1) Introduction of 2024 The ACE Summer Intensive Program

  ACE is the abbreviation of “The Asian Consortium for Excellence in Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Education” and is a part of a program in which four countries, Korea, China, Japan, and Singapore, develop joint liberal arts education programs for undergraduate programs. The ACE program aims to cultivate talented people who can think of and act on solving problems in modern Asia and the international community through various cooperation with students and locals studying in Asian cultures rich in commonality and diversity beyond academic fields and geographical boundaries. In line with this, Intensive Programs are held every year to establish international perspectives and views and foster global interdisciplinary perspectives by exchanging excellent students from Korea, China, Japan, and Singapore. The ACE Intensive Program is an intensive program that lasts for two weeks, spanning two summers and winters, and features active exchanges between faculty and students, including special lectures, discussions, field trips, and language programs. The ACE short-term exchange program aims to provide a wide range of opportunities for cultural exchange beyond just academic exchange.

The ACE Summer Intensive program in 2024 was held in Japan for nine days from Aug. 1, 2024, to Aug. 9, 2024, under the theme of “Building a Resilient Society for the Next Generation in Asia Through Better Understanding Management.” The program was held for five days in Tokyo and four days in Kobe. Orientation and icebreaking were held on the morning of the first day, and in the afternoon, we visited the National Diet Building of Japan after the Opening Ceremony. On the second day, we took special lectures on Heavy rain disasters and leadership and risk communication. On the third day, we practiced disaster preparedness training at the Ikebukuro Life Safety Learning Center. On the fourth day, we traveled from Tokyo to Kobe by Shinkansen. On the fifth day, we took special lectures on earthquakes and explored the areas affected by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. On the 6th day, we took a special lecture on Intercultural and harmonious society, and visited the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution to learn about the reality of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and today’s preparation for the earthquake. We also had the opportunity to investigate various NPOs. On the 7th day, we learned about the Brazilian community at the Kobe Center for Overseas Migration and Cultural Interaction and held a preparation session by each group for the final presentation. On the 8th day, we returned to Tokyo from Kobe by Shinkansen. After that, a final meeting was held in the auditorium of Rikkyo University to prepare for the final presentation. On the 9th day, the Closing Ceremony will be held with the final presentation, and the 2024 ACE Summer Intensive Program has ended. (Jaeyeong Woo)  

 2)Review of 2024 The ACE Summer Intensive Program 

  First, I learned about how to survive during disasters such as earthquakes or floods. In the case of an earthquake, as we learned when we were young, you need to protect your head when the shaking starts. If you are inside the building, you should get under a desk to protect your head because something in the building may fall on you. In the case of a flood caused by typhoon or torrential rain,
the weather is somewhat predictable, so it is a good idea to get to an evacuation area in advance. If it is impossible, you should get out of the flood risk area and stay as high up as possible. In recent years, chance of unpredictable rainfall, such as squalls, is increasing, so if you suddenly feel a cold wind blow or clouds start to gather quickly in the summer, you should get out of the flood risk area. Also there might be lightning strikes together, so you should avoid being under trees. If you are unable to return home during a disaster,
you will need to go to a shelter, so it is important to know where the nearest shelters are and how to get there.

I learned that surviving a disaster requires three things: ‘self help’, ‘mutual help’, and ‘public help’. ‘Self help’ means helping yourself. During disaster time, no one is going to be able to help you right away, so you need to help yourself to ensure your own survival. To do that, you need to be aware of disaster situations. As I mentioned above, you need to know what to do in a disaster situation, and you need to be confident that you are right. Even if others tell you that you are wrong, you need to follow your actions. Of course, to do like that, you need to have solid information about what kind of disasters exist, when they happen, and what to do when they happen. This is the one that you need to do in peacetime.

‘Mutual help’ means help from your neighbors or community. When disaster strikes, minorities may face greater challenges. If the route to a shelter has stairs, people with disabilities in wheelchairs may have to take a long way around or, in the worst case scenario, may not be able to get to the shelter. In shelters, people may not get essential information because of language barriers, or they may not be treated with respect only because they are minorities. Even if the government tries to help them, it may not be reach them or there may still be a gap somewhere. This is why we need mutual help. However, for the people these days, in the modern age of individualism, it is not easy to do. Even if they are neighbors, if they don’t know each other, it is difficult to help each other in disaster time. Therefore, communicating and getting to know your neighbors during peacetime can also be a way to cope with and overcome disasters.

