Activity Report of Open Application Program 2020 vol.10 (Online)
Online seminar for learning about sustainable materials chemistry at 7 universities in 4 countries
Report from the Technical Support Division of the Center for Engineering Innovation, Faculty of Engineering, Okayama University
On January 12–13, the Faculty of Engineering at Okayama University held an online seminar to support the follow−up of the Sakura Science Exchange Program. From learning about sustainable materials chemistry, the seminar was titled "SDGs Seminar 2021 Winter." It was attended by 52 people from 7 universities in 4 countries. All participating universities participated in the Sakura Science Exchange Program, a Japanese−Asian youth science exchange program, which was conducted from 2014 to 2018, centering on the Faculty of Engineering of Okayama University, and continue to conduct international exchanges such as joint research with Okayama University and acceptance of international students.
Prior to the opening of the meeting, Abe Masanobu, the Director of the Faculty of Engineering offered his greeting. Next, Professor Osaka Akiyoshi from the Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology (Engineering), and Professor Tsuru Kanji, from the Fukuoka Dental College, gave lectures on material chemistry. Staff from Zhejiang University, Zhejiang University of Technology, Xiamen University, Universiti Putra Malaysia, University of Malaya, the National University of Singapore, and Okayama University gave presentations and engaged in discussions.
In addition, we shared our unique "learning" online by introducing the formula, (video available at the link), which is a unique initiative of the Faculty of Engineering and the distinctive chemical experiments conducted at Professor Sakakura Akira's Research Laboratory of the Faculty of Engineering (demonstrated by Professor Mizoguchi Haruki of the Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology (Engineering) and Abe Takeshi, a 4th year student at the Faculty of Engineering), with subtitled videos (Produced by Yoshiyuki Fumiki, and photographed by Shimizu Takeo at i PLANNING KOHWA Co., Ltd.).
Furthermore, we were able to conduct pre−interviews of past Sakura Science Exchange Program participants (9 people including Lulu Rai, associated with Wu Jinming Laboratory, Zhejiang University, when they participated in the Sakura Science Exchange Program in 2016) online and to deliver a message video to next generation of students.
This seminar was also open to the teachers of Okayama Prefectural Okayama Ichinomiya High School. In 2020, Universiti Putra Malaysia, and the Shah Alam Technical College were invited to hold a high school−university collaboration seminar in Okayama Prefecture. However, the spread of the coronavirus unfortunately made that impossible to do. This seminar was also a great reference for future international high school−university collaboration.
Among the participants, Associate Professor Xiao Fan of Zhejiang University of Technology, who participated in the Sakura Science Exchange Program in 2014, was pleased to participate in the seminar with her students across generations. She said that she wants to continue the good relationship in the future.
This seminar is organized by Nakamura Yuri, a Technical Specialist at the Faculty of Engineering of Okayama University, who is also an SDGs ambassador at Okayama University. Descriptions of the activities are also posted on the Okayama University web site.
https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/tp/news/news_id9960.html
We will continue to promote sustainable international exchange activities through international webinars, and other means, taking into account the "bond" that we have received through the Sakura Science Exchange Program.
(top left column: Professor Osaka, 2nd from top right column: Professor Tsuru, 2nd from top left column: Professor Wu, Zhejiang University)
