On Thursday, July 18, 2024, the Gifu University Organization for Promotion of Glocalization (GU-GLOCAL) held a symposium titled "Spreading Your Wings to the World," aimed at encouraging active participation in international programs by university and high school students. The symposium consisted of two sessions, each featuring prominent main speakers who have already assumed significant roles on the global stage. The event was moderated by podcast producer Ms. TAKEMURA Yukiko and conducted in a three-way discussion format with President YOSHIDA Kazuhiro and renowned neuroscientist and visiting professor Dr. MOGI Kenichiro from Gifu University.

Session 1 featured Ms. SHIGETA Naho, CEO of InfoBridge Holdings Group, which supports Japanese companies expanding into India. The session was themed 'Average Age 28! The Young Nation of India.' Ms. Shigeta spoke about the background of starting her business in India, the rapidly developing Indian society, and the current situation of young people in India. She particularly highlighted the high self-esteem and fearlessness of failure she observed while working with Indians. She conveyed to Japanese youth the importance of having the spirit to just try things out rather than aiming for perfection from the start when beginning something new.

Session 2 featured Mr. Rei Inamoto, a creative director based in New York who handles digital strategies for leading global brands. Under the theme 'Mindset for Shining Abroad,' Mr. Inamoto, who spent his childhood in Kiyomi Village, Ono-gun, Gifu Prefecture (now Takayama City), shared his experiences of moving abroad after graduating from junior high school, attending high school, and then university in the United States, and his career journey up to the present. He emphasized the importance of learning broadly without narrowing down one's specialization too much in order to find one's interests and strengths. He also encouraged students interested in studying abroad to take on the challenge without hesitation, as the level of education in Japan is high. During the Q&A session after the presentations, each speaker enthusiastically answered questions and consultations from the audience, sometimes sharing their own experiences to encourage them.

On the day of the event, 264 people attended in person, and 188 people participated via the real-time broadcast on Glocal Lesson¹. Many participants listened attentively to the passionate messages from the speakers. The discussion is available on-demand on Glocal Lesson (Language in video: Japanese).

Gifu University is advancing collaboration in the industrial, governmental, and academic fields between the Tokai region and India, centered on the Joint Degree Program (JDP²) for master's and doctoral courses conducted with the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. It is expected that this symposium will encourage student participation in various programs, including the JDP.

GU-GLOCAL will continue to support students taking their first steps abroad and will hold events to promote the internationalization of the university and the region.

1) online learning platform provided by GU-GLOCAL（https://www.gu-glocal.com）
2) an educational program established in collaboration with overseas partner universities with the aim of training industrial professionals and researchers equipped with international responsiveness. Students can conduct research activities in an international educational environment that includes studying abroad and obtain an international joint degree from two universities without extending their period of study.