Woke up this morning and checked Twitter. Currently trending on Japanese Twitter is #放送大学, (The Open University Japan). Wondering why, I went in search of the top tweets for this trend.
And found SHEER BRILLIANCE.
@Yabuki_Itsuki, who claims to be a professor at a "certain famous university" which he doesn't name (某有名大学教授), kicks off with a mean-spirited disparaging comment about The Open University:
In response to this a user called @__obake replies:
@Yabuki_Itsuki replies (rudely):
To this, @__obake responds calmly:
BOOM.
And found SHEER BRILLIANCE.
@Yabuki_Itsuki, who claims to be a professor at a "certain famous university" which he doesn't name (某有名大学教授), kicks off with a mean-spirited disparaging comment about The Open University:
最近、無名大学だけでなく有名大学でも放送大学を卒業して教授になっている人がいるけど、これってありですか？本当の大学を卒業していないのですから、大学というもの自体を理解していないと思うのですが・・・。こんな教授に教わる学生がかわいそう。
— 矢吹 樹 (@Yabuki_Itsuki) February 19, 2012
Lately you get people who have graduated from the Open University being made professors - not just at third-rate universities, but at famous universities too. Can you believe that? Given that they haven't graduated from a real university, personally I don't think they understand what a university actually is. I feel sorry for the students being taught by those professors.
In response to this a user called @__obake replies:
本当の大学の定義ってなんですか？放送大学は正式の大学ですが… RT @Yabuki_Itsuki: 最近、無名大学だけでなく有名大学でも放送大学を卒業して教授になっている人がいるけど、これってありですか？本当の大学を卒業していないのですから、… #放送大学
— 岡部洋一 (@__obake) February 19, 2012
What's your definition of a "real university"? The Open University is an officially recognized university, so...
@Yabuki_Itsuki replies (rudely):
@__obakeそれが分からないということは、貴方は放送大学出身ですか？そういう質問をすること自体が、放送大学なんですよ。違いがわからない人間が大学の教授にはなってはいけないということです。
— 矢吹 樹 (@Yabuki_Itsuki) February 19, 2012
Given that you don't know that - did you graduate from The Open University? The very fact of you asking that question is [what's wrong with] The Open University. In short, people who don't know the difference shouldn't become university professors.
To this, @__obake responds calmly:
私は学長です。 RT @Yabuki_Itsuki: @__obakeそれが分からないということは、貴方は放送大学出身ですか？そういう質問をすること自体が、放送大学なんですよ。違いがわからない人間が大学の教授にはなってはいけないということです。 #放送大学
— 岡部洋一 (@__obake) February 19, 2012
I'm the Principal of The Open University.
BOOM.
@Yabuki_Itsuki wisely shuts up at this point, the topic begins to trend, and @__obake, The Open University Japan President Dr. Youichi Okabe (for it is indeed he) is lauded by thousands of Japanese Twitter users (to date his final tweet to @Yabuki_Itsuki has been retweeted over 4000 times).
This type of academic snobbery is absolutely rife in Japan, and I really dislike it, so I'm enjoying this trend and the fallout discussions about it.
Dr. Okabe seems like a really nice man, and I respect the fact that even though he himself graduated from 東大 (The University of Tokyo, the Harvard of Japan) he didn't feel the need to bring that to this argument.
In fact, Dr. Okabe, despite coming across as very humble and friendly on Twitter, is a Very Big Cheese in academia. As one of his followers tweeted to @Yabuki_Itsuki directly after the latter's insulting comments to Dr. Okabe:
Oops.
@Yabuki_Itsuki hasn't said anything since the thing blew up last night, but this is the type of thing that the media LOVE to make morning TV reports about, so fingers crossed...
This type of academic snobbery is absolutely rife in Japan, and I really dislike it, so I'm enjoying this trend and the fallout discussions about it.
Dr. Okabe seems like a really nice man, and I respect the fact that even though he himself graduated from 東大 (The University of Tokyo, the Harvard of Japan) he didn't feel the need to bring that to this argument.
In fact, Dr. Okabe, despite coming across as very humble and friendly on Twitter, is a Very Big Cheese in academia. As one of his followers tweeted to @Yabuki_Itsuki directly after the latter's insulting comments to Dr. Okabe:
@Yabuki_Itsuki東大名誉教授の岡部洋一先生になんてことを言っているんですかあなたは！？東大出身で東大の助教授、教授をしていらした方ですよ！？
— アンミ (@anmi) February 19, 2012
What on earth do you think you're saying? This is Dr. Okabe, a Professor Emeritus of Tokyo University! You are aware he graduated from Tokyo University and was both Assistant Professor and Professor there?!
Oops.
@Yabuki_Itsuki hasn't said anything since the thing blew up last night, but this is the type of thing that the media LOVE to make morning TV reports about, so fingers crossed...