令和4年9月12日（月）～9月16日（金）の5日間、ホテル京セラにて、高専機構（主催）、長岡技科大・豊橋技科大（共催）鹿児島高専が担当となりJSTS 2022（持続可能な社会構築への貢献のための科学技術に関する日本セミナー）が開催されました。

JSTS 2022 テーマは「みんなを笑顔にする超スマート社会とクリーンエネルギーの実現」。現在の社会問題にも関わるテーマを、SDGsの17の目標達成も見据えて、どのように具現化していけるかを、各高専、長岡技科大、豊橋技科大、海外協定校（泰日工業大学、MJIIT、UiTM、Finland Metropolia University）からの参加者を招いて、現地（オンサイト）とオンラインのハイブリッド形式で開催されました。

参加者62名が、それぞれ学んできた技術・知識を駆使し、解決策を生み出すため、バックグランドの違う参加者が一つの策を生み出すことの大変さ、また協議を英語で実施することの困難さを乗り越え、切磋琢磨する姿は、楽しさとして捉えることができました。最終日の学生の様子を一言で表すと、まさに「達成感」。限られた時間だからこそ、参加者の集中している姿勢は、とても素晴らしい成果物を生み出すだけでなく、新しい「縁」も得ることができたようです。

 JSTS (Japan Seminar on Technology for Sustainability) 2022  was held at Hotel Kyocera from September 12 to 16, 2022. The National Institute of Technology (host), Nagaoka University of Technology and Toyohashi University of Technology (co-organizers), and NIT, Kagoshima College ran this event.

The theme of JSTS 2022 was “the realization of a super-smart society and clean energy that leads to social happiness.” The participants from Nagaoka University of Technology, Toyohashi University of Technology, and overseas partner universities (Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology, MJIIT, UiTM, and Finland Metropolia University) were invited to discuss how to implement their ideas along this theme and how to achieve the 17 goals of SDGs at the same time. The event was a hybrid of on-site and online participation. The 62 participants with different backgrounds tried hard to utilize their acquired skills and knowledge in the difficulties of creating a single solution through discussions in English. Despite the limited time provided, all the participants enjoyed the event while focusing on the task at hand. Most importantly, they forged the bond of friendship at JSTS 2022.

【国内参加者からの声/Voices of the domestic participants】

–色々な国からの参加者がいて、さまざまな意見や考え方を共有できてとても良い機会でした。(It was a great opportunity to exchange different thoughts and opinions.)

–大変だったけどとても楽しかったです。(I had a bit of hard time but it was worth it.)

–５日間は短かった、もう少し他のグループの人と話したかった。しかし、自分が英語での話し合いが苦手なことに気づくことができてよかった。(Five days was such a short time. I wish we could have had more time to interact with the participants from other groups as well. I now realize that I am not good at discussing things in English.)

–言語も専門分野もちがう人達と一つのゴールに向かって議論を進めるのは難しかったけれど、とても良い経験になりました。(It was such a wonderful experience to successfully achieve a goal with the people who speak different languages and have knowledge of different things.)

–他の参加者が流暢に英語を喋っていたので、私ももっと英語学習に力を入れたいと思います。(The participants who were able to speak English fluently inspired me to put on more efforts into improving my English skills)

-SDGsについて詳しく知ることが出来て、これから更に勉強していきたいです。(I would like to study SDGs from now on.)

–この活動を通して、環境問題に目を向けて解決策を出していきたいです。(I would like to look into environmental issues and find solutions through JSTS.)

–課題設定が難しく、検討時間が十分でなかった。課題設定を簡単にすることと、検討の時間を十分に確保してほしい。（There was not enough time to examine such a complex issue (theme). It’d have been better to have more time.）

–初めて会った人と話すときに、壁が無くなったような感じです。（I feel my shyness disappear when I spoke to the people at first meeting.）

-JSTSが終わった後も、参加者同士の交流は続いています（インスタやLINEなどで）。　本当にいい経験になりました。（I keep in touch with the other participants through Instagram and LINE after JSTS has ended.　It was such a great experience.）

