Student Testimonial

Q What motivated you to participate in the program?

To be honest, before participating in the program, I didn’t have any confidence in my English. The laboratory I belong to specializes in AI and about half of the members are international students, so we often communicate in English. But I never spoke in English properly and I was distressed by being unable to understand what everyone was saying. At that time, I was attracted to the concept of A3I program and decided to join this summer school.

Q What was your most memorable experience participating in the program?

The most impressive part of the program was the company visit. We visited three companies, software development, television station, and camera-related companies. What I thought particularly interesting was the third one: camera-related company. This company specializes in processing images taken with cameras using AI and visualizing information. Cameras were installed everywhere in the company, and the congestion of the company’s facilities was displayed on a screen. The most surprising thing was the “restrooms”. There were monitors at the entrance to the restrooms so that we could see which rooms were occupied. After experimenting with my friends, we found out that it was indeed detected by a motion sensor, not a camera and I was very excited to see this kind of restroom for the first time. It is possible to do things in China that seem impossible to do in Japan. This is where I could catch a glimpse of the strength of the IT field in China.

Q What kind of classes and activities were held during the program? 

I had classes related to AI. There were more opportunities for discussion than in Japanese university classes, and I felt strongly that I needed to study English more.

Message to those considering joining the program

I saw other students speaking English fluently without any problem during the program and I admired them so much since I could not understand even the most basic conversation. This experience had a great impact on my motivation to learn English after returning to Japan, and I now have a little more confidence in my English. If you are still thinking and cannot decide,  I encourage you to take up the challenge !