2024 MNS Program Report: English Communication Training at Okazaki High School
February 2025

On February 3rd, six doctoral students selected for the MNS program visited Okazaki High School and served as instructors for an English Communication Training session. The instructors came from a diverse range of countries: two from China, one from Sri Lanka, one from Italy, one from Indonesia, and one from Afghanistan. About 50 students from Okazaki High School participated in the session, listening attentively to presentations about the instructors’ home countries and their research at Nagoya University. They actively asked many questions afterward.

This program aimed to cultivate international awareness among high school students, enhance their English proficiency, and broaden their perspectives. For the international students at Nagoya University, it provided an opportunity to deepen their understanding of Japanese culture, explore career paths in education, and develop transferable skills. Additionally, from the university’s perspective, the program sought to inspire high school students to develop an interest in research and encourage as many as possible to pursue doctoral studies in the future.

The event concluded successfully, and post-event survey results indicated that certain objectives had been achieved.

[Comments from survey]

(International doctoral students of Nagoya University)

I could explain in easy-to-understand terms for high school students. This is important if I want to be a science communicator in the future.

It was my first time presenting my research to high school students, so I put a lot of effort in making the contents accessible. I think this is a very important skill in an age where academic research is extremely inaccessible to the public domain.

Through my interactions with the students, I was reminded of the importance of maintaining a constant sense of curiosity and a thirst for knowledge about the world and scientific questions. I also learned the value of never being afraid to ask new questions and observing from unique perspectives.

Written by Masumi Terasawa, Senior Academic Specialist