–他高専の学生や、技科大の学生、海外の方、先生方といろいろな視点から議論を行うことができて充実した5日間だった。また、想像もつかないアイデアの共有や自分の語学力の脆さに気づき、今後の勉強意欲が増した。（The five days gave me a chance to get to know the other students and teachers from inside and outside of Japan and engage in meaningful discussion. After my participation in JSTS, I realize that I do not have the necessary English and creative skills to be able to effectively share my ideas. This event gave me the inspiration to study and improve in these areas.）

–全体を通して楽しく、素晴らしい研修でした。（Overall, it was a wonderful seminar.）

-5日間を通して、多くの方々と交流することができたと思う。また、様々な意見に触れることができとても良い刺激になった。（I communicated with many people throughout the five days. Also, It was stimulating to know different opinions.）

–とても良い経験と知識を得ました。（It was a great experience and was able to broaden my knowledge of the subject.）

–英語で自分の意見を言ったり、アイデアを説明したりするのは難しかったけれど、自分にとって良い刺激になった。他の高専や大学生の方と有意義な時間を過ごせたので、楽しかった。（It was hard to give opinions and to explain ideas in English. However, it was a nice experience and meaningful one to spend time with students from different schools.）

–全体を振り返り、国を超えてコミュニケーションをすることの難しさと楽しさを体感できた。SDGsに関してのディスカッションとしては、コミュニケーションに精一杯でアイデア出しや具体化に時間を割けなかったことが残念だった。（It was an enjoyable experience even though I had difficulty communicating with the people from other countries. In terms of the discussion about SDGs, I couldn’t effectively share my ideas since I was struggling with communicating them in English.）

-参加する前はとても不安で失敗しないか考えていました、終わってみるととても楽しく、色んな人のアイディアを聞くことができました。貴重な体験をさせていただけたことにすごく感謝しています。( I was very anxious and thought that I might fail before the participation. However,  I had a lot of fun and heard many people’s ideas as it finised.  I appreciate for this valuable experience.)

【外国人学生からの声/Voices of the participants from outside of Japan】

-This is the first time I engage with different country students as a team. At first I feel it is difficult because of hybrid method hence I hope JSTS 2023 will hold physically only.　When working KOSEN students I was surprised because of their language ability and knowledge. I never felt that they are from schools, its same feel like working with graduate students. This is first time I worked as a facilitator, hope I learn many techniques as a facilitator. communication and how to maintain a personality within a team. It is really worth for me. Thank you for the opportunity.

 

-Thank you for organizing this event. I learn a lot during the event, especially about energy and well-being of society. It was my first time visiting a geothermal power plant and a volcano! Such a wonderful experience. Not to forget, I made a lot of new friends from all over Japan. They are friendly, kind and cheerful. Hope to still keep in touch with them. Thank you to all sensei that help us during the seminar, and many tips for generating new ideas and presentation skills. Overall, it is a memorable experience that I will cherish and remember! Thank you, everyone!.

 

-JSTS 2022 helped me to gain greater understanding about SDGs and clean energy. It was a great experience working in a team consisting members from different countries.

 

-Was a very good platform to share ideas and skills across students from different background of study. I enjoyed it and looking forward for more similar programs.

 

-I think it was a fun week, and I had a good team. However, many people who participated weren’t engineering students, so they lacked knowledge on what smart technology actually is and what it can do. I think they learned a lot though. Also it was sometimes hard to know what was expected of us.

 

-On a personal side, I believe that future solutions for sustainable development might be much simpler than we believe. Things like smart water meters and smart electricity metering, storing energy in hydrogen instead of coal etc. The technology is already here, but hasn’t yet reached massive adoption. It is more evolution of already existing technology than revolution, which might explain my personal disdain for smart solutions.

 

-It was interesting nevertheless and I haven’t participated anything like it before!

 

-The experience was great, I had a lot of fun. I hope to receive certificate for participating in the JSTS 2022.

  

-That’s awesome but honestly organizer should be careful about the words and more politely and definitely please respected each other in the way which they were comment.

 

-Interesting program. Expected more lectures and activities rather than constant making of presentation

-I think this is a unique and interesting program. Unfortunately, as it was done in Hybrid where some able to experience physically and online, me myself as the online participant felt a lot left out especially during the field trip. Japanese participants showing lack or none language skills making me and other international participants had tedious journey to do discussion.