September 22, 2025
The 1st SOKENDAI Student Exchange Event “SOKENDAI NETWORKING” Held
On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, the first student exchange event titled “SOKENDAI NETWORKING” was held at the Ochanomizu Sola City Conference Center. This event was designed to encourage interaction among students across different academic programs at The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, aiming to broaden their perspectives on research and career development.
SOKENDAI fosters the development of next-generation doctoral researchers by utilizing IURIs(inter-university research institutes) located throughout Japan as educational and research platforms. In response to the rapidly evolving academic landscape, the university reorganized its six graduate schools into a unified structure“Institute for Advanced Academic Studies” in April 2023. This reorganization has enabled a more flexible approach to doctoral education, transcending institutional and disciplinary boundaries.
During this process, students expressed a desire for more opportunities to engage with students from different fields, as such interactions had been constrained by the geographically dispersed campus. In response to these voices, the “SOKENDAI NETWORKING” event was launched.
Approximately 150 participants, including students and faculty members joined in the event. It began with a keynote lecture delivered by Dr. Hitoshi Kuninaka, former Director of Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, JAXA. Dr. Kuninaka shared the history of space science development, achievements of missions such as “Hayabusa” and “Hayabusa2,” and delivered an inspiring message to the students.
The subsequent student exchange session featured presentations such as the “Tobitate! Study Abroad JAPAN” program and a poster exhibition of student’s research achievements. These activities facilitated lively discussions and interactions among students.
〔Professor Kuninaka, Specially Appointed Professor at JAXA (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science), delivering a lecture at the research exchange seminar〕
〔A student presenting the outcomes of their study abroad experience through the “Tobitate! Study Abroad JAPAN” program〕
〔Participants exchanging ideas during the poster presentation at the Student Networking Session〕
The exchange session maintained a warm and friendly atmosphere throughout, providing a meaningful opportunity for students to build new connections beyond their academic disciplines. Student cooperators played a key role in planning and managing the event, including venue preparation and coordination on the day, following multiple pre-event meetings.
Looking ahead, SOKENDAI aims to continue offering such opportunities for student interaction, supporting the advancement of research activities and the formation of academic networks. It is hoped that these initiatives will contribute to the advancement of collaborative research.
