Hello, I am Michihiro Hayashi, advisor of the Design & Fabrication Club. Since the 2nd semester final exams have ended, I was looking for an interesting activity to help students pass the time. Breaking things can be a good stress reliever, and coincidentally, I had two printers that I was planning to dispose of because they could no longer be repaired. So, I decided to hold a "Printer Disassembly Contest." Rather than simply destroying them, I thought it would be more meaningful to turn it into a competition, evaluating the beauty of the disassembly process. The two printers were A3-size inkjet printers. Printers are excellent machines to disassemble, as they incorporate a well-balanced combination of various elements: "Machine Elements" for paper feeding mechanisms, "Electrical Circuits" for driving motors and printheads, and "Electronic Circuits" for controlling touch panels and other components. Taking them apart offers a great learning opportunity.
 The contest was held on the afternoon of Saturday, February 1st, 2025. A total of seven students participated. They were divided into two teams, one with four members and the other with three, and the contest began.
 First, the students began by observing the exterior of the printer, checking for any visible screw threads and identifying which parts could be opened. Since home printers are often designed to hide screws for a cleaner appearance, the students initially had difficulty locating them. However, through careful observation and examination, they managed to find the screws that could be removed and proceeded with the disassembly, starting with the outer casings.
 As the disassembly progressed, various internal machine elements of the printer, such as shafts and bearings, gears, and belts, began to emerge. Since these components required the correct tools for proper disassembly, the students learned about different types of tools and their safe and appropriate usage from the instructor as they worked. Along the way, there were unexpected incidents, such as lubricant grease and ink splattering, but after two hours of hard work, they had managed to disassemble the printers down to the component parts.
 Finally, the students neatly arranged the disassembled parts, marking the end of the disassembly process. At this stage, they discussed various ideas on how to organize the parts—whether by material, function, or size. In the end, both teams primarily sorted the parts by material, likely because it would make disposal and recycling easier. After a thorough evaluation of tool usage, safety considerations, and overall technique, the winning team was determined. The champions were a group of three 1st year students, who demonstrated excellent skills throughout the contest. As their prize, they received a box full of snacks.
 Meanwhile, the snowfall outside the window was remarkable. Our school offers various indoor extracurricular activities like this one, but we also have many outdoor activities, such as skiing and snowboarding. I look forward to seeing students continue to participate in a wide range of activities with enthusiasm and energy.

Michihiro Hayashi

Michihiro Hayashi

Hello, this is Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku Office. This time, I would like to talk about the ICT Startup Competition 2025 held on Friday, February 21st, 2025.

 In order to nurture global innovators, ICT has established maker studios on the Hakusanroku and Kanazawa campuses, where students can give shape to their business ideas. In addition, ICT also focused on fostering a business mindset by offering classes such as Fundamentals of Innovation and Fundamentals of Business Management.

 Continuing from last year , the second edition of the ICT Startup Competition 2025 was held at the KIT Innovation Hall. The entire event was conducted in English, including the Q&A sessions.

 In the morning, a panel discussion was held, featuring Fumihiko Uchida sensei, Research Professor, Headquarters for Promotion of Future Innovation at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Mr. Matas Danielevicius from Knowledge Exchange, a startup support organization in Thailand, Mr. Kittinand Pithayapriechagul, Vice President (Head of Crowdfunding) Thailand Securities Finance Corporation (TSFC) Securities Public Company Limited, and Mr. Daiki Masui, Promotion Association Startup Weekend Kanazawa Lead Organizer. They took the stage for a lively discussion on the startup scene in Japan and abroad.

 Compared to other countries, the startup industry in Japan is still in its early stages. Recently, the Japanese government has introduced a five-year plan and has actively promoted the creation of startups within the country, including substantial financial support.

