From 1 June to 31 July, five undergraduate students from Mahidol University, Thailand took part in an internship program organized by the Graduate School of Engineering under the KyotoU Wild & Wise Collaborative Learning Program. Participants received practical training in the "Undergraduate Course Program of Environmental Engineering" at the Faculty of Engineering's Undergraduate School of Global Engineering, enrolling as short-term international students.
The internship program was originally launched in 2015, and became a part of the Undergraduate Course Program in 2018. This year's interns were hosted by five participating laboratories to work on research projects and take part in numerous other academic activities.
The 2019 program began with laboratory tours at two departments in the Faculty of Engineering : Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering. Participants then paid a visit on 4 June to Professor Masahiro Oshima, dean of the Graduate School of Engineering. On the following day, students began research in their host laboratories, working with KyotoU graduate students under faculty supervision.
The program also included study tours to waste-incineration and wastewater-treatment plants, as well as attendance at a KyotoU symposium on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on 27 June. In addition, participants attended regular undergraduate and graduate classes, including an ILAS seminar. In some of these classes, interns and Japanese students worked together on laboratory tasks, such as measuring chemical oxygen demand (COD) and overall oxygen transfer coefficient (KLa).
On 26–27 July, the international students presented their projects as posters at the 41st annual symposium of the KyotoU Association of Environmental & Sanitary Engineering Research. On the 29th, they reported their final results at Yoshida Campus in the presence of their supervisors and fellow laboratory members, with some of the Mahidol faculty joining via webcast. The meeting concluded with each participant receiving a certificate of completion of the Undergraduate Course Program, from Professor Shigeo Fujii of the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (GSGES).
This was followed by a farewell party, where more than 30 attendees, including students and faculty from the participating laboratories, enjoyed the opportunity to discuss the research training and other aspects of the two-month internship.
The program is anticipated to continue its academic development support of Mahidol University and Kyoto University students for years to come , while also serving to strengthen the partnership between the two institutions.
Courtesy visit to Professor Oshima, dean of the Graduate School of Engineering, on 4 June
Final presentation meeting on 29 July
Related link
- Wild & Wise Collaborative Learning Programs
https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/education-campus/education_and_admissions/non-degree-programs/international-education-initiatives/wild_and_wise
