On November 1, Okayama University, in collaboration with the Okayama University Research Cooperation Association, organized an exchange event between international students and local companies. The event aimed to showcase the attractiveness of local businesses, enhance awareness, foster mutual understanding between international students and local companies, boost the enthusiasm of international students for job hunting, and promote global expansion and innovation by leveraging foreign talent in local companies.

The event saw participation from approximately 40 international students studying at Okayama University and representatives from nine local companies, primarily in the manufacturing sector. After presentations about each company's business, participants engaged in roundtable discussions. The three-hour event concluded on a positive note.

Representatives from participating companies expressed their desire to strengthen efforts to attract foreign talent, particularly in the context of Japan's aging population. They acknowledged that opportunities for direct communication with international students are rare and gained insights into the different perspectives international students bring to their job search. Some companies expressed intentions to revise their recruitment processes accordingly.

Feedback from participating international students indicated that the event broadened their horizons, revealing job opportunities in their respective fields within the local area. They expressed a keen interest in participating in similar events in the future.

Okayama University, being selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's " Study in Japan Global Network Project in ASEAN," is actively working to increase the number of students from the Southeast Asia (ASEAN) region. The university plans to continue organizing events that facilitate the regional integration of talented students, not only from ASEAN countries but also from other regions, aligning with its efforts to promote innovation and collaboration between industry and academia.

○What is Okayama University Research Cooperation Association?
An organization composed of individuals and corporations collaborating closely with Okayama University to promote innovation through the close linkage and cooperation between industry and the university.

○What is Study in Japan Global Network Project in ASEAN?
Okayama University was appointed to implement the “Study in Japan Global Network Project in ASEAN” which is funded by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) - Japan in 2019. Our aim is to increase the number of international students from ASEAN 1.5 times in 5 years. In the previous phase, Okayama University was commissioned by MEXT - Japan to implement the “Coordinator for Study in Japan (Myanmar)” in 2014, aiming to double the number of students from Myanmar over a 5-year period. As a result, Okayama University were able to triple the number of students in 4 years, achieving our goal one year ahead. In 2018, the name of the project was changed to “Study in Japan Global Network Project in ASEAN” and the target region was expanded to 10 ASEAN countries.
Currently, Okayama University has oversea offices in Yangon and Mandalay (Myanmar), Bangkok (Thailand), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), and Vientiane (Laos). From these 5 bases, Okayama University will work to recruit excellent international students from ASEAN to study in Japan.