The NAIST Career Services Office and the Center for Entrepreneurship Education at Tokyo Institute of Technology co-organized an online networking event with global companies in Japan on May 29, 2024. The event primarily targeted PhD students and facilitated networking opportunities for mid-to-long-term research internships.

 With the increasing demand for international students to work in Japan, the language barrier often hinders successful matching with companies due to the high Japanese proficiency required for job applications and internships. To address this challenge, the event was conducted entirely in English, providing a valuable opportunity also for international students with limited Japanese language skills.

 The event brought together 12 global companies and research institutions, including Apple Japan, AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology), Ericsson Research Japan, Hitachi, Honda Research Institute Japan, IBM Japan, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim, Schneider Electric, Shionogi, teamLab, TÜV Rheinland Japan, and Zeon Corporation. Over 500 students from NAIST and Tokyo Tech, and other national universities across Japan registered for the event, fostering active engagement and networking.

 The event commenced with an opening address and overview by Naoya Taniguchi, UEA (University Education Administrator) and Special Assistant Professor from the NAIST Career Services Office. Representatives from the participating companies and research institutions then presented their mid-to-long-term internship opportunities (ranging from 2 weeks to several months) in English. Breakout rooms facilitated individual interactions between students and company representatives.

 Such English-based career events are rare in Japan, and our university remains committed to organizing and implementing innovative initiatives to promote global mindsets and facilitate the retention of international students in Japan. We will continue to actively plan and execute these groundbreaking events in the future.