The Community Involvement Project (CIP)

A key part of the KCJS Experience, the CIP provides an opportunity for you to learn beyond the classroom as you join university student clubs, take lessons in a traditional art, volunteer with a local organization, and many other options.

The CIP Empowers You to:

Engage with diverse communities and people;

Pursue your own interests;

Explore future possibilities for your career path.

As part of your language course, the CIP obliges you to actively use Japanese outside of the classroom and in real-life settings. Then, you will reflect on your CIP experience through writing weekly logs and in-class discussions with your KCJS peers and local Japanese students as a way to understand yourself and the Japanese cultural lens. It also empowers you to engage with diverse groups and local people, pursue your own interests, and explore future possibilities for your career path.

Please see CIP Synopsis for more information about possible CIP activities. You can also access links to the websites by the groups in which previous KCJS students participated.

Independent Study

Independent study allows you to explore a specific research topic in-depth, and acquire the methodological and analytical skills necessary for academic research.

It normally involves directed reading and research, regular weekly meetings with a faculty advisor, and completion of a research paper or comparable final project that will be graded by the advisor. Independent study is particularly useful for formulating and gathering materials for a senior or honors thesis. Typically, you would undertake this project in lieu of one of the two regular disciplinary courses.

To take the Independent Study course, you must submit the proposals for the KCJS Resident Director to review. For more information about the Independent Study course, go to the Independent Study section of “Elective Courses” under the “Study at KCJS” page.

KCJS Summer research grants

Every summer KCJS offers a small number of grants which are intended to give students a chance to put their Japanese language skills to use in pursuing a serious independent research project.

Who can apply?

All full-year or spring-only KCJS students

What are the requirements for the proposed research?

The research can be in any discipline, but you must make full use of Japanese-language resources.

How may weeks does the grant cover?

10 weeks. Proposals for five-week summer grants, in proportionally smaller amounts, will also be considered.

How much is the grant?

A maximum stipend of ¥350,000 for a ten-week period of research to be conducted in Japan.

How is the grant paid?

The 10-week grant is paid in two installments, with the second installment conditional upon submission of a satisfactory mid-term progress report. Awardees will also receive an additional payment of US$500 upon submission and approval of a final detailed report or research paper following completion of the grant period.

KCJS Awards

To recognize the achievements of our students, KCJS awards five awards each semester:

Excellence in Community Involvement Award

This award honors the leadership and contributions of Henry D. Smith II, KCJS director from 2005-2011. The awardee exemplifies the program’s aim of fostering direct, personal engagement with the people and organizations of Kyoto in ways that advance linguistic fluency, cultural literacy, and cross-cultural understanding.

Excellence in Japanese Performance Award

The award honors the leadership and contributions of Ginger Marcus, former professor of the practice of Japanese at Washington University in St. Louis and chair of the KCJS board from 2005 to 2011. Granted by the KCJS core faculty, the awardee demonstrated the most outstanding linguistic improvement during their term at KCJS.