Sophia Magazine vol.8 / WINTER 2018

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Expanding Horizons for Joint Research – Research Exchange with Fordham UniversityFrom May 21 to 26, researchers from Fordham and Sophia universities engaged in an exchange program on the latter’s Yotsuya campus. Attendees, numbering around 25 from each university, shared ideas on urban research fieldwork over the course of the week, with a symposium held on the final day. The event was a first for both universities, and generated new joint research projects.Professor Kazuhiro Ema, Vice President for Academic Research AffairsCollaborative exchanges typically begin with an encounter between individual academics. Here though, Fordham and Sophia adopted a matchmaking formula, first reaching out for participants to attend an event on the theme of “urban research.” Researchers at each university were then paired with counterparts and topics relevant to their interests, with the result being a unique research ex-change initiative.Professor Kazuhiro Ema, Sophia’s Vice President for Academic Research Affairs, explains, “The program came about following a proposal made during the visit of President Yoshiaki Terumichi to Fordham University in May 2017. There have long been exchanges with Fordham University, a Jesuit institution like ours. Fordham chose us because of our many common traits, arising from the fact that both universities are located in big cities. The overarch-ing theme of urban research also crosses into the realm of the four Jesuit challenges of poverty, environment, education, and ethics, so this was also a highly significant opportunity to engage in our mission as Jesuit universities.” The Fordham researchers were in Japan for just a week, but they had been in contact with their Sophia peers for some time before then, sharing information on research di-rections in fields of mutual interest. This ensured that the guest researchers enjoyed highly productive discussions dur-ing their stay in Japan, in turn deepening their knowledge of fieldwork. Some groups even made a start on their joint research there and then.ne of the Sophia-Fordham partnerships was formed between Dr. Munshi-South, Associate Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at Fordham, and Dr. Watanabe, Sophia’s Associate Professor of Anthropology.Both academics acknowledge the possibilities for mutually relevant col-laborative research, and the support provided for this by their universi-ties. As Watanabe puts it, “It would be great if we can nd some topics to collaborate on long term. Especially since we have backing from the two universities, it would be quite easy to do in terms of institutional and nan-cial support, personnel, and so on.” Munshi-South echoes his partner’s sentiments. “From conversations I have had with colleagues at Fordham,” he enthuses, “we are very keen on expanding our collaborations interna-tionally, particularly around the theme of urban studies.” While the duo’s research elds differ somewhat, with Munshi-South study-ing urban ecology and Watanabe’s expertise lying in cultural anthropology, both recognize areas of shared interest and complementarity. “Urban or environmental studies,” explains Watanabe, “are best done when they are multidisciplinary.” Munshi-South agrees: “My previous research has mostly taken place in New York City, looking at natural populations of animals and plants, but one thing you realize whenever you are working in the city is that the human element is always there, and dominant.” Although the pair have yet to identify specic topics, the prospects look highly promising. OCollaborative Research Opportunities in Urban EcologyEpisode 1Jason Munshi-South andTakehiro Watanabe28Learning