as I can find time for it.