KU News Release

KU to offer Learning Communities seminar on East Asian business and society

LAWRENCE — A new Learning Communities seminar will offer University of Kansas students an insider’s view of business relations between the Midwest and East Asia.

Chancellor’s Lecturer Takao Shibata, a Japanese economist and former diplomat, will conduct the seminar this semester. Shibata has extensive experience with economic conditions in East Asia, drawing upon contacts and resources developed as the former Consul General of Japan in Kansas City to give KU students insight into the business world.

Shibata will take students on field trips to local and regional businesses, providing contact with American businesspeople working in Asia and with Asian professionals who can discuss the Asian business context.

Shibata will be assisted by peer educator Geoffrey Michael Cook, who is enrolled in the joint MBA/master’s program with concentrations in international business and East Asian cultures. Cook earned a bachelor’s degree in East Asian languages and cultures from KU in fall 2005. He is the son of Michael Cook of Overland Park and a graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park.

Learning Communities is an academic initiative that invites students into small interactive learning groups with faculty and staff, and includes co-curricular events such as speakers and cultural and social activities. Each Learning Community is typically composed of a group of 20 students who are co-enrolled in two core courses and a seminar course that focus on a particular theme.

Students interested in participating in this Learning Community should contact Linda Dixon at (785) 864-1441.

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