On the behalf of the English Department and the IE Program committee, we would like to express our deep condolences for those lost in the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, and our sympathy to their families and friends. It is our hope that sufficient resources will reach all those left homeless or injured by the calamity. The last three weeks have been trying for us all, compounded by the tense atmosphere engendered by the nuclear plant crisis. No doubt, if you haven’t already done so, you may wish to explore various ways that you can help with the relief effort by accessing a list of options offered on the Tokyo English Lifeline’s website.
Although other universities in the Kanto area have decided, for various reasons, to delay the start of the academic year until May, we will begin ours as scheduled, from the second week of April. You may download the schedule for the 2011-12 academic year at: http://tinyurl.com/4wb5vmj. Teachers may view the IE Orientation schedule at: https://aogaku-daku.org/498-2/.
We sincerely wish you all the best in the coming academic year. Considering the circumstances, it may be difficult for us to concentrate on our classes. Hopefully, we can start the year with a renewed awareness of the importance and fragility of the people around us and make every moment count.
Joseph Dias & Gregory Strong
IE Program Co-coordinators
