THE UNIVERSITY OF SHIZUOKA
52-1 Yada, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Pref. 422-8526 Japan
TEL: 054-264-5102 * FAX: 054-264-5099
16 Sept. 1997
To Whom It May Concern:
In 1995 Mr. Newfields conducted a seminar with me for community business leaders
and he has also worked closely with me on a bilingual newsletter. He is a friendly
person and over the years I have been impressed with four things:
First, his sense of curiosity and thirst for learning is noteworthy. This
curiousity seems to be reflected in his name: NEW + FIELDS = fresh horizons.
He is fascinated by both Japanese and Chinese characters and I was surprised
by his Internet expertise. Recently he taught me many things about
web page construction.
The second thing I noticed in Mr. Newfields was his sense of enthusiasm.
I remember him remarking how teachers need a passion for teaching. Students
can sense when teachers are lacklustre. Mr. Newfields creates many of his
own classroom materials and feels passionate about what he teaches. Naturally,
students sense his enthusiasm and respond.
A third quality I noticed about Mr. Newfields is his sense of fairness.
He considers the perspective of those he is working with and does
not ask students to do thinks that he himself would not wish to do.
In cases when his opinion differs from others, he attempts to understand
the other person's position and compromise.
The forth quality about Mr. Newfields I'm aware of is his sense
of balance. I remember his remarking during an international business
seminar of how Japanese are widely regarded as workaholics. Though
some Japanese devote themselves obsessively to their work, such a life
is seldom rewarding. Fulfillment comes from finding balance between
work, family, friends, and the community. Mr. Newfields seems to embody
these principles.
Curiosity, enthusiasm, fairness, and balance: these are core values
which Mr. Newfields cherishes. I am tempted to mention one more salient
characteristic of Mr. Newfields: his sense of international responsibility.
I believe Mr. Newfields has qualities to enable him to communicate in any
cross-cultural setting and am happy to recommend him for employment.
Shigeru Kojima
Department of Information Science
University of Shizouka
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