On May 9, the Department of Mechanical Engineering hosted an exchange meeting involving 27 students from the Research Promotion Course, a six-year integrated program designed to prepare students for graduate school by providing practical education. Additionally, three international students from the University of Montpellier - Polytech Montpellier, France, who are here for their internship program joined the event.

The Research Promotion Course is going to hold joint meetings to facilitate global exchange among students across different disciplines. As the first step of this initiative, the students had the opportunity to interact with their international counterparts. The primary goals of the meeting were to enhance their English language proficiency, foster a greater interest in studying abroad, and encourage participation in international conferences. During the session, the participating students posed questions to the international students regarding the differences between France and Japan, including topics such as French culture and cuisine. In turn, the international students inquired about Japanese pop culture trends, such as anime, manga, and the research focus of the department. As the students got to know each other better, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

Reflecting on the exchange meeting, Mr. Yuki Fujimaki (sophomore) shared his thoughts, stating, "This was my first opportunity to engage in actual communication with a foreigner in English. Although it was challenging to express my thoughts verbally, it served as a valuable motivation for me to pursue studying abroad."