Ohio University Associate Professor Chris Thompson spent the fall 2018 semester at Chubu University in Japan, and his work there will provide new momentum for his teaching and research activities for years to come.

From Sept. 8 through Dec. 15, 2018, Thompson served as the Kohei Miura Visiting Professor at Chubu University, which has been a partner institution with OHIO since 1973. Each year, OHIO faculty members serve as Miura Visiting Professors at Chubu University, while Chubu University faculty members serve as Glidden Visiting Professors at OHIO. The most recent Glidden Visiting Professor was Professor Yutaka Hirata.

Thompson, former chair of the Department of Linguistics and an associate professor of Japanese Language and Culture in this department and the Japan Study Abroad Coordinator for OHIO, explained that the opportunity to serve as the Miura Visiting Professor provided numerous benefits.

“It was major,” Thompson said. The time in Japan boosted his research work significantly, and he already has one article set to be published soon about his work. Additional articles will be coming later, he added.

The time at Chubu University will also influence his teaching at OHIO and will further benefit his students. The 13 weeks he spent at Chubu University were filled with a wide range of events and activities, including the following:

• Teaching two different classes, one focused on his field experience in Asuke, Japan, and the other centered on tsunami-related folklore.
• Leading a trip to the Iwate Prefecture of OHIO students at Chubu University, as part of OHIO”s ongoing tsunami relief project with Iwate Prefectural University.
• Regularly attending a new class that was team taught by four international studies professors that focused on international current events and cross-cultural issues. Thompson was often asked to comment and provide input.
• Speaking with Chubu University students planning to study in the Ohio Program of Intensive English (OPIE) at OHIO.
• Taking nine research trips around Japan to compliment his work.
• Writing, submitting and then securing acceptance of a research article based on the work he has done in Iwate Prefecture.
• Meeting with numerous Chubu University administrative and academic leaders.

Thompson also visited with Ohio University alumni living in the Tokyo-Osaka corridor during his stay and helped to organize the visit of OHIO President M. Duane Nellis and a delegation of university leaders to Chubu University in December. He appreciated how welcoming everyone at Chubu University was, and was thankful for the opportunity to spend the semester in Japan.

“It was huge for my research,” Thompson said. He has been active in the partnership between Chubu University and OHIO, which affects both universities in numerous ways. In addition to the opportunity for faculty members from each university to teach at the other, the partnership also provides for student exchange programs, collaboration between the libraries and a wide range of activities. Ohio University’s cherry trees are also a gift from Chubu University.

For more information on the Miura Professorship at Chubu University or on the OHIO-Chubu partnership, please see this Compass article or contact the Office of Global Affairs at 704-593-1840 or globalaffairs@ohio.edu.