Since 2017, Tohoku University Global Learning Center has been implementing the “SANKO Project” in collaboration with Miyagi Prefecture Sendai Daisan High School (hereby “Sanko”), which is one of the SSHs (Super Science High Schools) in Japan. In this project, the second-grade students in Sanko STEM-specialized classes prepare English presentations on their research topics, and TU international students give feedback in English as senior researchers. Until last year, TU students visited Sanko to give guidance face-to-face, but this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, seven feedback sessions were held online instead.

At “Sanko Investigation Day (GLOCAL Science Festa)” that was held on November 7 (Sat), the students conducted presentations in a hybrid format. Students from Sanko participated in the event offline, and simultaneously guests from outside, such as the TU students, assistant language teachers (ALT), and Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) in Miyagi prefecture participated as online audience. The students from Sanko expressed much gratitude for the support and efforts of TU students. One student remarked, “I was able to improve the quality of the presentations thanks to the comments and advice from the TU international students.” Another student commented, “Thanks to the regular feedback sessions with the international students, I was able to get used to interacting with foreigners and more actively present in the actual presentation.” The GS Festa participants including the SSH organizing committee highly evaluated this new project format, commenting that it is “a good example of an educational collaborative project amidst of COVID-19.”