Sakura Homecoming Survey Results Point to New Direction for Alumni Activities

Co-hosted by Sakura Science Club Alumni in Thailand (SSCAT) and JST, the Sakura Homecoming webinar held last month (November 27), was well attended by approximately 200 viewers across 19 countries/regions shown in the graph below. COVID-19 took away our freedom to travel and gather in person, but this result shows that we can still reconnect through online venues.

Note: The United States as a country is not eligible to participate in the program yet, but some SSC members participated from the U.S.

Almost 3/4 of respondents rated the webinar “Excellent” and the duration of each presentation also seemed appropriate, but when we took a closer look at written comments, some mentioned that the organizers should have a longer Q&A session or to hold additional discussion sessions in smaller groups so members can get to know each other more. SSC could perhaps hold a casual session for getting to know other members from different countries. In the survey, several members stated that they wished for area-specific-sub-groups which focus on special topics/fields in science (e.g. computer science, quantum mechanics, etc.). Discussion within such sub-groups may lead to unexpected collaboration.

For becoming future coordinators of SSC, 57% replied that they do wish to get involved in alumni activities. 43% replied “Maybe.” If you are interested in helping out, JST and the Secretariat is planning to recognize your contribution in the near future. We encourage interested members to contact the secretariat either by replying to our mail magazine or by using the contact form on this website.