Japanese Scholar Visits Baldock Rotary Club

Baldock Rotary Club recently welcomed Arai Rinko, a visitor from Japan, to the club.  Rinko is being supported by Baldock Rotary Club as a Global Scholar and will spend 12 months in the UK studying and visiting Rotary clubs in the area.

Rinko is being hosted by Rotarian Keith Britter and his wife Carol and will be studying at the London School of Economics.  She came to Baldock Rotary Club to make a presentation which introduced herself to members and described her background, education and her degree studies to date.

Rinko was born in Yokohama and went to school in Kawasaki and did her undergraduate degree at Osaka, Kobe and Toronto.  She is a member of Yokohama Azami Rotary Club which was the first female centred Rotary Club in Japan, having 10 female members of the 14 members.

For the next 12 months Rinko’s degree studies at the LSE will be in the Department of Anthropology studying for an MSc in ‘China in Comparative Perspective’, the theme of which will focus on the language / education policy in Xinjiang province in western China.  You may recall that this topic has featured in the news recently and is the subject of much debate about the Chinese policy in this area.  Rinko’s research will look at language policy / ideology as a cause behind the conflict.

Following her graduation, she will begin a PhD in Linguistic Anthropology and hopes to become a specialist in China / Xinjiang matters and to contribute to the resolution of the ethnic conflict.

Rinko gave an enlightening talk and was praised for both her English language skills and her excellent presentation.

Keith and Carol will host Rinko in Baldock over Christmas which should lead to an interesting exchange of seasonal customs.

Baldock Rotary Club looks forward to welcoming Rinko back to the club during her stay in this country.

Paul Luckett
Baldock