 In the afternoon session, a pitching event was held featuring students from universities and technical colleges in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan. This event brought together students from across the Asia region and was conducted in a hybrid format, combining both online and in-person participation.
 During the pitching session, each team gave a three-minute presentation followed by a nine-minute Q&A session. The presenters faced sharp questions from the panelists, and although some appeared momentarily taken aback, they responded with sincerity and determination, creating a truly inspiring atmosphere.
 Three teams from ICT participated, delivering confident and impressive presentations despite their initial nervousness. Their efforts were highly praised by the judges.

 The second edition of this event marked the first international gathering with participation from overseas students. Many of the student teams from different countries introduced business ideas aimed at solving social issues faced by their respective nations, showcasing a variety of compelling pitches.

 For the students, participating in such a pitching event provided an opportunity to reflect on how their ideas could create societal value and offered a new, real-world perspective on thinking about issues they may not have considered before.

 ICT will continue to foster global innovators who not only acquire advanced technical skills but also develop a business mindset, enabling them to apply their expertise to benefit society.

間加田 侑里

 

Hello, I am Shuntaro Tanaka, a 1st year student. I currently live in the dormitory at the Hakusanroku Campus. Since late January, it has been snowing heavily here, and everything outside is covered in white. The snow has piled up higher than my height, and it is so light that I was surprised when I saw it for the first time.

On Friday, February 7th, 2025, we went to Hakusan Ichirino Ski Resort, which is about 15 minutes away from the Hakusanroku Campus by bus. 1st and 2nd year students who wanted to join took part in this ski trip. In the morning, those who were new to skiing attended a ski lesson, while the others enjoyed skiing and snowboarding freely. The weather was clear in the morning, but around noon there was a brief snowstorm before it calmed down again, leaving behind soft powder snow.

 I have been skiing since I was a child, so instead of taking the ski lesson, I went snowboarding for the third time. I was really impressed by how soft the powder snow was and how "it doesn’t even hurt when you fall."

 After lunch, we met up with the students who had attended the ski lesson, and in the afternoon, everyone enjoyed skiing and snowboarding together. At first, those who took the ski lesson struggled, but three of them quickly got the hang of it and were able to ski smoothly. The other two had a harder time and fell many times, but with the support of the faculty, they kept trying. By the end, they had improved a lot and could ski with more confidence.

 At that time, I could already snowboard, but my turns were a bit awkward, and I was struggling to control them. One of the faculty members, Omihito Matsushita sensei gave me some advice, which was helpful. Thanks to Matsushita sensei instructions, I was able to fix the movements I had been struggling with right away. However, the time passed so quickly that I still felt like I hadn’t snowboarded enough. I hope I get another chance to come back so that I can improve even more.

Shuntaro Tanaka

Happy New Year everyone! I am Krishia Atillo, one of the learning mentors here at Hakusanroku Campus. I am delighted to share our Christmas Gift Exchanges from last year.

 To celebrate the essence of Christmas, we had a Christmas Gift Exchange for faculty, staff, and students last Tuesday, December 24th. We first had a White Elephant Christmas Gift Exchange for the faculty and staff who wished to participate. Since this type of gift exchange didn’t have a specific receiver, each person had to buy one generic gift that could be given to either male or female, young or old. All participating faculty and staff had to choose a number that corresponded to the gift they got. Once everyone got their numbers, we started to open the presents. The presents that each faculty and staff received were all useful and wonderful gifts, especially this winter season!

 During the learning session on the 24th, we held a Christmas Party Gift Exchange for the students. To make the party more fun and exciting, the Learning Mentors decided to hide the Christmas presents so students would have to find them. Once the students were able to find their Christmas gifts, each of them had to go to the center to open their presents. All of them were excited to open their presents! They were all delighted to receive their Christmas gifts!

 After the Christmas gift exchange, the Learning Mentors also prepared snacks for students to enjoy. They were able to enjoy drinking hot cocoa in cold weather, and ate cookies, chocolates, popcorn, and many more! Overall, the students had fun and were able to enjoy the Christmas Party Gift Exchange.

