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An awards ceremony was held on Katahira Campus on August 3 to recognize 31 students for their role in the university's internationalization efforts.

Executive Vice President for Education and Student Support Hirotsugu Takizawa gave a congratulatory speech on behalf of President Hideo Ohno, and spoke of the high expectations that the university has for those who will "lead the internationalization of society and be the driving force behind various fields in the future."

Fifteen students received the Global Hagi Scholarship to study abroad at one of Tohoku University's partner institutions. The scholarship is supported by the Tohoku University Fund, and awarded to students with excellent academic records.

Satoshi Nishiura, a first-year master's student at the Graduate School of Engineering, gave a speech on behalf of the Global Hagi Scholarship recipients, vowing to "continue to work hard with pride and responsibility in our study abroad countries."

He also spoke of his life-long interest in airplanes and of his current research, which is "trying to create the next generation of jet engines that can move many times faster than the speed of sound." While acknowledging that there are still many obstacles to achieving his research goals, he expressed confidence that his exchange with other like-minded researchers during his study abroad will provide valuable experience. "And I will come back and use the knowledge and experience I have gained, to further develop my research here at Tohoku University," he said.

Also receiving recognition at the ceremony were 17 students who were named Global Leaders.

The Global Leader programme, which began in 2013, is a cornerstone of the university's efforts to promote an international curriculum and co-learning among students of different cultures. Domestic Japanese students receive the Global Leader certification after collecting points from classes and activities that encourage a global mindset. These include participating in study abroad or international programmes, and passing foreign language proficiency tests.

Manaka Sasaki who was earlier presented with the Global Hagi Scholarship, also received a Global Leader certificate, becoming a rare double award recipient on the same day.

In her speech, fourth-year engineering student Mayu Takato urged her fellow students to seize life's opportunities and not to miss out due to fear.

"Many people become unable to take action because they convince themselves that they cannot do it or fear the possibility of failure," she said. "It is essential not to overthink and to simply try our best. Eventually, we will come to see failure as a part of our learning experience."

Following both ceremonies, the students had an informal talk session with EVP Takizawa, EVP for Co-creation Strategy Teiji Tominaga and VP for Education Reform and Global Engagement Masahiro Yamaguchi.

Several students spoke of their plans for the future, while the executives shared their own study abroad experiences and offered anecdotes and advice to the students.

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