Finally, ‘public help’ is help from government level. This includes things like designating shelters or changing laws to help prevent disasters. It is also important to inform and educate people so that they are properly informed about disasters
and what to do. It is also necessary to use easy expressions to get rid of language barriers, illustrate important information with pictogram, and having appropriate systems and facilities in place to take care of the minorities Compared to Japan, Korea has fewer natural disasters because we don’t have active volcanoes and there are very few earthquakes. So, most of Koreans seem to think that Korea is safe. However, that does not guarantee that natural disasters won’t happen. Floods have been causing damage in recent years, and we don’t know when an earthquake will happen, so we need to consider that and prepare for it. Since we can’t change laws right now, why don’t we learn about disasters and study how to survive them? (Seunghyun Lee) 

  I think my experience of Summer Intensive Ace program can be divided into two types. The first aspect is within the program and the second aspect is after the program.

First of all, through the program, I could learn deeply about natural disasters and difference of disasters in three countries. In particular, as a Korean student who lacks awareness of natural disasters, the experience and trauma about natural disaster that Japanese student have was a great opportunity to reflect on how lightly I thought about natural disasters. In addition, I  converted the experience of Japan’s earthquake, which I thought was ‘something from another country’, into my own indirect experience. That was the biggest change I got though interviewing and walking the streets around the eartquake site.

However, I think I could also have that change after the program schedule. After the program, rather than thinking that the schedule was over, all the students in the program thought, ‘Let’s mix and play now!’ Students from three countries chose the places they wanted to go, roamed around freely, and made good memories. In the process, we began to feel more familiar with the each country,
because we began to think each country as ‘the country of my friends’ rather than ‘another country’. In addition, I think I was able to better understand the differences after having many conversations about the cultures of each country beyond the three countries’ stories about natural disasters. 

Now I feel like both Japan and China are country where my friends live. Our world has expanded like during our 11-day trip. (Yunseo Yang) 

  The Opening Ceremony began with a brief introduction to the 2024 The Ace program and a welcome greeting from professors and officials at each university. As it was our first meeting with pre-arranged members, I was nervous and awkward, but it was a time when I introduced myself using Chinese characters, a common element of East Asian countries, and when I heard of a natural disaster, I was able to get close quickly through activities to share my thoughts with each other by expressing images that came to mind.

The Second day of the program, We have taken lectures on the damage patterns and overcoming of natural disasters in Japan so far. It was a useful time to share thoughts on how Korea, China, and Japan are preparing for natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and heavy rains that may occur at any time. We were able to think about natural disasters, look back on whether our awareness was insufficient, and think about the level of disaster preparation in Korea compared to Japan, which has a high frequency of disasters such as earthquakes.

We also had time to discuss based on these thoughts I heard while listening to the lecture. Instead of thinking about the attitudes that must be equipped to prepare for natural disasters from a social point of view, we discussed what kind of attitude each individual is required. Professor Kawai’s lecture emphasizing leadership was an impressive time, and I had the opportunity to recall the importance of risk communication again.

After that, we had a simulated evacuation experience to personally experience what to consider and what to improve when evacuating natural disasters. Also, we  visited the Ikebukuro Life Safety Learning Center to experience various disasters, and had time to learn that Japan is actually well educated on disaster evacuation.

 When we took the Shinkansen to Kobe, We visited the site of the damage of the Hanshin and Awaji earthquakes and how they overcame the damage, and we could see and feel the efforts of many people. Even to this day, the victims of that time vividly remembered the day, and it was impressive that people from various cultures were making efforts to form a community based on their experiences at that time. Overcoming natural disasters was a time to learn not only about the government’s efforts, but also the importance of helping many people over a long period of time, and that it was time to consider the socially underprivileged and people from other cultures in disaster situations.

