Events
This workshop aims to support undergraduate and graduate students who struggle with getting started on their research writing. By addressing common obstacles in the process of “writing” (putting ideas into words), the workshop seeks to help participants overcome stagnation and move forward.
Have you ever felt:
・“I know what I want to say, but I can’t seem to get started…”
・“I can’t organize my ideas clearly within each paragraph, and my writing keeps getting stuck…”
If so, this workshop is for you.
Through a lecture by CAWK staff members Ando and Yanagisawa (graduate student tutors at CAWK), as well as interactive individual and group activities, participants will explore practical writing strategies that help give clearer shape and direction to their research.
Date：Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 14:00–16:00
Venue：Center for Academic Writing at Komaba (CAWK) Room 104, 1st Floor, Building 10, Komaba Campus I (along the ginkgo tree avenue)
Facilitator：Shiho Ando, Ayaka Yanagisawa (Graduate Student Tutors, CAWK)
Language：Japanese
Available for：UTokyo undergraduate and graduate students
Registration (Required):Please register via the participation form by the day of the workshop.
The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Research Fellowship for Young Scientists (DC1 and DC2) provides generous support to doctoral students, including a monthly research stipend of approximately ¥200,000 and research grants (KAKENHI) for up to three years.
However, the selection process is highly competitive and requires the submission of a well-developed research proposal.
This event is designed for students who are planning to apply in the coming academic year or beyond. Successful recipients will share their experiences with the application process and offer practical advice on writing a strong proposal. Three current or former fellows will speak at the event.
Let us share questions and experiences related to the JSPS fellowship and exchange information together.This will be a casual session, so please feel free to join us while having dinner.
International students, research students, and students from all years are very welcome!
Date：Friday, February 27, 19:30–21:30
Venue：Zoom (The URL will be sent after registration is completed.)
Speakers (tentative)：Successful DC1/DC2 recipients from the following programs:Language and Information Sciences (Philosophy), Language and Information Sciences (Literature), International Social Sciences (Political Philosophy).
Language：Japanese
Program：
- Overview of the fellowship system
- Speakers’ experiences and advice
- Q&A session
- Individual questions in breakout rooms
Registration (Required):Please register via the participation form by Tuesday, February 24.
Within one to two days after registration, you will receive an email with the Zoom URL and event details.
If you do not receive the email, please check your spam folder and contact us at the address below.
Organizer & Contact：Academic Support Center, Peer Support Division (psoffice2023utokyo@gmail.com)
This reading group is a special edition of our Writing Café (a monthly Zoom event where participants gather to work on their papers). In this session, we will connect via Zoom and read a book related to writing together.
Those who have not been able to read the assigned book in advance are very welcome, as are those who have never participated in the Writing Café before! (There is, of course, no obligation to join the Café afterward.)
The sub-theme of our second session is “Generative AI”!
This time, we will read How to Write Reports and Academic Papers Using Generative AI（生成AIを活用したレポート・論文の書き方） by Takayuki Ito (Keio University Press).
Let us explore together how generative AI can be used effectively in academic writing.
Date：Tuesday, February 21, 2026, 13:00–14:30
Venue：Zoom (The URL will be sent after registration is completed.)
Facilitator：Shiho Ando, Ayaka Yanagisawa (Graduate Student Tutors, CAWK)
Language：Japanese
Available for：Graduate students at the UTokyo, primarily those specializing in the humanities (e.g., literature, philosophy, ethics, aesthetics, art studies, history, etc.)
Registration (Required):Please register via the participation form by the start time of the event.
The Writing Cafe serves as a virtual study space, offering participants an ideal environment to advance their research. It is designed for those who:
- find it challenging to maintain focus while studying alone
- want to keep motivated when working at home
- wish to enhance their productivity in a limited timeframe
- feel uneasy working alone on a paper
- wish to have a colleague with whom you could work
We encourage participants to set outputs (results/goals) such as making memos, even if it is just summarizing materials or reading.
During breaks and at the end of the session, participants can refresh themselves with conversations about their research and work, along with reporting their progress.
The appeal of the Writing Cafe is not only to improve your research efficiency through short, concentrated work, but also to interact and connect with other researchers across fields! Please feel free to join us.
