Activity Report of Open Application Program 2021 vol.15 (Alternative Online)
The International Science Research Program for high school students made in collaboration with affiliated high schools.
Report from Nara Women's University Secondary School
An online exchange, supported by the Sakura Science Exchange Program, was scheduled across four days including August 28, August 29, September 4 and September 5, 2021. This exchange included collaborative research between 22 students and 5 instructors from participating high schools and our school. The participating high schools included high schools affiliated with Samarkand State University in Uzbekistan, and Vietnam National University, Hanoi University of Natural Sciences. As an overview, after the program's key discussions and lectures "Mathematics applied to population on biology" were first presented, group research was done by the students in mixed groups. Finally, the groups presented and received comments about their research.
Detailed meetings between our school and the affiliated university (Nara Women's University) were held beforehand to further develop the program. The meetings involved both institutions sharing and talking about their sentiments of wanting to assure the students' future studies and opportunities to have international exchanges even under the impact of COVID-19. From this, the affiliated university's professors were tasked with deciding the themes for discussions and learning while teachers from our school were tasked with setting up the hosting venue, contacting the participants, and preparing the students for the online exchange at our school. beforehand. The online program was held and created through these kind of collaborations between us and the affiliated university.
We were also able to receive cooperation from the affiliated high schools overseas. Online meetings with the affiliated high schools were held about half a year before the program was held in order to optimize the program to fit each schools' needs regarding the online learning environment.
Details about the program:
| Time schedule | Program Contents |
|---|---|
| August 28 13:00-17:00 | Opening Address and Keynote Speech (Professor Takasu Fugo, Faculty of Science) |
| August 29 13:00-17:00 | Group research |
| September 4 13:00-17:00 | Group research |
| September 5 13:00-16:00 | Group study presentations and commentary (Professor Takasu Fugo and Professor Watanabe Toshio, Faculty of Science) Closing Remarks |
At first some students were bewildered being confronted with the unfamiliar online environment and the language barrier between them but it was impressive to see increasing energetic debates nearing the final days of the program. Although the program's time schedule was short, seeing the students from each school working hard together to create better ideas and inventions with the time they had was like seeing a glimpse of future scientists working together.
The professors from the affiliated university who were the lecturers in this program, did not only evaluate the results of the research done by the groups, but they also gave a message about what is important for future research. We trust that all participants in this program walked away with renewed enthusiasm for scientific research.
Looking forward, we expect and hope the high school students in Asia will continue to see our school has a hub for international science research collaboration like it was seen this year in 2021. When COVID-19 subsides and actual exchange invitations can be given out again, we believe that this online program has given us the know-how and tools for such things like preparing students before invitational exchanges and holding post-event exchanges. In that sense, we believe this year's online program in 2021 was an important opportunity and experience for furthering future collaborations.
I would like to thank the JST Sakura Science Exchange Program for their great support in implementing this program.
