Hello, this is Kasumi Ozawa from the Study Abroad Section. I would like to share with you about the recent orientations for students studying at Otago Polytechnic in the 2025 academic year.

  We held several orientations for students who will be participating in the Otago Polytechnic program next year. In February, we conducted three separate face-to-face sessions for students, and an online meeting including parents was held on Friday, February 14, 2025. The Otago Polytechnic study abroad program is for 3rd year students, with 20 students studying on-site for one year in the 2025 academic year. Our school is committed to ensuring that students are well-prepared for a safe and fulfilling experience abroad.

  During the student orientation sessions, detailed explanations were provided about the curriculum at Otago Polytechnic, living rules, and key aspects of living with host families. Additionally, the importance of cultural adjustment and communication in the New Zealand lifestyle was emphasized. Living in a different culture will present unique challenges for students, but overcoming these challenges leads to significant growth and new perspectives. Teachers provided specific advice on understanding different cultures and the support system available locally. Students were reassured with the message, "While there may be more hardships than moments of happiness, the growth and joy that await after overcoming these challenges will be invaluable experiences in your life." This gave students the opportunity to reflect on how they can make the most of their new learning environment and lifestyle, fostering a sense of anticipation for their upcoming study abroad experience.

  As part of these orientations, students practiced songs, and Kentaro Takano, representing the group, practiced his speech for welcome ceremony. With each practice session, their singing and speeches gradually improved, reflecting their unity. The welcome ceremony will include traditional Maori greetings, and we look forward to the heartfelt speech and beautiful singing from our students.

  The orientation session for parents covered detailed information about preparations for departure, life in New Zealand, and travel precautions. Despite the nearly two-hour-long session, parents listened attentively and asked a variety of questions. Vice President Mamoru Mukai emphasized the importance of "understanding," "accepting," and "implementing" differences when encountering different cultures. These words captured the essence of cultural exchange and deeply resonated with all participants.

  With the comprehensive information provided during the orientations, students seem ready to confidently dive into their new environment. Parents also renewed their resolve to support their children's growth and were eager to assist with their study abroad experience. We can easily imagine parents and children working together to prepare for this new challenge in a foreign land during spring break.

  The Otago Polytechnic study abroad orientations were highly meaningful for both students and parents. After spending two years at the beautiful Hakusanroku Campus, students will relocate to New Zealand in April to begin their new journey. We sincerely hope that they will grow significantly through various experiences and make discoveries that will shape their future. Furthermore, we believe that the challenges they face in this new environment will develop into a bright and promising path ahead.

Kasumi Ozawa

Hello. This is Meguru Ito, one of the physics teachers at ICT. I am going to write about the illustration workshop held on Friday, February 14th and Tuesday, 18th, 2025. In February, Hakusanroku Campus has a special period called “Extracurricular Activity Period”. During this period regular classes aren’t held and various extracurricular activities are offered instead.
 For the last 2 years Mr. Ibuki Rev, an illustrator has led this workshop. Thank you Mr. Ibuki!
 The theme of this year's workshop was self-published comics, and students created self-published comics on the theme of “Kurihara Akane chan,” an original character created at last year's illustration workshop.
 On the first day, Mr. Ibuki gave a lecture on being an illustrator, developing characters, and the self-published comics medium, after that, each students created an illustration for the comic. On the second day, they compiled the date, printed the pages, and carried out the binding process. The students used a manual binding method, cutting the pages with a cutter and then stapling them together. Although they struggled with the process, they managed to create a high-quality booklet.
 Many of the students who participated in this workshop enjoy drawing, and they seemed to enjoy the process of completing their illustrations as a self-published comics. Although I myself do not draw, seeing the students' eyes light up makes me glad that I organized this workshop.
 Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Ibuki for his lectures over the two days! I truly appreciate his meticulous, engaging, and informative slides, as well as his kind guidance. Now, what shall we do next year?

Meguru Ito

Hello, I am Michihiro Hayashi, advisor of the Design & Fabrication Club. Since the 2nd semester final exams have ended, I was looking for an interesting activity to help students pass the time. Breaking things can be a good stress reliever, and coincidentally, I had two printers that I was planning to dispose of because they could no longer be repaired. So, I decided to hold a "Printer Disassembly Contest." Rather than simply destroying them, I thought it would be more meaningful to turn it into a competition, evaluating the beauty of the disassembly process. The two printers were A3-size inkjet printers. Printers are excellent machines to disassemble, as they incorporate a well-balanced combination of various elements: "Machine Elements" for paper feeding mechanisms, "Electrical Circuits" for driving motors and printheads, and "Electronic Circuits" for controlling touch panels and other components. Taking them apart offers a great learning opportunity.
 The contest was held on the afternoon of Saturday, February 1st, 2025. A total of seven students participated. They were divided into two teams, one with four members and the other with three, and the contest began.
 First, the students began by observing the exterior of the printer, checking for any visible screw threads and identifying which parts could be opened. Since home printers are often designed to hide screws for a cleaner appearance, the students initially had difficulty locating them. However, through careful observation and examination, they managed to find the screws that could be removed and proceeded with the disassembly, starting with the outer casings.
 As the disassembly progressed, various internal machine elements of the printer, such as shafts and bearings, gears, and belts, began to emerge. Since these components required the correct tools for proper disassembly, the students learned about different types of tools and their safe and appropriate usage from the instructor as they worked. Along the way, there were unexpected incidents, such as lubricant grease and ink splattering, but after two hours of hard work, they had managed to disassemble the printers down to the component parts.
 Finally, the students neatly arranged the disassembled parts, marking the end of the disassembly process. At this stage, they discussed various ideas on how to organize the parts—whether by material, function, or size. In the end, both teams primarily sorted the parts by material, likely because it would make disposal and recycling easier. After a thorough evaluation of tool usage, safety considerations, and overall technique, the winning team was determined. The champions were a group of three 1st year students, who demonstrated excellent skills throughout the contest. As their prize, they received a box full of snacks.
 Meanwhile, the snowfall outside the window was remarkable. Our school offers various indoor extracurricular activities like this one, but we also have many outdoor activities, such as skiing and snowboarding. I look forward to seeing students continue to participate in a wide range of activities with enthusiasm and energy.

