Gifu University campus tour is conducted for the members of THERS Management Council.
On Friday, November 22, 2024, members of the Management Council1 of the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System (THERS) visited Gifu University for a campus tour. This visit was organized to deepen their understanding of Gifu University's educational and research activities and to facilitate more substantive discussions.
At the beginning, THERS Chancellor MATSUO Seiichi and President YOSHIDA Kazuhiro gave opening remarks, followed by Professor UEHARA Masayuki, who explained the current state of entrepreneurship education and introduced how the university supports entrepreneurship and collaborates with external organizations.
After that, three student groups presented their respective activities.
- Startup Club:
Introduced initiatives to start their own businesses and provide new value to the community and society. - Environmental Circle G-amet:
Introduced activities aimed at creating a sustainable society through environmental conservation efforts and community awareness campaigns. - iGEM GIFU:
Introduced their challenges in the iGEM2 competition and research using advanced science.
After the presentations, there was an exchange of opinions with the council members. Students passionately discussed their activities while responding to questions. The council members remarked, "We felt the young energy and creativity," and "We have high expectations for the potential of these students who will lead society in the future."
Next, the members toured the practical training sites at Gifu University.
- Veterinary Surgery Training at the Skills Laboratory
In the veterinary surgery training, students learn practical surgical techniques using surgical models developed by Gifu University. The development of these surgical models was made possible through the support of many contributors via crowdfunding. This initiative not only enhances veterinary education but also holds significant social value from the perspectives of animal welfare and protection. The members observed the students' training up close and highly praised the advanced educational environment. - Sake Brewing Training at the Gifu Prefectural Research Institute for Food Sciences
In the sake brewing training, conducted in collaboration with the Gifu Prefectural government, students learn about the sake brewing process and experience brewing sake firsthand. During the tour, the council members had the opportunity to taste the sake brewed by the students. They showed great interest in this practical learning that utilizes local resources. Additionally, the tasting session provided an opportunity for the council members to exchange opinions with the students and deepen their understanding of local culture and traditions.
After the tour, the members commented, "By seeing the university's educational and research sites firsthand, we were able to understand the university's initiatives more concretely than ever before." The tour provided a valuable opportunity to widely disseminate the university's efforts both inside and outside the campus and to develop new perspectives for improving university operations.。
Gifu University will continue to deepen its collaboration with the local community and contribute to solving societal issues through education and research. Additionally, the university will actively engage in dialogue with various stakeholders to create practical learning environments for the future.
1) English name is tentative
2) "iGEM (The international Genetically Engineered Machine competition) is a global synthetic biology competition originating from MIT. High school, university, and graduate students participate by genetically engineering microorganisms to address societal issues. Every year, over 6,000 participants gather at the competition held in late October to present their results.
