On May 14, a meeting was held between Okayama University’s Executive Director for Education and Provost SANO Hiroshi and students who enrolled through the IB admission system. Ten out of 40 students presently enrolled, took part in this meeting, and exchanged opinions regarding the difference between IB education and Japanese High School education, campus life at Okayama University and other relevant topics.

In addition to Executive Director Sano, representing University Officials, Vice President for Admission and Director of the Center for Enrollment Management MONTA Mitsuji also attended the meeting.
Associate Professor Mahmood Sabina, from the Center’s Department of Student Support Services, who is also the University IB Student Advisor and provides support to IB school graduates on a routine basis, conducted the meeting as the facilitator.
When the facilitator sought opinions of students from various grades (second to fifth grade) and faculties, students talked about their following experiences: One student mentioned that, “students who enrolled via normal admission procedures were surprised at the IB Admission system that doesn’t require the National Center Test,” and the proactive attitude, common to IB students, gathered attention, and it took a while for the IB student to adapt to the environment.” Another student said, “I was happy when I received words of gratitude from a friend I met here after enrollment, who decided to study abroad after learning about my experience.” Other students stated that IB graduates “have fewer opportunities for presentations and active discussions, and are worried about the decline in their English skills, due to less exposure to English, as a result of fewer number of classes available in English. Through frank exchange of opinions on the University’s curriculum and other topics like the above, both students and the Executive Director deepened their mutual understanding and spent productive hours together.

Okayama University introduced the IB admission system in FY2012, and the system has been selected as an “Acceleration Program for University Education Rebuilding: AP” organized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology since FY2014. So far, 44 students have enrolled into Okayama University through this system.