Tokyo Tech News
Tokyo Tech News
Published: March 6, 2020
The Student Initiative Support Section hosted the 13th Student Support Forum on December 25, 2019 at Ookayama Campus. The event provided an excellent opportunity for autonomous student bodies to share information and attract support for their activities, which aim to enhance student, university, and local community life.
This year, students, faculty, and staff from Chiba University, The University of Tokyo, Asia University, Tama University, Hosei University and Mie University ― the last of whom were the invited speakers at the event ― joined their Tokyo Tech counterparts. A total of 86 people participated.
Participants enjoying the year-end spirit
Greeting from Tokyo Tech President Masu
Mina Goto, a 3rd-year Life Science and Technology student at Tokyo Tech, acted as the moderator for the event. After some opening words from Executive Vice President Tetsuya Mizumoto and President Kazuya Masu, Institute of Innovation Research Associate Professor and Student Initiative Support Section Head Jun Hasegawa greeted participants with a brief introduction of the forum and student initiatives at Tokyo Tech.
To kick things off, Mie University Lecturer Eiichiro Suzuki from the Center for Student Support, 3rd-year student Shoya Suzuki from the Department of Humanities, and 2nd-year student Haruna Toyonishi from the Department of Law and Economics spoke about some of the activities conducted by the peer support students' committee in Mie.
The group highlighted the counseling, student orientation, presentation practice, job hunting, and other events organized by Mie University peer supporters. The audience was impressed, particularly by the freedom and creativity promoted by the university among its peer supporters.
Visitors from Mie: (from left) Lecturer Suzuki and
students Toyonishi and Suzuki
Lively Q&A throughout the presentations
Audience focused during presentations
Six Tokyo Tech groups supported by the Student Initiative Support Section ― Student Survey Group, Tokyo Tech Volunteer Group, Projects to develop future scientists and engineers, Peer Supports, Hult Prize Tokyo Tech, and Tokyo Tech's Language Exchange Partner group ACTION ― also shared their views.
Hiroki Yoshida
2nd year, Physics
2020 Student Survey Group
The Student Support Forum was a great opportunity to gain fresh ideas and share news regarding the Student Survey, which we rarely get to do with other student groups or universities. By utilizing the new ideas and personal connections created at the forum, we will continue to work hard to improve and heighten awareness of our activities.
Proposal based on results of 2018 Student Survey submitted to president | Tokyo Tech News
Masari Watanabe
1st-year doctoral student, Physics
Tokyo Tech Volunteer Group
The Tokyo Tech Volunteer Group develops various activities based on reconstruction support, disaster prevention, and regional cooperation. During the Student Support Forum, I spoke to the audience about our visit to areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Children's Cafeteria activities being carried out for locals in the Ookayama area. We received many great ideas regarding these activities, which we will use to conduct meaningful activities next year.
Yuki Akizawa
2nd year, Systems and Control Engineering
Projects to develop future scientists and engineers
During this forum, I learned a lot from the presentations of other organizations. I was also able to share widely the purpose and activities of our group. I am thankful for the words of encouragement and suggestions for joint projects that we received. In the future, we will consider changing the name of our group to make it easier to remember, and we will work hard to become a group that creates more impact both within and outside the university.
Projects to develop future scientists and engineers (Japanese)
Students, faculty, public discuss immigration and religion | Tokyo Tech News
Tokyo Tech peer supporters Isawa (left) and Ikeda
Kazuya Isawa
3rd year, Computer Science
Peer Supporter
Tokyo Tech Peer Supporters offer consultation services to other students regarding various aspects of campus life. The Student Support Forum provided great stimulus as it allowed us to learn about what students both inside and outside Tokyo Tech feel about various aspects of university life. We will continue to improve the services and support that Tokyo Tech Peer Support offers.
Chihiro Ikeda
1st-year master's student, Earth and Planetary Science
Peer Supporter
Through this forum, we were able reflect on our activities and learn about the endeavors of other organizations. It was also very fruitful to be able to interact with students who are involved in peer support at other universities. I want to make use of the takeaways in our future activities.
Ryutaro Torikai
2nd year, Mechanical Engineering
Hult Prize Tokyo Tech
Hult Prize Tokyo Tech is a student-based organization that promotes entrepreneurship on campus. The Student Support Forum was a great opportunity to make our activities widely known to people inside and outside Tokyo Tech. I felt that we could use what we learned from the activities of other organizations to solve some of our group's problems. Our activities will continue, and we will make use of the awareness and connections we gained through this exchange.