February is our month to recharge for the new academic year.
All events are scheduled within one week to help strengthen connections among participants. Let’s build community and take the first step toward the year ahead together. Take this opportunity to reflect on last year’s progress and plan your goals for the coming year.
Please feel free to make the most of the café time for focused work!
We’ve also launched an X account — @CAWK_EVENT_UT — to share updates and live coverage of our events. Please follow us for the latest information!
Event flow:
(1) Declare your tasks and goal for the day.
(2) Engage in research activities while connected via Zoom.
*Utilize timed intervals, alternating between focused work and casual interaction.
*Feel free to turn your camera on or off during the session.
(3) Share your progress and outcomes.
(4) Casual discussions and exchange information on specific topics *optional
Date：
Feb 10 (Tue) 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Feb 11 (Wed) 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Feb 12 (Thu): 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Feb 14 (Sat) 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Language：Mainly Japanese
*You are also welcome to use English during the discussion session.
*Please note that instructions and guidance in the event are only in Japanese.
Available for：All members of the University of Tokyo (no restriction on year or field of study)
★ Participation is open to all students regardless of department or year!
★ Friends of participants from other universities or researchers from other institutions are also very welcome!
★ Whether you are based at Komaba or Hongo Campus, we warmly invite you to join!
How to Join：【By the end of the event】Please fill the registration form
This workshop is designed for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in methods for writing papers and reports. Using Western artworks as examples, participants will have hands-on experience with the method known as “description”.
“Description” refers to succinctly and objectively explaining the subject or phenomenon under consideration, typically at the beginning of an academic paper.
Although the workshop content will focus on art history, the method is applicable to a wide range of fields in the humanities and social sciences. We welcome participants from diverse academic backgrounds.
Date：Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 12:15–13:00 (Food and drinks are allowed)
Venue：Room 206, 2nd Floor, Building 10, Komaba Campus I (along the ginkgo tree avenue)
Facilitator：Yui Toyoda (Project Assistant Professor, Center for Academic Writing at Komaba)
Language：Japanese
Available for：UTokyo undergraduate and graduate students
How to Join (Free participation)：Please fill the registration form
*We also welcome participants who wish to join on the day without prior registration.
The Writing Cafe serves as a virtual study space, offering participants an ideal environment to advance their research. It is designed for those who:
- find it challenging to maintain focus while studying alone
- want to keep motivated when working at home
- wish to enhance their productivity in a limited timeframe
- feel uneasy working alone on a paper
- wish to have a colleague with whom you could work
We encourage participants to set outputs (results/goals) such as making memos, even if it is just summarizing materials or reading.
During breaks and at the end of the session, participants can refresh themselves with conversations about their research and work, along with reporting their progress.
The appeal of the Writing Cafe is not only to improve your research efficiency through short, concentrated work, but also to interact and connect with other researchers across fields! Please feel free to join us.
January is the month for setting your annual goals!
Take this opportunity to reflect on last year’s progress and plan your goals for the coming year.
Please feel free to make the most of the café time for focused work!
We’ve also launched an X account — @CAWK_EVENT_UT — to share updates and live coverage of our events. Please follow us for the latest information!
Event flow:
(1) Declare your tasks and goal for the day.
(2) Engage in research activities while connected via Zoom.
*Utilize timed intervals, alternating between focused work and casual interaction.
*Feel free to turn your camera on or off during the session.
(3) Share your progress and outcomes.
(4) Casual discussions and exchange information on specific topics *optional
Date：
Jan 7 (Wed): 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Jan 11 (Sun): 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Jan 16 (Fri): 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Jan 18 (Sun): 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Jan 20 (Tue): 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Jan 24 (Sat): 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Jan 25 (Sun): 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Jan 29 (Thu): 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Language：Mainly Japanese
*You are also welcome to use English during the discussion session.
*Please note that instructions and guidance in the event are only in Japanese.
Available for：All members of the University of Tokyo (no restriction on year or field of study)
★ Participation is open to all students regardless of department or year!
★ Friends of participants from other universities or researchers from other institutions are also very welcome!
★ Whether you are based at Komaba or Hongo Campus, we warmly invite you to join!
How to Join：【By the end of the event】Please fill the registration form