初のオンライン開催で世界中の学生に届けたい、学術・文化交流の機会

 

Thank you for visiting our page! We are International Student Conference (ISC), an annual program that provides academic and cultural exchange for young and inspired students from around the world.
 

Ever since its outbreak, COVID-19 has been affecting the lives of people all over the world.

 

Things that were once normal to us, whether taking classes at the university, going abroad, and traveling during the summer vacation, suddenly became an impracticable pursuit. This dire situation has left many of us with fewer opportunities to witness what this wide world has to offer before our own eyes. 

 

For many students, a year meant for new encounters and challenges may not have turned out the way they would have liked.

 

Nevertheless, despite these misfortunes, we aspire to create a platform where we can connect with students from all over the world, transcending national boundaries, values, and principles. To this end, we are taking on the challenge of hosting ISC in an online format for the first time since ISC was founded 67 years ago! 

 

You might be wondering what we actually do at ISC67, so let us introduce you to the 67th International Student Conference through this video! 

 

 

 

 

●  Academic and Cultural Exchange and the First Time with the Online Format

 

This year will be the 67th year of the conference and the first time it will be held entirely online. ISC67 will feature "academic exchange" focusing on discussions over a selected global issue and "cultural exchange" focusing on deepening mutual understanding and friendship among people of different backgrounds. 

 

The academic exchange will take place over a span of four months with the aim of solving a selected social issue facing the world. Participants will be divided into five different tables to conduct research, deepen their knowledge of the selected topic, and devise action plans through discussions in their groups. They will share the results of their discussions with wider society through a presentation of their findings at the Final Forum held on the last day of the conference.

 

The cultural exchange segment allows our participants to interact with fellow participants. Many of them remember this aspect of ISC as one of their most memorable parts of the conference. In the past, we have included demonstrations of some cultural traditions, such as Soran-Bushi dance and calligraphy. This year, as ISC67 will be held online, we are thinking of activities that can build friendships that transcend borders, not limited to a particular society. 

 

One of the strong points of ISC is that we can deepen our understanding and friendship through academic discussions and cultural exchange with students from around the world to realize world peace. We believe that their experience at the conference and their encounters with like-minded people from around the world will contribute to the future of each participant as well as the wider community they belong to in the future. 
 

 

 

 

●  A Place for Students to Connect across Borders and Cultures

 

 

 

 

Due to COVID-19, interaction in person with students worldwide has been made impossible, so this year's conference is set to be held online. But how can we deliver the "real experience" that we have been able to provide through face-to-face interactions across the digital screen? In online activities, where even daily communication is difficult, discussions and interactions require a lot of effort and ingenuity.

 

In the course of discussions among all the committee members, a strong desire to achieve an "academic exchange that can contribute to the new normal society" and "new ways of experiencing cultures" was born. 

 

Out of this strong desire of the committee members, our annual theme "New Normal: Unity without Boundaries" was born. Under this statement, we hope to overcome boundaries and obstacles to provide a place for us to "meet people of diverse backgrounds and learn new ways of thinking" even when the conference is held in an online format.

 

You can view the recap of the 65th International Student Conference through this video:
 

 

 

●  Outline of the Event

 

◎Table Topics

 

1.Political Activism and Participation: Why They Take Part in Politics

Our table will examine the importance of political participation in light of the low voter turnout seen in Japan and the United States and explore how we can increase interest in politics.

 

2.Nuclear Politics: What We Can Do for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons

Our table will discuss the importance of nuclear weapons, a central security debate, with people from both nuclear-armed and non-nuclear-armed countries.

 

 

3.Food Security: How the global government should sustainably feed 8 billion

Our table will unravel the causes of the disparity in food supply between countries undergoing food shortages and those that are not. We will then explore how developed countries can contribute to the improvement of the issue. 

 

 

4.Migrant Laborers: Rethinking Migrant Labor Rights in The Pandemic

Our table will focus on the vulnerability of foreign workers worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and explore ways to guarantee their rights.

 

 

5.Participatory Urban Planning: Developing Inclusivity & Accessibility in the Globalized Cities

Our table will examine what is necessary to develop more comfortable urban spaces in which the opinions of residents can be taken into account as the population continues to flow into the urban zones. 

 

 

◎Schedule

May 15 - May 16, 2021 (Advance Conference)
May 16 - August 22, 2021 (Main Conference)
August 22, 2021 (Final Forum)

 

◎Venue 

National Olympics Memorial Youth Center (Advance Conference)
Virtually online (Main Conference and Final Forum)

 

◎For more information about the program, please click here.

 

 

 

 

●  How we will make the best use of your support

 

“How do we provide participants with a place for fruitful discussion and exchange?”

 

Leading up to the conference, we are working hard to plan and organize the various programs of the conference. Since the entire process is handled by only students, your support is essential for us in developing policy proposals aimed at bringing the voices of young people to society and achieving cross-cultural exchange for our participants. 

 

The 120,000 yen we are seeking this time will be used for the following purposes.

 

① Research expenses for academic exchange 

 

(For example, honorarium for mentors = approx. 60,000 yen)

 

To achieve discussions that incorporate multiple perspectives, under the academic activities involve the formulation of policy recommendations, we will invite mentors who are well-versed or who are active in the respective field. We ask mentors to critique the outcomes of the monthly study sessions from the viewpoint of their expertise. Therefore, we require the above amount as an honorarium for the mentors who will play an essential role in raising the quality of the discussion at our conference. 

 

② Cost of organizing cultural exchange events 

 

(For example, transportation + cost of cultural experience + honorarium = approx. 50,000 yen)

 

As this year's event will be held online, we believe that the enhancement of cultural exchange programs will be a key factor in realizing unity that transcends national boundaries. We will use the funds to hold the cultural exchange program to provide more participants with a rewarding experience even in an online environment.

 

Note: As of April, we are still in the planning stage of the cultural exchange, and the details of the cultural exchange event are still to be decided.

 

③ Handling fees for READYFOR 

 

14.4 thousand yen

 

●  Messages from the President of the 67th International Student Conference

 

 

This year marks the fourth year since I joined the International Student Conference and the first time in the history of the ISC that I am serving as a foreign national president!

 

Since last year, due to the spread of COVID-19, we have been forced to carry out our activities online. However, I am reminded once again that one of the most attractive features of ISC is that we can build friendships with students from all over the world through online platforms and form bonds that transcend national borders even in this challenging situation.

 

As COVID-19 unleashes enormous havoc on the global society, we were given an opportunity to rethink the nature of ISC once again. The current global pandemic is doubtlessly a "crisis" that will transform the world in the long run, but it is also an "opportunity" for all of us to overcome many barriers, which is why ISC67 introduced "New Normal: Unity without Boundaries" as our annual theme this year. Thinking of "what we can do now," we aspire to create a platform proper for the New Normal, and together with the participants, we wish to create a "Summer of 2021" that we will never forget. 

 

Although the International Student Conference endeavors to contribute to world peace through dialogue among students around the world, we are a student-run organization, so crowdfunding is a source of income that is essential for the success of the conference.

 

Your support for our organization would be highly appreciated! Thank you very much in advance for your generous support! 

 

●  Final Words

 

 

 

 

To achieve fruitful encounters, kindled discussions, and memorable cultural experiences, it is essential to seek your support through crowdfunding. To deliver an even more fulfilling conference to young and motivated students around the world this year, all members of ISC67 will continue to make efforts in preparing and planning for the upcoming conference.

 

Thank you for reading until the end. We would be so grateful if you could offer us warm support throughout our activities!