The 10^th meeting with senior high school principals within Gifu Prefecture was convened at Gifu University on July 7. Started in 2006, this annual meeting has become a venue for opinion exchanges concerning the current school challenges that the University and senior high schools are facing today. This meeting was established with a view to facilitating mutual understanding among the University staff and school principals.

In the 10^th anniversary meeting, seventeen senior high school principals represented by Mr. Akira Niwa, Principal of Gifu Senior High School, and Chair of Gifu Prefecture Senior High School Principal Association attended the meeting. Twenty board members and professors including President Hisataka Moriwaki and Dr. Satoshi Ema, Executive Director for Academic and Affiliated School Affairs (also served as Director-General of the Organization for Promotion of Higher Education and Student Support (ORPHESS)) joined the meeting from Gifu University.

First, President Moriwaki made a presentation about ongoing reform efforts of Gifu University and "Gifu University's Future Visions for the Year 2025." Next, Dr. Ema spoke about the University's continued engagement in forming a strong connection between senior high schools and the University. He also remarked on the roles of Student Support Division, ORPHESS. Later, the participants discussed university entrance examinations, student job-seeking activities and support programs for students with special needs with Dr. Ema as a moderator.

After the meeting, the principals were invited to inspect the laboratory of Associate Professor Akiyoshi Takeno of Material Chemistry Course, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Engineering. A graduate student who is from a senior high school in Gifu Prefecture and is conducting research at the laboratory explained world's first "nano porous fibers^*" as well as new material development using ozone microbubble technology to the visiting principals. Frank exchange of opinions followed between the principals and the students there. For instance, one principal asked, "After admitted to Gifu University, what kind of things you believe you ought to have studied much harder when you were a senior high school student?"
After the laboratory inspection, the principals were guided to the Academic Commons at the first floor of the University Library which opened this June.

*nano porous fibers: revolutionary synthetic fibers jointly developed between Gifu University and fiber makers both inside and outside of Gifu Prefecture