NEWS
NEWS
2025.03.24
High School Bridging Program Incorporates Online Intercultural Collaborative Learning
From March 9 to March 23, 2025, Tohoku University conducted the Environment and Multicultural Communication Course as part of its High School Bridging Program. Fifteen high school students who had been admitted to the university through AO and other special admissions processes participated in the course, which took place at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Launched in 2013, this pioneering initiative was the first of its kind among Japan’s national universities and offers newly admitted students an early opportunity to engage in global learning. In addition to the Hawaiʻi course, three other thematic programs were held during the 2025 spring break: the Global Engineering Course at the University of York (UK), the Future Design and Innovation & Entrepreneurship Course at the University of California, Berkeley (USA), and the Academic English and Multicultural Society Course at Akita International University (Japan). Each program is designed to leverage the distinct educational and cultural strengths of its host institution.
For the first time, the Environment and Multicultural Communication Course incorporated online intercultural collaborative learning with local university students as part of its pre-departure sessions. Participants engaged in meaningful exchange and collaborative work with peers from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds prior to traveling abroad. Many students noted that the experience deepened their understanding of both the challenges and value of intercultural collaboration, while also strengthening their readiness for study abroad. Additionally, building connections with local students in advance helped establish a foundation of trust and community before arriving in person.
Tohoku University will continue to integrate intercultural collaborative learning into the pre-departure components of its outbound programs, aiming to maximize students’ learning outcomes during their time overseas.
Click here to read a student experience report:
https://www.insc.tohoku.ac.jp/japanese/studyabroad/report/bridging/2025hawaii/
