To celebrate its first anniversary, Science Tokyo shared campus experiences with students, faculty, staff and the broader public at two recent festivals celebrating the Institute’s evolving identity.
Among other activities, the Institute set up interactive panels so attendees could share relatable anecdotes about university life at the Ochanomizu Festival, held at Yushima Campus on October 18 and 19, and at the Ookayama Festival, held on Ookayama Campus on November 2 and the afternoon of November 3.
These events marked the first anniversary since the merger of the former Tokyo Medical and Dental University and the former Tokyo Institute of Technology in October 2024. Both events aimed to foster a sense of identity by encouraging attendees to share relatable experiences about university life, and to find common ground.
The panels, which included over 150 anecdotes about Science Tokyo life, sparked lively conversations, with students empathizing over shared experiences and explaining specific aspects to interested local residents. The venues became forums for both Institute members and community visitors to connect through everyday campus realities.
Examples of shared anecdotes:
- On rainy days on Yushima Campus, you can walk from the station to the campus without getting wet.
- I feel sad when I introduce myself and people do not recognize “Science Tokyo,” the name of my institution. On the other hand, it feels divine when they do!
- Most Science Tokyo labs have international students so cross-cultural and international exchange is easy for those who want to engage.
- I have this inexplicable confidence that everything will be fine if I get sick or injured because Science Tokyo has a STAT call, meaning a request for an immediate and urgent response to a critical patient situation, and an ER.
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Science Tokyo members tend to want to experiment with all sorts of things.
- On Ookayama Campus, community members often just lie down on the big grass lawn to relax.
- When you go into a building thinking it is the first floor, it is often the third floor on both Ookayama and Yushima Campuses. I often enter thinking I am on the first floor, and then think, “Wait, where am I?”
- Some Science Tokyo members tend to use scientific terms in everyday conversation.
As Science Tokyo moves forward, it will continue to build on the unique value created through the integration of its predecessor universities, implementing initiatives that reflect the diverse voices and experiences of its community.