Hello, I’m Ruuna Nakazawa, a 3rd-year student. I’ve shared my life in New Zealand through this ICT journal before. After that, I spent fulfilling days with my warm host family, but on 15th March, we left Dunedin and returned to Japan the next day. Today, I would like to share my reflections on my last days in New Zealand and this past year.

In March, the celebrations and procedures required for returning to Japan increased, and I had more opportunities to feel that my stay in New Zealand was coming to an end. At the farewell party held at Otago Polytechnic ten days before our departure, we received completion certificates, presented our memories and life in New Zealand in front of our host families, and enjoyed food together. I felt a bit embarrassed during the presentation, but it was a good opportunity to look back on my life and memories over the past year. Additionally, some of my friends shared funny episodes with their host families, which created a warm and joyful atmosphere. On the way back home, my host father bought me delicious gelato, and that also made me happy to spend time with my host family.

There was also a graduation ceremony for all the graduates of Otago Polytechnic, and we participated in it wearing academic gowns. During the parade, the graduates walked to the hall located in the city center, I felt inspired by the atmosphere of the whole city celebrating the graduates. The ceremony was held at a gorgeous city hall, and Māori traditional dancing was performed. It became one of my most memorable events in New Zealand.

On the day we left Dunedin, my host mother and father came to see me off, even though it was early in the morning. I had expected to say goodbye with a cheerful feeling because I had been a little excited about returning to Japan. However, when I hugged my host parents before getting on the bus, many memories with them came to mind, and a few tears fell unexpectedly. Even after saying goodbye, while on the bus heading to the airport, I reminisced about various memories and shed a few more tears. I think the tears came not only from the sadness of not being able to see them for a while but also from a sense of regret—feeling that I should have shown more appreciation and made my host family happier.

Because I felt that my actions toward achieving my ideal study-abroad experience were not enough, I had thought that my self-evaluation for this year would be low. However, regardless of that, I realized from those tears that living in an environment completely different from Japan had become my “normal,” my everyday life—and that I had grown enough to feel sad about leaving it. I think these changes in what feels normal to me represent how much I’ve grown compared to who I was before going to New Zealand.

Based on these reflections, I now feel that I would like to try studying abroad again someday. In the sense of jumping into a new environment, I will soon begin a new life in Kanazawa. While improving and maintaining my English so that I can go abroad again in the future, I hope to continue growing by learning and experiencing new things.

Ruuna Nakazawa

 

Hello. I am Sakuichi Ohtsuka from the Department of Science and Technology. At the conclusion of my five-year tenure at the International College of Technology, Kanazawa, having joined in April 2021, I have had the honor of being the chief of the editorial committee of ICT Progress as my final assignment.

ICT Progress is an annual report compiling practical examples of educational improvement initiatives by faculty and staff at the International College of Technology, published each year with the aim of enhancing the quality of education. Last year, we revised the publication format to include updated regulations and made the report publicly available online. For this second edition, we have further revised the regulations and enriched the content.

While this article may be somewhat unconventional and formal for the “ICT Kanazawa Journal,” I hope it will serve as an opportunity for the general public—the readers of this journal—to gain a concrete understanding of how the International College of Technology, Kanazawa, implements STEAM education (*see note).

* Note: An educational approach that integrates Arts (Liberal Arts) into "STEM Education" (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

While this may go without saying, quoting the key characteristics of KOSEN (The National Institute of Technology) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s website (https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/kousen/index.htm): “Like high schools, these institutions admit students who have graduated from junior high school. After enrollment, students follow a five-year integrated curriculum that balances general and specialized subjects, enabling them to acquire the broad general knowledge and systematic specialized expertise necessary for engineers.” As for the unique nature of the education that is inextricably linked to these characteristics, the most significant factor is likely that students are classified as being in "primary and secondary education" upon admission but are treated as being in "higher education" upon graduation. Due to this unique nature, although the phrasing differs, the curriculum is described as a pair of items requiring collaboration: "general and specialized subjects" as the syllabus, and "a rich general education and systematic specialized knowledge" as the learning outcomes.

Next, when we compare this content with the aforementioned STEAM education, “T” and “E” clearly belong to the latter, “S” and “M” are intermediate, and “A” belongs to the former. Therefore, in educational practice, the curriculum cannot be easily separated, and I believe you will understand that meticulous attention is required regarding coordination between subjects and timing.

Consequently, it is crucial for faculty and staff to accumulate their own “individual case studies of educational improvement.” Here, practice and presentation/documentation (information sharing) go hand in hand. Similarly, in the documentation platform “ICT Progress,” the quality content of the articles and readability are equally important. Additionally, within the school, we hold an annual “Educational Research Presentation Session” (scheduled for March 26 this year) as a forum for mutual presentations and discussions among faculty and staff. These activities can also be viewed as a mirror reflecting the practice of STEAM education for our students. In that sense, we would be delighted if this published article catches the attention of the general public who are considering enrolling in a National Institute of Technology (KOSEN).

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to once again express my gratitude to everyone who, under the leadership of President Masaaki Shikada, took the time to write these articles despite their busy schedules; to everyone who assisted with the peer review process (especially Ms. Stephanie Reynolds, who helped with the English proofreading); and to Ms. Hitomi Nanto of the Administrative Office, who meticulously formatted the articles. I also wish the International College of Technology, Kanazawa, continued success in the future, building on its unique strength of diversity from various perspectives.

Below is the table of contents and foreword for this year’s ICT Progress. Please take a look once the digital version becomes available in April (the URL will be added later in April). Additionally, as a photo posted at the end, I have included a snapshot from last year’s 1st Inter-Team Ekiden Relay Race (held on November 8, 2024), which symbolizes the diversity that goes beyond the “going hand in hand”—a concept often associated with the International College of Technology, Kanazawa. We hope that even those viewing this for the first time will sense the unity between students and faculty, as well as the rich international spirit that lives up to the name of the International College of Technology, Kanazawa.