 

 

Krishia Atillo

  Hello, This is Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku Office.
 The 32nd MILE (Mobile Intensive Learning Experience) Program was held from Tuesday, December 17th, 2024, to Monday, December 23rd, 2024, for 6 nights and 7 days. The MILE Program, which began in 1989, is an exchange program with Singapore Polytechnic (SP), and this year marked its 32nd iteration. When ICT was Kanazawa Technical College (KTC), KTC students would visit Singapore as a school trip and then SP students would also visit Japan. SP students were hosted in homestays in Kanazawa, which fostered mutual friendships. There was a period of time when exchanges could not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program resumed last year, and this year, 10 SP students and 2 chaperones visited our school.
 For the first half of the program, the participants stayed at the KIT International Community House, where they mainly interacted with KIT students. In the latter half, they moved to the Hakusanroku Campus where they lived with ICT students. The main activities of the program at Hakusanroku Campus are listed below:

Friday, December 20th: Arrival at Hakusanroku Campus

 On December 20th, SP students spent the morning at KIT before arriving at Hakusanroku Campus in the evening. Then they were given an introduction lecture about our school and a tour of the Hakusanroku campus. After that, they had dinner at the cafeteria, then ice breaking activities were held with 1st and 2nd year students.
 During the ice breaking activities, 2 games were played. The first game was called Mingo. In this game, there are 25 squares with various questions, and you ask your partner one question, and if you get an answer, you fill in the name of your partner in that square and then find a new partner. Questions included “Do you like spicy food?” “Can you sleep sitting up?” and “Do you like Japanese manga?” The students were able to get to know each other by asking each other questions.
 Next was a game called Building a Paper Cup Tower, in which each student was given a chopstick and had to work with their teammates to transport and stack cups. SP students and ICT students formed mixed teams. When the start signal was given, the students struggled to pick up the cups and dropped them several times, but they gradually got the hang of it and succeeded in building up the cups by cooperating and supporting each other.

Saturday, December 21st: Group Tour of Kanazawa City

 In 2 groups, SP students explored Kanazawa City with 12 ICT students. They enjoyed shopping and dining while conversing in English. They learned about the preferences of Japanese students and deepened their friendships through shared experiences. This cultural exchange provided new and valuable time to foster friendships.

Sunday, December 22nd: Hinoki Craft Experience and Farewell Party

 Under the guidance of an instructor, the SP students made hinoki woodcraft coasters, a traditional craft of Ishikawa Prefecture. Working together with ICT students, translating Japanese into English, they created their pieces, and the students cherished their completed works. In the afternoon, a farewell party was held. Students presented about their countries, cultures, histories, and schools, deepening mutual understanding. Traditional games were introduced and enjoyed by all, further strengthening friendships.

 The SP students were impacted by their experience in Japan. They were deeply moved by their exposure to Japanese history, culture, and daily life, gaining new perspectives and understanding. Through interactions with Japanese students of the same age, they experienced moments of connection beyond language barriers, realizing the importance of intercultural communication. They cherished their experiences in Japan and were motivated to pursue their future goals with renewed enthusiasm.
 Similarly, our students deepened their understanding of foreign cultures and customs through exchanges with SP students, broadening their global perspectives. Making new friends expanded their international networks and provided wonderful opportunities to build friendships.
 The MILE Program offers students valuable experiences that lead to new discoveries and growth by exposing them to different cultures, significantly impacting their futures. The sight of students interacting with bright smiles remains vivid in our memories. We hope to continue cherishing such exchange programs, providing students with wonderful memories and experiences that will benefit their futures.

@ictkanazawa

2024年12月20日（金）〜23日（月）、シンガポール理工学院の学生が国際高専白山麓キャンパスに滞在し、国際交流を目的とした「マイルプログラム」が実施されました🇸🇬🇯🇵日本文化体験や金沢市内•白川郷での観光、学生同士の交流を通じて親睦を深めました🤝🌟 #singaporepolytechnic #ict

♬ Lilac - Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Yuri Makada