From September 11th (Wed) to 17th (Tue), 2024, we have invited students from India to Kobe Sanda Campus, Kwansei Gakuin University (KGU) for an international exchange program, the Sakura Science Program sponsored by JST.

Since 2015, faculty members of the Materials Science Program have introduced the cutting-edge educational and research environment of Kwansei Gakuin University as well as Japanese culture to students invited from Asian regions under the Sakura Science Program. In the 2024 program, invited students have experienced experiments and calculations on fuel and solar cells for a sustainable energy society and visited the world's largest synchrotron radiation facility SPring-8.

 

On the 12th (Thu), Profs. Hirohisa Tanaka and Teppei Ogura introduced research on fuel cells through experiments and calculations. The invited students also experienced from the microscopic understanding through experiments and calculations in fuel cells to the practical applications of them to vehicles exhibited at the campus.

On the morning of the 13th (Fri), Prof. Akihiko Fujiwara gave a lecture on electronic devices for energy, solar cells, fabricated by chemical methods. An Indian student of KGU introduced the fabrication procedures of solution-processed solar cells.

In the afternoon, one of the invited students presented their expectations for Japan-India exchanges at the KGU-India Forum “The Future of Japan and India through Industry-Government-Academia Collaboration in Kansai”, which was organized in conjunction with the Sakura Science Program and was attended by H.E. Mr. Sibi George, Ambassador of India to Japan.

On the 14th (Sat), the invited students visited SPring-8 which is intensively used by Kwansei Gakuin University faculty and visiting faculty for research. They experienced the enormous research facility and studied how the instruments are used.

On the 15th (Sun), the invited students experienced culture in Kyoto. They were exposed to not only Japanese science and technology but also culture and the kindness of the Japanese people.

On the 16th (Mon), after a laboratory tour and an introduction to the study abroad program, the invited students were divided into three groups to report on what they had learned in the program and to present their prospects after the program. After the presentations and Q&A session, a graduation ceremony was held where all participants were presented with a certificate of completion.

On the 17th (Tue), the delegates departed for their home countries. Participants from both sides were inspired by the experience, making it a fulfilling international exchange. We hope that some of the students here will come to Japan to study at Kwansei Gakuin University in the future.