TAIST-Tokyo Tech: Students challenged to design and implement embedded systems in Thailand

Published: August 3, 2016

The TAIST-Tokyo Tech Student Exchange Program was launched in 2015 to facilitate student mobility between Tokyo Tech and Thailand Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (TAIST)-Tokyo Tech — a graduate program implemented in partnership between Tokyo Tech, Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), and four Thai universities.

Following an initial dispatch of Tokyo Tech students to Thailand for TAIST's Automotive Engineering (AE) program in September 2015, another cohort, comprised of four students, participated in the Information and Communication Technology for Embedded Systems (ICTES) program from late February to March 2016. The group attended a series of lectures and joined group projects to implement embedded systems.

Lectures and practical activities in Designing Software for Embedded Systems

From the morning after their arrival in Bangkok, the Tokyo Tech students attended intensive lectures and joined hands-on activities in the Designing Software for Embedded Systems course conducted by TAIST at NSTDA. Lectures were delivered daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with breaks for lunch. As TAIST professors included many group discussion sessions during the lectures and activities, the four students quickly found their place in the TAIST community, enjoying valuable experiences in surroundings very different from Tokyo Tech.

TAIST lecture and hands-on activities

Realization and implementation of embedded systems through group work

Lectures and hands-on activities were conducted for ten days in total during a three-week period. Starting with a beginner's level activity of embedding a microcomputer board, participating students gradually developed higher-level systems by connecting boards for data exchange and by connecting a board to a computer simulating a data center. In a week-long project that followed, the students worked in groups with TAIST student counterparts to design and implement embedded systems.

Demonstrations and poster presentations at ICICTES 2016

Presentations at ICICTES 2016

In separate groups, the four Tokyo Tech students exchanged ideas with TAIST counterparts about embedded systems, discussed implementation methods, and defined their roles in the groups. They participated in preparations for the groups' demonstrations and poster presentations at the International Conference of Information and Communication Technology for Embedded Systems, ICICTES 2016, which was held in late March in Bangkok. At the end of the conference, a group that included a Tokyo Tech student was selected to receive the award for best presentation.

Presentations at ICICTES 2016

Comments from participating students

I made friends with people from outside Japan, which broadened my world.
I had a fruitful time through various experiences.
Although at the beginning, I was surprised by some customs and spicy foods that differed from those in Japan, thanks to our dormitory, we had no difficulty in daily life during the program.
I worried about my language skills before travelling, but everything worked out in practice.
I learned how important it is to communicate with people in English.
I felt that I should be more active and assertive during group work.

With plans to continue this student exchange program, it is expected that many more Tokyo Tech students will take advantage of this unique opportunity to study abroad in Thailand.

Contact

TAIST Administration Office

Email taist@jim.titech.ac.jp

*: This article has been updated to correct a typographical error on August 4.