Notices
Interview with new faculty members for the 2023 academic year] Associate Professor Jana Urbanová
- June 28, 2023
Hello everyone! I am Rion Ito (3rd year), Ayane Konuma (3rd year), and Ryota Nakano (2nd year) of the Public Relations Committee of the Faculty of Business Administration.
This time, we had the pleasure of interviewing Professor Jana Urbanová, who has been appointed to the School Faculty of Business Administration from the 2023 academic year.
Q1: Please introduce yourself.
My name is Jana Urbanova. I am from Slovakia, about 9000 km away from Japan.
When I was studying Japanese language and intercultural communication at Comenius University in Slovakia, I had the opportunity to study abroad at the University of the Ryukyus for a year, where I encountered Okinawan "Ryuka" songs. I was fascinated by the charm of Ryukyuan poetry and it became a theme that I continue to research to this day. My specialty is Japanese literature, and I am conducting comparative research on the expressions of Ryukyuan and Japanese poetry. In particular, I am interested in the similarities between Ryukyuan and Japanese poetry and the characteristics of Ryukyuan poetry.
I joined the Faculty of Business Administration Hosei University in April of this year, where I teach courses called "Elementary Humanities A" and "Humanities A" for the GBP program and other undergraduate students, as well as English courses at the Ichigaya Liberal Arts Center (ILAC).
Q2: Why did you decide to become a teacher?
There are two main reasons: The first reason is that I found teaching a rewarding job. I wanted to explain in an easy-to-understand way to students who have the same problems about "how I overcame various difficulties I faced in my studies and arrived at an understanding of the issues". It is also very meaningful for me to be able to share the joy of acquiring knowledge with my students. Although study and research are always accompanied by difficulties, I wanted students to experience the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a task and to witness the process of accomplishment.
The second reason was that I had a yearning to work as a teacher. Ever since I was a child, I have always enjoyed communicating and teaching what I have learned and experienced to others. I consider language study, in particular, to be an important tool for communicating with others. To be active in a global society, communication with people from various countries is essential. Education to convey the knowledge and methods you have developed to others is also a part of communication. Communication is not a one-way process, but a mutual process. In the process of teaching my students, I myself learn and realize various things from you, which leads to personal growth. I believe that teaching is a wonderful profession where this kind of mutual learning takes place.
Q3: Why did you choose to study at Hosei University's Faculty of Business Administration from among many other universities?
Hosei University is an excellent SGU (Super Global University) advocate in today's society, where a global approach is currently emphasized. The university is very internationalized on campus, and I believe that it is a university that provides an environment that encourages academic freedom while valuing diversity and an understanding of different cultures.
I also studied at Hosei University from graduate school, and even then, Hosei University was a very international university with a strong understanding of diversity and academic freedom, which left a deep impression on me.
The Faculty of Business Administration has a very long history among private universities in Japan, and it offers an English language program called GBP (Global Business Program) and a study abroad program called SA (Study Abroad Program). In such an educational environment, I decided to come to the Faculty of Business Administration the hope that my expertise, English ability, study abroad experience, and cross-cultural understanding will be of help to you.
Q4. Please tell us about your student days.
As a child, I think I was very curious and loved foreign languages and reading books. When I was thinking about going to university, I found out that there was a course where I could study Japanese, which was rare in Slovakia. The appeal of being able to try a language completely different from European languages, Japanese, led me to enroll at Comenius University.
In order to study Japanese at the university, a high level of English proficiency was required. Therefore, I focused not only on my Japanese, but also on my English, which I had studied since childhood. I wanted to work at the university, making use of my expertise and foreign language skills.
I was also blessed with the opportunity to study abroad. During my year at the University of the Ryukyus, I was exposed to a lot of Japanese culture and developed a deep interest in Japanese literature, especially Ryukyuan poetry and waka poetry. At the same time, I became more aware of the roots of my own culture and my own identity.
My awareness and thinking changed as a result of my encounters with Japanese culture, which I had never thought about before my study abroad. My understanding of other cultures has deepened, and I am now able to consider the world from different angles. Through Japanese literature and study abroad, my worldview has been enriched and my horizons have broadened.
Q5. Finally, do you have any advice for students?
Don't be afraid of failure or the unknown, and broaden your horizons by accumulating knowledge and experience. I believe that today's society is becoming increasingly globalized, and there are more and more opportunities to come into contact with diverse cultures. Many international students come to Hosei University every year to study, and Japanese students are also increasingly given opportunities to study at universities abroad. Even if it is difficult for you to study abroad, you can participate in international exchange events on campus. It is a great opportunity to connect with students from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Through such contact, you will not only improve your foreign language skills, but you will also deepen your understanding of different cultures and become aware of your own roots and the value of your home culture as well as the value of the other person's culture. At times, you will encounter things you do not know and things that may surprise you. However, I hope that you will be proactive in your experiences without fearing that you will not be able to use a foreign language correctly or that you will make mistakes because you do not know the customs of the other person.
Life is not only fun, but also difficult and painful, especially when you are young, but I think it is better to buy your way through hardships. The experience of overcoming them will enrich your life.
In addition to the above four points, we were able to hear interesting stories about cross-cultural understanding, language roots, and proverbs. Among them, I was particularly impressed by what he said, "There is a view that can be seen after overcoming obstacles without fear of failure. I intend to make the most of international exchange events on campus to experience various cultures, discover Japanese cultural identity, and deepen cross-cultural understanding. （I will use international exchange events on campus to experience various cultures, discover my Japanese cultural identity, and deepen my cross-cultural understanding.)
I was very impressed by what you said about the importance of trying to understand different cultures without denying them, even if they are surprising to you. Thank you very much for your valuable talk! (Onuma)
I am not very good at communicating in foreign languages. Through this interview, I learned the importance of taking on challenges without fear of failure. From now on, I would like to believe that "after overcoming hardships, growth awaits us," and value the positive attitude of taking on challenges. (Ito)
Dr. Jana, thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule for this interview. I look forward to working with you in the future.
Interviewed by Rion Ito (3rd year, Faculty of Business Administration ), Ayane Konuma (3rd year, Faculty of Business Administration ), Ryota Nakano (2nd year, College of Business Administration)