[W] International Session -I

[W-04] Highlights in Coordination for Tailor-made Global PBL Internships with SMEs; A Case of G-DORM Internships in Tsubame City

○Etsuko WAKABAYASHI^1,2, Itaru KOURAKATA¹, Yasutaka UEDA¹ (1. Niigata University, 2. TSUBAMATE)

Keywords:PBL, Internship, SMEs, Co-op education, Regional development

This paper describes how TSUBAMATE, which is founded on community-based, functions as an intermediary organization for internships between higher education institutes (HEIs) and companies, and what kind of effects their activities present. TSUBAMATE executes coordination for the problem-based learning (PBL) in internships that are carried out by collaborating HEIs and companies. An important factor for successful PBLs is connecting learning goals established by HEIs with real industrial problems; therefore, close communication with both HEIs and companies to deepen mutual understanding is essential. TSUBAMATE not only gives HEIs the appropriate training contents but also conveys the insights induced by participating students to the companies at the same time. This win-win process can be said "program development" rather than coordination that TSUBAMATE accomplishes with the rich and strong relationships with both sides of the collaboration in nature. We observe the excellent contribution to the regional development by an academia-industry collaborating PBL program developed by TSUBAMATE via an international internship project as a good practice case.