Michihiro Hayashi

Michihiro Hayashi

Hello, this is Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku Office. This time, I would like to talk about the ICT Startup Competition 2025 held on Friday, February 21st, 2025.

 In order to nurture global innovators, ICT has established maker studios on the Hakusanroku and Kanazawa campuses, where students can give shape to their business ideas. In addition, ICT also focused on fostering a business mindset by offering classes such as Fundamentals of Innovation and Fundamentals of Business Management.

 Continuing from last year , the second edition of the ICT Startup Competition 2025 was held at the KIT Innovation Hall. The entire event was conducted in English, including the Q&A sessions.

 In the morning, a panel discussion was held, featuring Fumihiko Uchida sensei, Research Professor, Headquarters for Promotion of Future Innovation at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Mr. Matas Danielevicius from Knowledge Exchange, a startup support organization in Thailand, Mr. Kittinand Pithayapriechagul, Vice President (Head of Crowdfunding) Thailand Securities Finance Corporation (TSFC) Securities Public Company Limited, and Mr. Daiki Masui, Promotion Association Startup Weekend Kanazawa Lead Organizer. They took the stage for a lively discussion on the startup scene in Japan and abroad.

 Compared to other countries, the startup industry in Japan is still in its early stages. Recently, the Japanese government has introduced a five-year plan and has actively promoted the creation of startups within the country, including substantial financial support.

 In the afternoon session, a pitching event was held featuring students from universities and technical colleges in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan. This event brought together students from across the Asia region and was conducted in a hybrid format, combining both online and in-person participation.
 During the pitching session, each team gave a three-minute presentation followed by a nine-minute Q&A session. The presenters faced sharp questions from the panelists, and although some appeared momentarily taken aback, they responded with sincerity and determination, creating a truly inspiring atmosphere.
 Three teams from ICT participated, delivering confident and impressive presentations despite their initial nervousness. Their efforts were highly praised by the judges.

 The second edition of this event marked the first international gathering with participation from overseas students. Many of the student teams from different countries introduced business ideas aimed at solving social issues faced by their respective nations, showcasing a variety of compelling pitches.

 For the students, participating in such a pitching event provided an opportunity to reflect on how their ideas could create societal value and offered a new, real-world perspective on thinking about issues they may not have considered before.

 ICT will continue to foster global innovators who not only acquire advanced technical skills but also develop a business mindset, enabling them to apply their expertise to benefit society.

間加田 侑里

 

Hello, I am Shuntaro Tanaka, a 1st year student. I currently live in the dormitory at the Hakusanroku Campus. Since late January, it has been snowing heavily here, and everything outside is covered in white. The snow has piled up higher than my height, and it is so light that I was surprised when I saw it for the first time.

On Friday, February 7th, 2025, we went to Hakusan Ichirino Ski Resort, which is about 15 minutes away from the Hakusanroku Campus by bus. 1st and 2nd year students who wanted to join took part in this ski trip. In the morning, those who were new to skiing attended a ski lesson, while the others enjoyed skiing and snowboarding freely. The weather was clear in the morning, but around noon there was a brief snowstorm before it calmed down again, leaving behind soft powder snow.

 I have been skiing since I was a child, so instead of taking the ski lesson, I went snowboarding for the third time. I was really impressed by how soft the powder snow was and how "it doesn’t even hurt when you fall."

 After lunch, we met up with the students who had attended the ski lesson, and in the afternoon, everyone enjoyed skiing and snowboarding together. At first, those who took the ski lesson struggled, but three of them quickly got the hang of it and were able to ski smoothly. The other two had a harder time and fell many times, but with the support of the faculty, they kept trying. By the end, they had improved a lot and could ski with more confidence.

 At that time, I could already snowboard, but my turns were a bit awkward, and I was struggling to control them. One of the faculty members, Omihito Matsushita sensei gave me some advice, which was helpful. Thanks to Matsushita sensei instructions, I was able to fix the movements I had been struggling with right away. However, the time passed so quickly that I still felt like I hadn’t snowboarded enough. I hope I get another chance to come back so that I can improve even more.

Shuntaro Tanaka