Yumiko IEDA

Member of the second graduating class of the Master of Arts Program for Journalist Education in Science and Technology ("MAJESTy"), Waseda University

It was a major decision on my part to quit the company for which I had worked for three years to attend the MAJESTy graduate school program. It has turned out to be a wonderful learning experience. I have had a quality time at MAJESTy.

At MAJESTy, students can have a variety of first-hand practical learning experiences, such as writing articles, by actually gathering news and participating in an internship program at a newspaper company. Also, students plan and organize a variety of events and workshops by themselves. Through these practical learning experiences, as well as learning with colleagues and lecturers from differing backgrounds, I feel that I have come to be able to look at things from a scientific viewpoint and with a broader perspective. I think that the benefit of MAJESTy is to provide you with a place and opportunity to think about things and then to act out your thoughts. 

I will start working for a publishing company this spring. While employed, I plan to continue my graduate studies. I will do my best in my new field by putting to good use what I have learned here.

Naosumi TAKAHASHI

During the summer vacation, I had an opportunity as an intern to interview those who migrate with the construction of a dam. Even after the field research, which had lasted for a month, was over, we continued discussions for about half a year to get input regarding how to interview, evaluate the dam itself and reflect the views of citizens in the announcement of the findings. I learn a lot from such discussions with faculty members and other students.

Discussions with people with different backgrounds, such as those in the arts vs. those in the sciences and graduate students vs. working people, are truly stimulating and inspiring. Since the MAJESTy project has just started, we are still looking for the best way to go forward, but both the faculty members and students continue active discussions and trial-and-error in an effort to make the project a success. I believe such repeated trial-and-error will enhance the ability of each one of us as science and technology journalists.

Editing a video clip

Kaori OISHI

I am immersed in my studies now: basic writing, legal knowledge required for information distributors, history and theories of mass communication, history of science, the latest research achievements in bioscience, science and technology policies, and so on. I enjoy each one of them.

Before entering graduate school, I was not eager to distribute information as I did not have confidence in my ability to distribute information in an effective and responsible manner. However, I have changed radically since then. The knowledge and experience gained from this program has enabled me to overcome my anxieties one by one and find new challenges.

What you can learn from this program expands almost endlessly depending upon your commitment. Various courses, including internship prorams, offer us real-world experience such as writing articles for newspapers, magazines, and Web sites, or organizing events related to science and technology.

I am planning to further my studies and research on public relations, which is currently my major topic of interest.

Nobuhide HOMAE

After graduating from Waseda University's Graduate School of Science and Engineering, I joined Shimizu Corporation, where I worked as an architectural designer. Later, I took up a new career as a freelance architectural journalist. I wrote a number of books and articles under a pen name while lecturing on housing issues at Asahi Culture Center. I also published a novel under my own name.

These experiences caused me to realize that Japan lacks an interdisciplinary approach that would encompass both liberal arts and science. Journalism is no exception to this rule. It was recently disclosed that several Japanese architectural firms had fabricated the earthquake-resistance data of several dozen buildings. To accurately cover a case like this, journalists must have an adequate grasp of science and technology.

Given such circumstances, it is a major landmark for Waseda University to have established a graduate program that merges liberal arts and science education. I am looking forward to studying not only journalism but also science and technology at MAJESTy, which I believe will serve as a model for innovative interdisciplinary programs elsewhere.

Having an informal discussion

Mariko OSHIO

I am excited about being given this opportunity to study science and technology journalism at MAJESTy for two reasons.

Firstly, MAJESTy is focused on providing practical training for those wishing to become science and technology journalists. This is precisely what I was looking for in a graduate program. I am looking forward to taking courses in news gathering and reporting, which I believe will help lay the groundwork for my future career.

Secondly, this program is designed to provide basic scientific knowledge and greater insight into that knowledge to students, like myself, whose undergraduate majors were in liberal arts. Since my future interest is to report on healthcare issues facing the developing world, I hope to gain a broader and deeper knowledge of international healthcare issues. Such knowledge will be useful for writing news stories that are accurate and thought-provoking.