NEWS

ICU-High School Collaboration and Special Inquiry-based learning Project "ICU Dialogue for Tomorrow on Campus" (First time) Held

Update: November 4, 2025

On Saturday, October 25, 2025, the first ICU Dialogue for Tomorrow on Campus of this academic year, an ICU-high school collaboration and special inquiry-based learning project, was held.
Although the weather was unfortunately rainy, twenty high school students from across Japan visited ICU's Mitaka Campus for a full day of experiencing the unique liberal arts learning that ICU offers.
The program began with a lecture by Kenya Kubo, Professor by Special Appointment, from the College of Liberal Arts (major in Chemistry, Environmental Studies).

Lecture by Kenya Kubo, Professor by Special Appointment

Building on a pre-assigned lecture video by Professor Natsumi Ikoma (major in Literature, Gender and Sexuality Studies), participants engaged in group discussions (dialogues). A total of eleven ICU student facilitators joined the groups, helping to foster lively exchanges. Each group later presented the outcomes of their discussions, sharing a variety of perspectives and ideas that reflected their different approaches.

Left: Participants move between groups to deepen their dialogues. Right: Sharing the dialogue processes and outcomes as a whole

Afterward, participants enjoyed lunch at the university cafeteria, a campus tour, and a social gathering, during which they formed new connections with one another and with ICU students in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

After their group presentations, participants and ICU students pose for a commemorative photo in front of their completed worksheets.

Feedback from participants included comments such as:
"I had fun thinking harder than ever before."
"It was great how easily everyone opened up, even among people meeting for the first time."
"Thanks to the ICU students' support, I discovered how enjoyable dialogue can be, and now I'm even more eager to study at ICU."
"It was refreshing to approach the topic from both literary and scientific perspectives."
"I was inspired by this new style of learning that's not possible in high school."
(Excerpted and summarized from participant surveys)
Through the program, participants experienced ICU's liberal arts values of learning through dialogue and learning beyond the boundaries of academic disciplines.
The ICU Office of ICU-High School Collaborative Projects will continue spreading opportunities for high school students to experience university-level learning.