In Japan, a student calmly cooked and ate a hot pot dish during class. There is ongoing debate over the policy of the class professor, who cheerfully gave permission by saying, “It’s okay as long as you don’t cause trouble (to others).”
According to Japanese local media on the 28th, the professor in charge of this unique class is Satoshi Masuda, a professor at Osaka Public University. He is also a popular music researcher.
He has previously maintained the policy that “pot cooking is allowed in his classes.” The logic is, “It’s okay to do anything as long as it doesn’t cause inconvenience to other students.”
He also defended the behavior of the student who brought meat, boiled it, and ate it, saying, “I think universities should be places like this,” and posted the photo on his social networking service (SNS) account.
As of the 22nd, this post had received approximately 60,000 likes, with some praising it as “a great system,” but some criticized it, saying, “There is no way classes can be established like this.”
Professor Masuda praised J CAST News, saying, “Finally, a student who really cooks (cooking in a pot) has appeared,” and argued, “University should be a space where you can check the details that gain freedom through such effort.”
Regarding the opinion that the class would not proceed properly, he countered, “It is not a matter of gaining freedom, it is just being rude to the professor.”
He said, “The way you take classes in college is different from when you were in high school, where dozing off was prohibited. You have to think about what is causing a nuisance to others. “I tell the students that if something like that happens, they can discuss it among themselves on the spot and it won’t work,” he said.
For example, the ‘pot student’ who heated up the Internet this time also received permission from the professor in advance the day before class, and the professor also told him to “be considerate of other students.” It is said that on the day of class, other students were notified in advance and checked to make sure no one felt uncomfortable.
In addition, students who cook took their own precautions by sitting near the window for easier ventilation.
Professor Masuda responded to the criticism that “students are simply following the professor’s permission to eat hot pot during class, and are not free.” He responded, “Freedom is not a matter of 0% or 100%.”
He always defined the available scope in a specific situation, negotiated invisible rules with people around him, and emphasized that “the process of specifically exercising the freedom possible is the most important.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.