News

First Winter School opens

The Gifu University Head Office for Glocalization (GHOGL) opened the First Winter School for the students from Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IITG), India from December 4 to 22, 2015 at Gifu University. The major objectives of the School are to provide the students an opportunity to experience research activities at Gifu University, and to encourage them to think about their enrollment in Gifu University in the future.

The Winter School program was created to promote the relationship with IITG, one of Gifu University's overseas partner universities, in international collaborative educational programs such as sandwich degree program and joint degree program. Eight outstanding students of IITG were selected out of 60 candidates, and they were invited to experience research work, study Japanese and Japanese culture at Gifu University as well as inspection tours to local industries.

After their arrival at Gifu University, IITG students attended the opening ceremony, made a courtesy call on President Hisataka Moriwaki and participated in a campus tour. At the Health Administration Center, Dr. Mayumi Yamamoto, Director of the Center informed the students of the basic medical services for international students, and gave them instructions about health matters. Later, they visited the International Student Center and International House dormitory buildings. By taking part in the campus tour, they came to acknowledge various types of support system and programs that the University is offering to international students.

In the research work program, IITG students received instructions at the laboratories of the Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences and the Faculty of Engineering. In language classes, they studied basic Japanese skills called "Survival Japanese," and by putting their Japanese into practical use, they tried deepening friendship with Japanese students at the laboratories.

During the Winter School, the students attended the 1st GU-NAST International Joint Meeting and a special lecture by Prof. Gautam Biswas, Director of IITG who visited Gifu University during the School. They also took part in a discussion-style special lecture by Associate Professor Lim Lee Wah of the Faculty of Engineering which titled, "Internationalization of Japanese Universities," and the students expressed their opinions about internationalization of universities.

Through local enterprise inspection tours of the Winter School which focuses on developing "glocal" human resources blessed with global and local insights, IITG students saw some of the leading-edge technologies of Japan first-hand by observing the latest production lines at factories and gained a better understanding about Japanese companies and businesses.

On the last day of the Winter School, the students made presentations about their research work at Gifu University. After giving brief speeches in Japanese, they reported their achievements and overall impressions about the Winter School in English. Every student made a wonderful presentation and was lauded by their supervisors and the rest of the attendees.

Some of their messages in the questionnaire papers read; "Far better program than expected," "Research facilities are highly advanced," "I would like to come to Gifu University again." All the students seemed satisfied with their campus life at Gifu University. However, there were some opinions which may pose some challenges to Gifu University. They read: "Many Gifu University students are well-informed about their respective research fields, but communication in English is still a big hurdle for them. I wanted to have many more discussions with the Gifu University students in English." They gave us some hints about internationalization efforts that Gifu University needs to address in the future.
The Gifu University Head Office for Glocalization will strive to improve the Winter School program and open the School on a regular basis. The Office will continue to make efforts to foster glocal human resources while taking into consideration positive impacts of the Winter School on the Gifu University students.

Courtesy call on President Moriwaki
Research activity at a laboratory
Laboratory inspection at the Faculty of Applied Biological
Sciences
Company inspection tour at Nagase Integrex Co., Ltd.
.
TOYOTA Takaoka Plant Tour
Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd inspection tour.
Presentation by an IITG student
Closing Ceremony

2016.01.18

Detailed explanation of icons

  • Internal links
  • Original sites
  • External links
  • File links