Hiroshi Matsuo
2nd-year doctoral student, Mechanical Engineering
ACTION
ACTION is a student group running the Language Exchange Partner Program at Tokyo Tech. We became an official Student Initiative Support Section-affiliated group in June 2019. Our activities are still fairly unknown, and presenting at this forum was a valuable opportunity to spread the word. We will strive to enhance our language exchange system in the future while aiming for mutual benefits with other student groups.
The second half of the forum was reserved for short talks and poster presentations by various students, including eight Tokyo Tech student groups ― the Library Supporters, Library Supporters' Riddle Team, Online Education Development Office student staff, the Student Association for Global Exchange (SAGE), the Tokyo Tech International Students Association (TISA), the Encouragement Project for All Tokyo Tech Students (EPATS), iGEM Tokyo Tech, and the Tokyo Tech Visionary Team.
Kai Otsuki
1st-year master's student, Mathematical and Computing Science
Library Supporter
The poster presentation provided a good opportunity to tell the audience about the work of library supporters. The time I used to prepare the presentation also offered me a chance to reflect on my own activities.
Takafumi Kouno
2nd-year doctoral student, Mathematics
Riddle Team, Library Supporter
The Student Support Forum was a valuable setting for us to spread awareness of our activities beyond the campus. Thanks to the comments we received, we will continue to promote better understand of the library through puzzle solving.
Sayaka Tezuka
2nd-year master's student, Materials Science and Engineering
OEDO student staff, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL)
Through our poster presentation, we learned that many people inside and outside the university are interested in sharing Tokyo Tech classes to the world. Many said that they would like to participate or cooperate. Among the many universities around the world that continue to distribute lesson content, we would like to work on creating materials that take advantage of Tokyo Tech's strengths and Japan's strengths.
Ryuju Ito
2nd year, Materials Science and Engineering
SAGE
SAGE works to create a venue for international exchange. At this event, I was able to speak and connect with other groups carrying out similar activities. I appreciate the opportunity to present our activities to the audience.
Mael Pidjou
2nd-year master's student, Mechanical Engineering
TISA
It was my first time to attend such an event so I was a little confused about what will be presented. During the event, I was pleasantly surprised that the president of the university joined the event but, more importantly, I was surprised to see what other Japanese students do to ameliorate the life of students on campus, especially with projects like the food truck coming from the student survey. I discovered the Japanese association, which I had never heard of, and I was able to present facts about our student association. I hope that in the future we will continue to join the event.
Tokyo Tech International Student Association (TISA) | facebook
Moe Takahashi
3rd year, Life Science and Technology
iGEM
This was the first time we had an opportunity to present our activities at the Student Support Forum. We were joined by President Masu and various other faculty and staff members, as well as members of various other groups. It was a stimulating experience.
Haruka Kiyohara
2nd year, Industrial Engineering and Economics
Tokyo Tech Visionary Team
At this year's event, we not only presented our group activities, but also heard from a variety of other groups. It was a meaningful and motivating experience that will push us further to create a place where Tokyo Tech students can conduct open, lively discussions.
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Mina Goto
3rd year, Life Science and Technology
Moderator
Perhaps because it was held on Christmas Day, this year's forum was particularly enjoyable, with lively Q&A sessions, energetic poster presentations, and just a very friendly atmosphere. Thanks to the support of faculty and fellow students, I was able to fulfill my role as moderator, which was a valuable experience. At the same time, I was able to interact with many people both within and outside Tokyo Tech, which was extremely meaningful.
Exchanging views during poster presentations
Participants shared the following comments regarding presentations given by Tokyo Tech students:
To conclude a successful day, a social gathering was held for all participants. All the posters used during the presentations were moved to the social venue, where information sharing continued.
After some more encouraging messages to the students from Executive Vice President Mizumoto and President Masu, Student Support Center Deputy Head Tetsuji Okamura closed the event with some final words.
Official Tokyo Tech student clubs and other student activities are supported by the Tokyo Tech Fund
Contact
Student Initiative Support Section, Student Support Center
Email siengp@jim.titech.ac.jp
Tel +81-3-5734-7629
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