SAKURA SCIENCE High School Program Group 3
The 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) Thematic Event
Science and Technology Workshop for Japanese and African High School Students
On Thursday, August 21st, the "Science and Technology Workshop for Japanese and African High School Students," a thematic event hosted as part of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), was held at Pacifico Yokohama Exhibition Hall D. Participating in the workshop were 22 African high school students (from Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, and Ghana), who were visiting Japan under the Sakura Science High School Program (SSHP), and 14 students from Kanagawa Prefectural Yokohama Midorigaoka High School, making a total of 36 participants. All the participants from Yokohama Midorigaoka High School were highly motivated students who volunteered to join the workshop.
The theme of the workshop was "Sustainable Food." Under the guidance of Ms. Sarah Hawks and Mr. HIRAI Motoyasu, Science Communicators from Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation), the high school students first discussed typical foods from their respective countries, focusing on their sustainability, within groups made up of members from the same country. Afterwards, they were divided into six international groups consisting of students from different countries and introduced their regular foods to each other. The discussions deepened around three key topics: food loss, healthy food, and protein shift.
At the end, representatives from each group presented their summaries.
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, ABE Toshiko, also visited the workshop and offered words of encouragement to the students.
"As future leaders, you were sharing ideas and building friendships across borders. I believe that this cooperation will deepen mutual understanding and long-term connections, and lead to future cooperation between Japan and African nations. "
