Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
Professor Tafarodi carried out research at the University of Tokyo for 3 months in 2004. His favourite memory from that time was viewing cherry blossoms (hanami) in Ueno Park.
I collaborated with Japanese psychologists on comparative studies of self-esteem and social memory in Japan and Canada. The intensive collaboration and intellectual exchange would not have been possible remotely.
The JF Fellowship provided me with a fully immersive cultural experience, insightful and challenging discussions with colleagues and students, and overall mutual enrichment that helped shape my understanding of cultural psychology and how best to pursue it. I hope that the Japan Foundation Fellowship program continues for many years to come. I can honestly say that the time I spent in Tokyo was one of the highlights of my academic career. I would like others to benefit from it as much as I did.
For an example of Professor Tafarodi’s work, please see a multidisciplinary volume he edited, Subjectivity in the twenty-first century: Psychological, sociological, and political perspectives, Cambridge University Press, 2013.
