【News】From Multicultural Collaborative Learning to Co-Creating the Future: University of Tsukuba Shares its Initiatives and Achievements at TGSW
October 9, 2026
On October 2, 2026, during Tsukuba Global Science Week (TGSW), the Social Impact Promotion Office hosted a session titled “Shaping Global Startuppers: Co-Creation for Global Futures.” This session also served as a a mid-term reporting session on the achievements of the Multicultural Campus Project Towards Social Impact initiative under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
The session received approximately 100 pre-registrations, attracting many participants from both inside and outside the university. On the morning of the event, a liaison meeting for universities selected for the Multicultural Campus Project Towards Social Impact initiative was also held, allowing representatives from selected universities to observe this session. In addition to sharing the initiatives of University of Tsukuba, it provided a valuable opportunity for the selected universities to collectively consider the future of internationalization and the creation of social impact.
At the reporting meeting, following opening remarks by President Kyosuke Nagata and Director Kuniaki Sato, Special Advisor to the President Jun Ikeda presented an overview of the project’s initiatives. Following this, in what was one of the major highlights of the session, students who participated in the intercultural collaborative learning program gave presentations in English about their experiences and learnings.
During the student presentations, the speakers went beyond simply recounting their experiences of “going abroad” or “learning about different cultures.” They shared how their ways of thinking and behaving had changed through intercultural collaborative learning, and how those experiences influenced their career paths, future goals, and engagement with society. Students with diverse backgrounds and fields of expertise reflected on their personal growth as “Global Startuppers” from their unique perspectives. The presentations shone with highly individualized stories, clearly demonstrating how collaborative learning directly shapes each student’s subsequent choices and actions.
In the subsequent panel discussion by faculty and staff, panelists explored the theme, “What makes a Global-Start-Upper?” Faculty, staff, and external stakeholders who have facilitated intercultural collaborative learning engaged in a lively discussion. Opinions were exchanged from various perspectives regarding the environments and mechanisms necessary for diverse students to learn together, consider social issues, and collaborate, as well as the crucial role that the university plays in this process.
During the Q&A session, questions and comments were raised from the audience, creating a warm and engaging atmosphere where speakers and participants freely exchanged opinions.
Through this project, we aim to cultivate the skills required of “Global Startuppers”—such as cross-cultural understanding, multilingual proficiency, awareness of global issues, and career design—through intercultural collaborative learning initiatives, including the domestic “GASSHUKU” (training camps) and overseas “DOJO” (training programs). At this forum, we were able to look back on our initiatives to date and share the concrete growth and transformation of our students.
Moving forward, we will continue to develop our intercultural collaborative learning initiatives while further expanding co-creation with diverse stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, local communities, companies, and overseas partner universities. Furthermore, we aim to continuously enhance the educational programs and systems we have built so far, ensuring that the creation of social impact through the internationalization of the university evolves into a sustainable and self-driven endeavor.
Session Website: https://tgsw.tsukuba.ac.jp/sessions/4-14