The 15th International Summer School was held from September 11th to 15th, 2023, inviting students and teachers from Asia and Africa, with the support of the Sakura Science Exchange Program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

The Summer School has been held since 2008 with the aim of sharing knowledge and skills from a global perspective between students and young researchers from the Graduate School of Biosphere Science (prior to the current reorganized Graduate School.) and overseas universities, mainly those with international exchange agreements. This year’s summer school followed the previous format, which was inviting not only students but also their academic supervisors that would foster further opportunities towards implementing cooperative research. Also, on September 14th, the “International Symposium on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” was organized.

On the first day, September 11th, 14 teachers and students from five universities in four countries came together to participate in the summer school.

At the briefing session presenting some opportunities for studying in Japan, Dr. Suzuki, Chairperson of the International Exchange Committee, introduced the university and explained about studying abroad, followed by presentations made by government and privately-funded international students studying at Hiroshima University concerning their own pursuits of overseas study experiences and challenges of daily life in Japan. During the Q&A session, participants who are considering studying in Japan asked a variety of questions.

During the laboratory visits, the participants were divided into two groups, each led by a student tutor, and visited the laboratories of four programs: Integrative Hydrosphere Science Program, Applied Animal and Plant Science Program, Food Science Program and Molecular Agro-life Science Program, where they had the opportunity to hear about state-of-the-art facilities and their research activities.

At the welcome party, participants experienced Japanese culture by dressing up in yukata, and interacted with other participants.

For the following two days, on September 12th and 13th, the invited guests visited different laboratories to experience and discuss specific scientific interests. In these days, the participants took part in 'Science Program Work' according to their field of specialization and experienced cutting-edge science and technology through hands-on activities with their host teachers and HU students.

On the morning of September 14th, the students went on a company tour to Satake Corporation. There, the students learnt about social implementation in the field of agricultural science and learned how the company is actively employing foreign human resources to expand its business globally, which may have further motivated them to study overseas.

In the afternoon, an international symposium was held from 13:00 to deepen the discussion on how their research contributes to each of the 17 SDGs and what the challenges are, through presentations and Q&A sessions joined in by the 5 summer school invited teachers and one HU teacher. In addition, 6 summer school invited students and 9 graduate students from HU presented their research at the concurrent poster session, which was attended by approximately 74 staff and students.

After the symposium, a farewell party was held, where the participants were presented with certificates and commemorative gifts by Dean Shimada. A total of 40 participants, including teaching staff and student assistants, joined the party to bid farewell to the participants with the hope of further deepening exchanges into the future.

On the last day or the 15th, a tour was conducted to learn about the history of Hiroshima. Through visits to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the Atomic Bomb Dome and Miyajima Island, the participants were able to get a bird's eye view of Hiroshima's history and learned how the city has grown into a symbolic city that seeks peace, thereby adding to the significance of studying in Hiroshima.

＜Comments from the summer school participants＞

• Excellent. Fantastic. Informative. I must say this is so far the best summer program I have attended in overseas. The hospitality was super great, people are so nice, accommodation was excellent and my stay was really good.
• I had a very good time and get to make friends from different country as well. I hope this summer school still continues in near future. I'm happy to be a part of this year summer school. Thank you.
• The International Summer School 2023 was very pleasant, and I am very grateful to have been invited. I give my sincerest gratitude to the committee for their hard work, and I do hope the next International Summer School will be better.
• It was really very heartwarming experience to bring my students and experience the life, culture and student life in Japan. The laboratories are very interesting and we are hopeful to have them in our university. The teachers were very approachable as well. Overall I will give a 4 stars. the remaining 1 is to extend the number of stay in Japan. hehehe.
• The International Summer School 2023 was an enriching and enlightening experience, providing valuable insights into various fields of study, fostering cultural exchange, and offering opportunities for hands-on learning. The program offered a diverse range of activities, from laboratory visits to symposiums and cultural interactions, making it a well-rounded educational experience.
• I feel humbled to be invited to speak at this year’s International Summer School on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in Hiroshima, Japan, along with two of my students hosted by the School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University. It was nice meeting my friends, co-scholars, professors, researchers from different backgrounds, and newly found friends from different parts of the world. My sincere appreciation to Hiroshima University and the Japanese Government through the Japan Science and Technology Agency for allowing me the chance to welcome more possible foreign collaborators to my beloved Capiz State University.
• To me, the International Summer School 2023 is an event that inspired me to work harder in order to achieve my goals. This Summer School is a key to unlock more potentials from different countries. Keep up the good work and Domo Arigatou Gozaimasu.
• It was the best experience i had in my life but for the future students it will be better if the summer school was more than a week cause the time was short