In this way, we had time to discuss with the group members about our posture to prepare for natural disasters learned in Tokyo and Kobe and prepare for the final skit presentation. It took a long time to prepare for the meeting and composition, so we prepared until late at the hotel, but I think it was a time to share our thoughts and discuss solutions through this program to learn the commonalities
and new things that each felt. 

 Finished the final presentation brilliantly, and had a farewell Lunch time as the last schedule. Although the nine-day program may have been short, I think it was really beneficial to spend time listening to various lectures on one topic, thinking about it and interviewing with related people. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the sweat I’ve shed while walking around in hot weather. (Seongbeom Park)

  The people were truly wonderful. Just being with them was already enough reason to participate in the program. Coming together from Korea, China, and Japan, we spent entire days attached at the hip, getting to know each other deeply, and that experience in itself was incredibly special. At a shrine in Kobe, an elderly passerby casually greeted the Peking University students in Japanese.
Our nationalities were indistinguishable. We resembled each other. Yet in small moments—like when we stood on the left side of the escalator at Ikebukuro Station, the opposite of what we do in Korea, or when our Chinese friends called the station “chídài” by reading the kanji characters “池袋” literally—we stood in a scene where the subtle dissonances born from each culture harmoniously flowed
through the veins of this great city.

Under the overarching theme of “Building a Resilient Society for the Next Generation in Asia Through Better Understanding of Disaster Management,” we primarily focused on earthquakes, particularly the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995, through various activities. At the Ikebukuro Life Safety Learning Center in Tokyo and the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution, which was built to commemorate the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, we had the chance to indirectly experience what a disaster is, learn how to prepare for it, and see how people have overcome it. We visited the Nagata district, which suffered immense damage during the earthquake and has been rebuilt over several decades. There, we listened to firsthand accounts from those who experienced the disaster and heard from various NPOs at the Takatori Community Center who focused on delivering information to non-Japanese speakers during the earthquake.

For Japan, earthquakes are something that cannot be emphasized enough at any time. On the afternoon of the day we traveled from Kobe to Tokyo, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Miyazaki Prefecture, and the Japan Meteorological Agency issued an unprecedented Nankai Trough Megaquake warning. The next day, during our free time after the program, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred in Kanagawa Prefecture, just south of Tokyo. While moving to a subway station in Odaiba, many people’s phones went off simultaneously with earthquake alerts, and despite having attended disaster preparedness classes for days, our minds went blank. A student from Peking University shared how she was in the restroom when the alert sounded and found herself unable to do anything.

Preparing for disasters, creating a society where various people can coexist harmoniously, and building a resilient society are all challenges that must be addressed not after a disaster occurs but during normal times. In that sense, the theme of the “Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake” leaves some regret as it feels retrospective for addressing Japan’s current situation, and by extension, that of East Asia. By treading carefully on paths that are not sensitive to everyone, the result is a peaceful but lingering discomfort. For example, during the keynote speech on his experience of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake by Hiroyuki Kada(加田裕之), a member of the House of Councillors from the Liberal Democratic Party, he casually mentioned his recent achievement in passing the Immigration
Control and Refugee Recognition Act amendment(入管法; 出入国管理及び難民認定法). Originally, Japan’s refugee acceptance rate was less than 1%, and the amendment requires forced repatriation from the third refugee application onward. This amendment clearly
did not align with the purpose of our program, which aimed to build an “international and harmonious society.” While relying on local
communities (mutual-self, 共助) or individuals (self-help, 自助) for social change, there remains a fundamental systemic reform (public-help, 公助) that can only be achieved through changes in policy and systems. I hope that in the next ACE program, there will be more audacity to discuss such aspects without hesitation. (Hyeongjun Jang) 

 3) How can we apply knowledge to Korea

  Through the program we learned that in the case of a disaster, self help, mutual help, public help is important. In Korea, we learn and train how to protect ourselves, in other words, we know about ‘self help’. For example, when an earthquake happens, we learn that we have to hide under the desk until the vibration stops, and then evacuate to an open space where there is nothing to collapse around. However, we lack knowledge about ‘mutual help’. Through education at school or company, Koreans need to learn about necessity and the way of mutual help. Those who are capable of helping others should help vulnerable people such as the elderly and pregnant women. There should be education on the right ways to help, as physical limitations require additional help.

