[W] International Session -I

[W-03] An Online International Program to Build the Foundations of Engineering Academic Skills at the Tohoku University High School Bridging Program

○Ai FUNAYAMA¹, Hirokazu MORIYA¹ (1. School of Engineering, Tohoku University)

Keywords:International cooperation, Academic skills, Online program, Engineering education

Tohoku University High School Bridging Program is a two-week educational program designed for high school students who have been admitted to Tohoku University. The aim of this program is not only to form the foundation for students who can take an active role in the global stages, but also to increase the number of students who can provide a good stimulus to other students having eagerness to engage in international activities including study abroad and language learning after enrolling the university. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the program provided online, was made up of English for engineers, keynote lectures in engineering fields, academic skills including presentation and thesis, as well as virtual tours to the cultural and industrial sites where it provided the students with a new way of engineering education that could not have done at onsite. As a result, students were able to focus on building the foundation of academic skills for engineers and the online program produced more significant educational benefits than the onsite program which involved sensory learning. Improving the program while considering the merits of both online and onsite is the next challenge.