From July 17 to August 27, 2024, 17 overseas students participated as Special Auditors in the 2024 International Summer Program (ISP) organized by the Graduate School of Science (GSS) of Osaka University.
Participating students: 9 undergraduate students and 8 graduate students from overseas universities.

The ISP at the GSS is an intensive research internship for overseas students majoring in the natural sciences and related scientific fields, launched in AY2018. This program provides the ISP students with an opportunity to acquire an experience of research-based studies either in assigned research groups of the GSS or by holding seminars under the guidance of a Professor.Thematic studies are conducted under close supervision of host professors through experiments, discussions, and group work with the team members at the GSS. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ISP was cancelled in AY2020, and held online in AY2021 and AY2022. We resumed the ISP in person from AY2023；this year was the sixth time the ISP was held.

The ISP students each received direct research guidance from the supervisor of the GSS and worked on cutting-edge research for approximately one month. In addition to research activities, the ISP students joined Japanese lessons given by current Japanese “Science Buddy” students of our school to deepen mutual friendships. The ISP students also participated in an excursion bound for “Ikuno-ginzan” and “Eirakukan”, and a Student Exchange Event to get to know other ISP students and current international students in the GSS.

In a concluding event, the ISP students gave a talk about their research progress at the Nambu Yoichiro Hall, and received an ISP certificate, bringing the ISP to a successful conclusion.

We hope that our ISP students will become bridges for building international research networks with the GSS in the future, either as regular international students or as international collaborative research partners with the GSS. In addition, we hope that the international outlook of our current Japanese students in the School and Graduate School of Science involved as supporters of the 2024 ISP will be bolstered, fostering their future research activities abroad.

<Program Contents and Schedule of 2024 ISP>

July 16
Dormitory Check-in

July 17
Morning: Orientation 1 at Nambu Yoichiro Hall
Afternoon: Orientation 2 with Science Buddy, Toyonaka Campus Tour, Research Group Check-in (meet the supervisor)

July 18
Research projects were started in earnest

July 18 to 30 (two days in total for each student)
Japanese Lessons offered by current Japanese students of “Science Buddy” (Students were divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses.)

July 20
Excursion to Ikuno-ginzan and Eirakukan

August 9
Student Exchange Event held at International Exchange Salon (D201) of Science Building

August 26
Final Presentation and Graduation Ceremony at Nambu Yoichiro Hall
Farewell Party at Cafeteria La Forêt

August 27
Research Group Check-out (farewell to the surpevisor)

August 28
Dormitory Check-out

For more information
Click here for past articles
Click here for more details about the ISP