Tohoku University hosts a wide range of popular summer programmes every year. For those who love the water, there are a couple of short marine biology courses run by the Graduate School of Life Sciences at their
Asamushi Research Center in Aomori.
The introductory "Interactive Short Course in Marine Biology" is part of the first year curriculum for both Japanese and degree-seeking international students at Tohoku University.
To enrich the experience, exchange students from partner universities are also invited to participate.
Tohoku University hosts a wide range of popular summer programmes every year. For those who love the water, there are a couple of short marine biology courses run by the Graduate School of Life Sciences at their Asamushi Research Center in Aomori.
The introductory "Interactive Short Course in Marine Biology" is part of the first year curriculum for both Japanese and degree-seeking international students at Tohoku University.
To enrich the experience, exchange students from partner universities are also invited to participate.
Nineteen Japanese and 12 international students took part in this year's course, held from August 20 - 25. They took a boat ride out to collect sea animals, and spent the week working on group projects involving sea roaches, sea snails and other marine animals.
Through their experiments, the students learnt basic scientific processes such as making experimental designs, interpreting results, considering further hypotheses and testing them.
"The main purpose of this course is learning the scientific process and methods by performing simple experiments with marine organisms," said Associate Professor Martin Robert from the Institute for Excellence in Higher Education. "But we also hope that the students develop good communication skills, especially in an international and multicultural context."
Away from the labs, the students enjoyed community life in the dormitory and had a BBQ party on the seashore.
Earlier in the summer, the "Shinkishi Hatai International Marine Biology Course" was held from July 18 - 24. A group of eight students from Europe and Asia took part in advanced workshops led by guest instructors.
Course topics included meiobenthology taught by Dr. Reinhardt Møbjerg Kristensen and Dr. Shinta Fujimoto; and the developmental biology of marine invertebrates taught by
Dr. Alexander McDougall. Dr. Hiroaki Nakano gave a keynote lecture about the "Origin and Evolution of Marine Invertebrate Larvae."
This annual course is named after Dr. Shinkishi Hatai, the first director of Tohoku University's Asamushi Marine Biological Station, and the founder of the Palau Tropical Marine Biological laboratory.
Course topics included meiobenthology taught by Dr. Reinhardt Møbjerg Kristensen and Dr. Shinta Fujimoto; and the developmental biology of marine invertebrates taught by Dr. Alexander McDougall. Dr. Hiroaki Nakano gave a keynote lecture about the "Origin and Evolution of Marine Invertebrate Larvae."
This annual course is named after Dr. Shinkishi Hatai, the first director of Tohoku University's Asamushi Marine Biological Station, and the founder of the Palau Tropical Marine Biological laboratory.
The week-long course, known for its international and culturally diverse participants, aims to nurture future biologists by instilling in them a strong sense of leadership and a global outlook - traits that Dr. Hatai was famous for.
Contact:
Asamushi Research Center for Marine Biology
Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences
Tel: 017-752-3388
Email: asamushi
grp.tohoku.ac.jp
Website: http://www.biology.tohoku.ac.jp/lab-www/asamushi/
For the Interactive Short Course in Marine Biology:
Professor Gaku Kumano
Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences
Tel: 017-752-3390
Email gaku.kumano.d6tohoku.ac.jp
Associate Professor Martin Robert
IEHE/GLC, Tohoku University
Tel: 022-795-495
Email mroberttohoku.ac.jp
For the Shinkishi Hatai International Marine Biology Course
Takuya Minokawa
Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences
Tel: 017-752-3394
Email takuya.minokawa.c3tohoku.ac.jp