Tokyo Institute of Technology: Tokyo Tech High School of Science and Technology joins STEAM Colloquium of De La Salle University Integrated School of the Philippines

Tokyo Tech High School of Science and Technology participated online in the first STEAM Colloquium of De La Salle University Integrated School (DLSU IS) of the Philippines on May 5, 2022, marking the culmination of a productive half-year online exchange program.

Tokyo Tech High School of Science and Technology signed an agreement for cooperation with DLSU IS in 2010, and the institutions have since conducted international exchange every year. During the annual visits to the Philippines, the delegates have visited the Tokyo Tech Philippines Office on the Manila campus of De La Salle University. Since 2020, an online joint research program has replaced actual exchange of students due to COVID-19.

Tokyo Tech and De La Salle University have had a university-wide cooperation agreement in place since 1992.

STEAM Colloquium
The nine 2nd-year students from Tokyo Tech High School of Science and Technology participating in the STEAM Colloquium had jointly conducted research with ten students of DLSU IS from August 2021 to February 2022, working in four teams. In addition to monthly online meetings held at school, the team members consulted with each other using email and social media, and worked on background research, analysis, and comparisons between the Philippines and Japan, awareness surveys, production of videos and prototypes, and concluded with recommendations. The titles of the joint research projects were as follows:

1.
Study of Japanese and Filipino Ingredients and Taste Preferences
2.
Study of Typhoons and Measures to Mitigate Damage in the Philippines and Japan
3.
Grade 10 Students’ Perception, Primary Knowledge, and Understanding of Environmental Justice
4.
Using Arduino Sensors in Improving Categorization of Trash in Waste Segregation
At the STEAM Colloquium, the teams gave their presentations to an audience of approximately 1,000 DLSU IS students and faculty members. The team who presented on typhoons and measures to mitigate damage received the Best Research Award.

For the students, this was truly a valuable experience. They used English throughout their six-month program, cooperated with students of a different culture to conduct research, and presented in front of a large audience. The STEAM Colloquium marked the end of this group’s joint research. However, the planning of a joint research program for this year’s 1st-year students is already underway.