TSUKUBA
Report on the Visit of the Ohio State University Engineering Faculty and Students
From May 21 to May 27, 2024, 13 engineering students and 2 accompanying faculty members from the Ohio State University (OSU) visited the University of Tsukuba. This visit was part of the “Japanese American Design Experience (JADE)” program organized by OSU and was hosted by the International Office and the program coordinators at the University of Tsukuba.
During their visit, they toured various engineering facilities including the 3H Building, the Plasma Research Center, the Empowerment Studio, and the Center for Cybernics Research. Additionally, they participated in research presentations coordinated with the Mathematical, Data Science, and AI (MDA) Education Promotion Office and visited individual laboratories of interest. To enhance their understanding of Japanese-American design experiences, cultural activities such as kyudo (Japanese archery), tea ceremony experiences with student interaction were also organized. Furthermore, they visited JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and NIED (National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience), giving them a feel for the Tsukuba Science City environment.
On the final day, based on their experiences in Japan, they made group presentations on the project’s theme, “Startup Proposals for an Inclusive Smart Society,” focusing on three topics: “Agriculture & Food Technologies,” “City Transportation in Japan,” and “Technologies for the Support of Ageing Populations and the Inclusive Socio-Economic System.” These presentations were followed by lively discussions.
Throughout these activities, students from the University of Tsukuba actively participated, providing support and engaging in personal communication. The interactions were notably enjoyable and left a lasting impression.
Additionally, this visiting program included an attempt to use the JV-Campus system for online communication. OSU and UT students introduced themselves on the JV-Campus course beforehand, sharing their interests, which facilitated smoother face-to-face interactions. Preliminary information and activity records were uploaded to the course for pre-study and review, creating a comprehensive learning environment. While this was a new experience with some trial and error for the faculty, it provided valuable insights for future use of the system.
Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone inside and outside the university who contributed to this visit.
Takashi Matsushima, Institute of Systems and Information Engineering