A delegation from Chungbuk National University in South Korea visited Yamaguchi University
On January 12, 2024, a delegation from Chungbuk National University, our partner university in South Korea, visited us. The delegation included Associate Professors Bonjea Kim and Youngseob Jeong from the Department of Computer Engineering, College of Electrical & Computer Engineering, along with 18 students. Their visit was part of a collaborative education program with our Faculty of Engineering. During their stay, Assoc. Prof. Jeong and Assoc. Prof. Kim also paid a courtesy call on President Tanizawa.
The collaboration between Chungbuk National University and Yamaguchi University dates back to 1996 when researcher exchanges began, eventually leading to the signing of a faculty-level partnership agreement in 2001. Over the years, collaboration has grown through student exchange programs such as the Summer Program of Innovative Engineering Design (SP!ED), where Japanese, Chinese, and Korean students collaborated. Events like the Creative Engineering Design Competition (CEDC) & International Conference of Innovative Application Research and Education (ICIARE) have further deepened the partnership. Therefore, in 2016, a university-level international exchange agreement was formalized.
The collaborative education program initiated during this visit had its roots in a visit by Professor Mihye Kim from Chungbuk National University to the Center for Design and Product Innovation at our university in 2017 as a visiting professor. This visit, which included a site visit to the CPOT-MECIT course, led to the conceptualization and realization of a long-term version of the SP!ED in collaboration with Prof. Jiang Zhongwei and Assoc. Prof. Minoru Morita from our Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation (Mechanical Engineering Field). Despite delays caused by the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program materialized as a two-day joint program for students who took the seminar on sophisticated monozukuri (manufacturing) from both universities on January 12-13.
During the meeting with President Tanizawa, an overview of the collaborative education program was presented, and discussions touched upon the upcoming SP!ED scheduled for this summer, with our university hosting the event. President Tanizawa also shared information about the recent recognition of Yamaguchi City, where Yoshida Campus is located, as the third-place destination in “52 Places to Go in 2024,” announced by the New York Times, following North America for the path of a total solar eclipse and Paris for the upcoming Olympics. He invited them to revisit Yamaguchi City and Yamaguchi University to explore its charm.
Following the meeting, the delegation moved to the National Yamaguchi Tokuji Youth Outdoor Learning Center, where a joint project involving the creation of floor-curling robots by mixed groups of Japanese and Korean students took place. On the second day, a race using the robots produced during the project was conducted. The unexpected enthusiasm and the production of a significant number of floor-curling robots made the race highly engaging, concluding the program on a high note.
While Chungbuk National University and our university have previously engaged in joint seminars among researchers and many collaborations for student exchange, this recent implementation of a new framework for student exchange is expected to foster the development of individuals with a global mindset and an understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds and values.
