SAKURA SCIENCE High School Program Group 2
Japan India Science Technology and Innovation Exchange Year
Indian Highschool Student Exchange Event
On Wednesday, June 18, a total of 79 high school students and supervisors from India who were visiting Japan on the Sakura Science High School Program (SSHP) participated in the “Indian High School Student Exchange Meeting” at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan).
This event was held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Japan-India science and technology cooperation.
In the speech by distinguished guest H.E. Mr. Shivi George, Indian Ambassador to Japan, he praised the high school students selected from various regions of India for their excellent performance and encouraged them to learn and fully experience the science and technology of the future during this week. He also mentioned that Japan and India share common deities derived from Buddhism, such as Daikokuten and Shiva, and that Suzuki automobiles are an indispensable means of transportation within India, emphasizing the strong cultural, political, and commercial ties that have existed from ancient times to the present. Furthermore, he expressed hope for more opportunities to learn Japanese at Indian educational institutions in order to further promote exchanges in the field of science and technology in the future.
Dr. ASAKAWA Chieko, Chief Executive Director of the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), talked about her personal history, from losing her eyesight at the age of 14 to developing the Home Page Reader software at IBM, and about the "AI Suitcase (https://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/research/AIsuitcase/index.html) " that she is currently working on research and development for. The AI Suitcase is an autonomous navigation robot that guides visually impaired people. She mentioned that she was inspired by the bird-shaped robot named Chika (which avoids all dangers by perching on a boy's shoulder and giving him instructions) that appeared in an old Japanese science fiction drama she loved as a girl.
Special lectures were also given by Dr. Bidisha Dey (Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Yamaguchi University) and Dr. Dyuti Prakash Sarkar (Project Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Hiroshima University), two young Indian researchers working in Japan.
They both studied abroad at Hiroshima University after participating in the Sakura Science Program (SSP) in 2015, earning their PhDs and building their careers in Japan.
They talked about their encounters with Japanese researchers through the SSP and research life in Japan, as well as the baseball games and local festivals they participated in with their lab mates.
In the Q&A session after the lecture the high school students asked a lot of questions, such as “What are the advantages of studying in Japan?” “What culture shocks have you experienced in Japan?” “How can I get a scholarship?” and “If I were to study at a Japanese university, is it better to do undergraduate or graduate study?” Dr. Dyuti and Dr. Bidisha answered each of the questions in a friendly and detailed manner. As examples of the culture shock they felt in Japan, they mentioned “the punctuality and the fact that it is normal to meet 5 to 10 minutes before the appointed time” and “the fact that it is very quiet on the train and in the city.”
They also gave advice to the high school students: “For us Indians who have already acquired two languages, our mother tongue and English, it is not so difficult to try a new language. I hope you will be able to learn some Japanese words during your stay in Japan.”