 

Sakuichi Ohtsuka

Hello, this is Sharmee Abuan, one of the Learning Mentors at ICT Hakusanroku Campus. As the Academic Year 2025–2026 comes to an end, I find myself looking back on our Optional Friday Learning Sessions.

Those Fridays felt a little different from our regular Learning Sessions. They gave us extra space to focus on skills that we did not always have time to cover and allowed students to grow in ways that supported both their academic work and personal development. Our workshops this year had three main parts. 

First, Self-Development Workshops. At the start of the year, we focused on simple but important habits like organization, note-taking, and time management. I still remember students bringing folders filled with loose papers to the first organization workshop, where we spent the evening sorting, arranging, and setting things up properly. It was a very simple activity, but it made a real difference. When we noticed that some students were struggling to submit assignments on time, we held a Time Management workshop. We talked about planning their week and breaking big tasks into smaller steps. The progress was quiet but steady. Slowly, some students seemed lighter and more in control. It became less about chasing deadlines and more about learning how to manage their time and responsibilities. 

Second, is a Fun Review-Game Workshops. As the months went by, our Fridays became more exciting. We had workshops like The Secret Billionaire, the $10,000 Tournament, and A Stairway Challenge. Students practiced STEAM ideas through games and challenges. Each workshop was full of laughter, problem-solving, and teamwork. It was nice to see students apply what they learned in class in such a natural and fun way.

The Secret Billionaire

The $10,000 Tournament

A Stairway Challenge

Lastly, IELTS Workshops. By the second semester, our focus shifted to IELTS preparation, as students were preparing to take the IELTS exam. The atmosphere became quieter and more focused. We practiced speaking, writing, listening, and reading in a safe and encouraging environment so they could feel ready. Over time, the students who attended grew more confident in using English, their hesitation faded and was replaced by a willingness to try.

Looking back, I think what made these optional workshops special was the simple mix of structure and fun. Students kept coming back because they wanted to be there, not because they had to. For me, these Fridays became special moments of growth for both the students and us Learning Mentors.

Sharmee Abuan

Hello. I’m Meguru Ito, the chairperson of the Platinum Festival Executive Committee. I would like to write about the Platinum Festival (Hakkinsai School Festival) held on Sunday, February 22nd, 2026. The content of the festival has also been featured before in Topics, so please take a look there as well.

This year, we welcomed a record high 114 visitors. We had a wonderfully diverse group of attendees, including the families of current students, local elementary and junior high school students, and alumni. It was encouraging to see the recognition of the Platinum Festival steadily growing. I hope to continue developing the event into something even more appealing so that more people can enjoy it in the coming years.

One of the biggest highlights this year was the large number of new projects introduced compared with previous years. For the first time, we held a baked sweet potato sale using Kosen Beni Haruka, as well as a game corner where visitors could try out student made games. Both projects were very well received, based on visitor surveys and student feedback, and they generated a lot of excitement. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the students who worked hard to plan these activities, and to the faculty members who supported them.
In addition, the festival’s traditional main attraction, the on-campus robot contest and the piano performances, where students showcased the results of their practice, were also very successful. On the other hand, it was unfortunate that there were no band performance this year. I hope they will return next year.

Due to the end-of-term examinations being pushed back by one week this year, the preparation period between the exams and the festival was shorter than usual. February’s extracurricular period was also packed with other activities besides the festival, and the students worked on preparations despite being extremely busy. This experience made me realize the importance of establishing a more efficient preparation process going forward.

There were also some last-minute issues, such as members of the executive committee falling ill right before the event, which kept us busy up until the start. However, we were able to bring the festival to a successful close. I hope the students on the committee will carry both the successes and the lessons learned from this experience into their student life next year.

Meguru Ito

Hello. This is Meguru Ito, the physics instructor. Today, I’d like to write about the illustration workshop held on February 16th and 18th, 2026.
At the Hakusanroku Campus, February marks the start of the extracurricular activity period. This is a time when various workshops and special extracurricular activities are planned and offered by different faculty members. These workshop and special extracurricular activities are not offered in regular classes.

This year marked the third Illustration Workshop. Following last year, we once again invited illustrator Ibuki rev to lead the sessions (Ibuki rev, thank you very much again!). The theme this time was “Let’s create a sticker pack.” Using Akane Kurihara, an original character created during the first illustration workshop two years ago, each student designed a set of stickers. 
On the first day, Ibuki rev gave a lecture on the profession of being an illustrator, as well as how to draw characters and chibi-style characters. After that, each participating student created their own illustration. On the second day, the illustrations were put together into printable data, printed out sheet of illustrations, and the cutting work began. Students left a margin around the illustrations and then carefully cut the sheets with scissors and finally packaged them into sets. Although it was a bit challenging, they produced sticker packs of impressively high quality.
We also had the chance to hear from a professional about topics such as how to work with AI and how to handle copyright. These insights from someone active in the field, were extremely interesting. The students actively participated in the workshop and asked many questions about illustration techniques and the illustrator profession.
Many of the students who participated already enjoyed drawing, so they seemed to really appreciate the process of seeing their own illustrations become actual stickers. I personally don’t draw, but seeing their eyes sparkle made me feel that organizing this workshop was truly worthwhile.

Finally, I’d like to thank Ibuki rev for the two day lecture! We are very grateful for the thoughtful, entertaining, and informative slides, as well as the kind guidance throughout. We would be delighted to welcome you again to ICT next year!

Day1

Day2

Meguru Ito