Also, foreigners experience more difficulties due to their lack of knowledge of language and culture. The presence of communities like Hyogo Latin community, Multilanguage center FACIL, and Community radio station FMYY in Japan, are really helpful. The community can help them by translating, teaching Korean culture and providing psychological support. Also Korea should have these kinds of communities to help and support people from various countries. 

In Korea, large-scale earthquakes do not occur often, so people tend to be less alert. Therefore, other than normal training, disaster experience center should be utilized more. Experiencing real-world situations through simulations will be a more effective way to raise awareness. There are disaster experience centers in Korea, but it’s not a mandatory to go and experience. Also the location of the
centers are concentrated to the west side of Korea. Therefore building more centers amd making it mandatory to go to the center and experience would be needed. If people get more prepared though simulations, it means there could be more successful on self help and also it would get more easier to give mutual help. (Yunyeong Kim)

  In ACE program, we learned a lot about disaster preparedness, from evacuation procedures to the history of past disasters and how to overcome them. While Korea has experienced far fewer disasters than Japan, it’s clear that the more experience people have, the better equipped people are with the necessary skills and strategies. That’s why it’s important to take the evacuation tips we learned in the program to heart. This isn’t just about following a manual—but it’s also about attitudes that staying calm during a disaster and taking earthquake drills seriously.

Additionally, during an interview with an NPO representative, I realized Japan has much effort goes into supporting foreigners, with services like language interpretation and foreign-language radio broadcasts. In Korea, vulnerable groups are often thought of as the elderly, children, and pregnant women, so foreigners tend to be lower on the priority list. However, through the program, when we
experienced the disaster situation role play in the shoes of a foreigner, it became clear how easily foreigners could be put at risk by failing to recognize when a disaster is happening. That’s why I believe there’s a real need for local governments and NPOs in Korea to put more emphasis on strengthening language education programs for foreigners. It is necessary to form a language volunteer group in cooperation with foreign communities in the region, and to train them to contribute to interpretation and information transmission in the event of a disaster. In this way, the entire community can respond more flexibly to disaster response. It will be necessary to understand the culture of the country, not just to translate the language, so that we can provide better understanding to foreigners. Therefore, rather than just a translation system, a volunteer group should be formed so that the volunteer group can continue to study the culture in person. If people can communicate, it will be much better than before. Also, it will have a virtuous circle that the
foreigners who got help are trying to help another. (Gyua Jung)

  The program prompted me to consider the extent to which South Korea is prepared for disaster situations. It is my contention that the disaster text system and the Central Disaster Safety and Countermeasures Headquarters are adequately equipped to fulfill their respective functions. However, in contrast to Japan, Korea has not yet experienced a “prolonged disaster,” and thus remains
unprepared for such an eventuality. The speakers concurred that while the prevention of disasters is of paramount importance, the minimization of subsequent damage through an effective response is of equal significance. It would be beneficial to adopt a more sophisticated approach to estimating the scale of potential damage, as exemplified by Japan’s use of simulations, collaboration with both public and private sectors to develop policies and legislation, and forward planning for the post-disaster period.

Moreover, it is imperative that citizens be made aware of the potential for disasters. It is imperative that individuals possess an understanding of the potential disasters that may occur in their vicinity and that they prepare for such eventualities. It is imperative that the general public possess a fundamental understanding of the potential risks posed by various natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, and fires. In the event of an actual disaster, it is crucial that individuals are equipped with the knowledge and ability to respond promptly and effectively. This is particularly relevant in the case of individuals with physical limitations. It was perceived that Korea has a strong capacity to rapidly overcome the consequences of disasters and resume normalcy, yet lacks the same level of preparedness and awareness. The training provided for typhoons and earthquakes is inadequate and in need of improvement.

Disaster response cannot be achieved through individual efforts alone. It is essential to collaborate closely with local residents to establish a network that can provide assistance in the event of a disaster. Furthermore, it is crucial to implement a system that can swiftly disseminate information and facilitate cooperation in the event of a disaster. Consequently, it can be posited that more effective disaster preparedness will be attainable if a network is established in advance at the local government level. (Bohyun Jung)