Newsletters and Essays

Trip Overview

This research trip to Seoul served multiple critical objectives: participating in the International Association for Reconciliation Studies (IARS) conference, presenting findings on Vietnamese students’ reconciliation experiences in former adversary nations, and engaging in field trip to the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The trip provided invaluable opportunities for academic exchange, peer feedback, and experiential learning that significantly enhanced my understanding of reconciliation processes in divided societies.

Daily Research Activities and Outcomes

・July 13 (Sunday) – Arrival and Delegation Coordination 

Traveled from Tokyo to Seoul and immediately engaged with the Waseda University delegation. This initial meeting established frameworks for collaboration and aligned research objectives for maximum conference impact.

・July 14 (Monday) – Theoretical Foundations 

Attended Professor Lee’s keynote on current reconciliation studies methodologies, which provided crucial context for positioning my own research within broader disciplinary trends. The opening ceremony and reception facilitated networking with scholars whose work intersects with mine, particularly those studying educational approaches to post-conflict healing.

・July 15 (Tuesday) – Comparative Perspectives 

The panel on “Religious and Social Pathways to Reconciliation in Divided Societies” offered comparative frameworks directly applicable to my research on secular educational reconciliation. The UN cemetery film screening provided cultural context for understanding how memorial practices shape reconciliation narratives in Korea, offering insights relevant to Vietnamese historical memory.

・July 16 (Wednesday) – Research Dissemination and Feedback 

My presentation in the “Development of Reconciliation Studies in East Asia” panel contributed to academic discourse on regional reconciliation methodologies. I presented my longitudinal qualitative research examining Vietnamese students’ experiences studying in Japan and the United States. The study, conducted over nine months with five participants, explored reconciliation processes in educational contexts between former adversary nations. The feedback received was instrumental in identifying areas for theoretical strengthening and methodological expansion.

・July 17 (Thursday) – Specialized Focus and Organizational Engagement

The Korea-Japan reconciliation panel provided direct parallels to Vietnam-Japan dynamics in my research. Participating in the IARS member meeting allowed contribution to organizational planning and future research collaboration initiatives, including potential comparative studies across East Asian contexts.

・July 18 (Friday) – Field Trip and Personal Reflection

The DMZ tour provided profound experiential learning that transformed my understanding of division and reconciliation. Standing at the border between North and South Korea, observing the physical manifestations of ideological division, I found myself reflecting deeply on Vietnam’s own history of partition and conflict.

The experience evoked powerful parallels to Vietnam’s past division along the 17th parallel. Seeing families separated by ideology and politics, witnessing the ongoing tension despite decades since active conflict, made me profoundly grateful for the peace and reunification Vietnam achieved in 1975. However, it also highlighted how Vietnam, like Korea, remains divided in more subtle ways – between North and South cultural differences, between those who stayed and those who left, between different memories of the same historical events.

Observing North Korean civilians from the DMZ observation points brought home the human cost of prolonged division. Their distant figures reminded me of the Vietnamese boat people, the refugee families, the different perspectives on “liberation” versus “loss” that my research participants navigate. This field experience provided essential empirical context for understanding how physical and ideological borders shape reconciliation possibilities.

The DMZ experience was particularly transformative, moving beyond academic understanding to emotional comprehension of division’s lasting impacts. This personal encounter with ongoing conflict enhanced my capacity to empathetically engage with research participants’ complex emotional journeys while maintaining analytical rigor. The combination of presenting research, receiving peer feedback, and experiencing divided Korea created a comprehensive learning experience that will inform all future research endeavors. The gratitude I felt for Vietnam’s peace, coupled with recognition of our ongoing divisions, deepened my commitment to reconciliation research as not merely academic exercise but essential work for human flourishing.

・July 19 (Saturday) – Project Development and Departure

the Education team regarding our book project established concrete timelines and content frameworks. The insights gained from the conference and field experience will directly inform the planned publication, particularly in developing more nuanced theoretical models of reconciliation processes.

Conclusion

This research trip successfully achieved its primary objectives while generating unexpected insights that will shape future scholarship. 

The connections established, knowledge gained, and insights developed during this trip will continue informing research, teaching, and collaborative work aimed at understanding how education can contribute to healing historical wounds while building foundations for shared futures.