Study Abroad Fair 2015 Report

Tokyo Tech held Study Abroad Fairs on April 15 on the Suzukakedai Campus and on April 22 on the Ookayama Campus. The fairs were intended to broaden students' understanding of the variety of international programs available, while encouraging students who had previously studied overseas to share their experiences. Representatives from foreign governments and external organizations supporting study abroad also joined the annual event to provide information and field students' questions.

More than 60 students attended the event at Suzukakedai and listened intently to the introductions of various programs abroad and to the experiences of program returnees. Professor Tetsuya Suekane of the Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering welcomed the audience to Suzukake Hall, where staff from the International Student Exchange Division introduced different types of short- and long-term study abroad programs.

Tokyo Tech students also shared inspiring presentations about their experiences participating in overseas study programs. Fumika Isono, a 1st-year doctoral student in the Department of Energy Sciences, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, who studied at the University of California, Berkeley, and Akihisa Imai, a 1st-year master's student in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, who participated in the Tokyo Tech-AYSEAS (Tokyo Tech-Asia Young Scientist and Engineer Advanced Study) Program, described the challenges and excitement of experiencing daily life in the United States and Vietnam.

Following the presentations, attendees had opportunities to speak directly with those in charge of particular study abroad programs and with participants from previous years.

Students attending the Suzukakedai fair commented that the individual consultations and presentations motivated them to think in concrete terms about studying abroad and to consider a wider range of destination countries. Attendees also commented that they felt more confident making plans to go overseas after consulting career advisors at the fair regarding how best to time their study abroad plans and job search activities.

Approximately 350 students participated in the Study Abroad Fair at the Ookayama Campus. Graduate School of Engineering Professor Shin-ichi Okuyama welcomed participants to the fair held at Tokyo Tech Front, Kuramae Hall. After staff from the International Student Exchange Division explained various options for study abroad, Kentarou Takido, a 2nd-year master's student in the Department of Civil Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, described his experiences as an exchange student at the University of Melbourne in Australia. He was followed by Masayuki Hatsutori, a 2nd-year master's student in the Department of Architecture and Building Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, who recounted episodes from his year at ETH Zurich in Switzerland.

Representatives of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and Eiken Foundation of Japan, respectively, presented information and answered questions about preparation for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examinations.

Representatives of external organizations, staff from Tokyo Tech's Foreign Language Advisory Center, study abroad program staff, and students who had previously taken part in overseas study programs provided individual consultations with interested students. At a booth hosted by Tokyo Tech's Global Scientists and Engineers Course, presentations by course members describing their contributions as engineers on the global stage proved particularly inspiring for audience members. Many expressed enthusiasm at the prospect of engaging in similar opportunities abroad. Representatives of foreign embassies answered students' questions about visa procedures and provided advice about daily life and local customs.

Remaining in conversation at the booths after the fair had officially concluded, Tokyo Tech students demonstrated a high level of interest in study abroad opportunities. With a wealth of study abroad programs from which to choose, Tokyo Tech students' most challenging decision may not be whether to study abroad but, rather, where to go.

The International Student Exchange Division (South Bldg 6, 3rd Floor) fields inquiries about study abroad opportunities throughout the year.

• Study Abroad Fair
• Study Abroad