As part of the International Linkage Degree Program (ILDP)*, Hiroshima University (HU) held a training session for students jointly with Gifu University and three universities in India from July 5th to 14th, 2021. A total of 20 students from HU, Birla Institute of Technology Pilani, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati participated in the training. In this program, the participants took lectures by professors from four universities working on innovative technology developments. By utilizing virtual reality technology, students could also enjoy a virtual tour to an HU lab.

The participants also discussed SDGs-related activities in India and Japan, their similarities/differences, and how they can propose a new contribution to achieve the SDGs utilizing the technologies they learned through the program. HU doctoral students, mostly from the “Taoyaka Program for creating a flexible, enduring, and peaceful society”, facilitated the group discussion. The group assignments and presentations helped them articulate their opinions as well as interact with international students who have interdisciplinary backgrounds. In the final presentation session, participants voted for the best presentation.

In their feedback, participants expressed that it was very insightful to learn about social problems in different countries by interacting with other students, and it helped them to enhance their communication skills. The lectures by the professors in different research fields increased the students' enthusiasm to study more about the introduced technologies.

*International Linkage Degree Program for Developing Innovators Transforming Advanced Technology to Social Goals selected for Inter-University Exchange Project by MEXT, Japan.