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From June 28 to July 12, 2024, Kyushu University hosted the short-term program "The University of Queensland-Japan Program for Industry Experience (UQ-JPIE) ." Kyushu U welcomed 22 students from the School of Mechanical & Mining Engineering at the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, at our School of Engineering. This program, which started in 2017, is a key part of the exchange project between both universities, known as “The University of Queensland – Kyushu University Oceania Project (UQ-KU Project).” This time, the program centered on the theme "Hydrogen Energy in Australia and Japan – Industry Opportunities for Australia’s Future Engineers," featuring lectures related to hydrogen, laboratory visits, and Japanese business etiquette training at the Ito Campus. Additionally, the students/participants visited a total of nine advanced facilities, including the Fukuoka Hydrogen Station, the Hydrogen Energy Test and Research Center (HyTReC, Itoshima city, Fukuoka), and the SAGA Light Source (Tosu city, Saga).
At the opening ceremony on the first day, President Tatsuro Ishibashi welcomed the attendees, followed by Kendall Draper, the Australian Consulate-General in Osaka, who delivered encouraging words to the students. After this, Consul Draper delivered the first lecture of the program, titled “The Australia–Japan Relationship: A Kyushu Perspective.”
During their two-week stay, 30 students from Kyushu U School of Engineering acted as “buddies” to the UQ students, fostering close relationships through various interactions, including on weekends. These students are scheduled to participate in the Qshu-Queensland Program for English Communication (Q2PEC) this summer. Q2PEC is a five-week language training program at UQ and a local language institute. We hope that the students who participated in this program will become bridges between Japan and Australia in the future.