Nuclear Open Campus for High School Students held
On July 23, 2024, the Nuclear Innovator Cultivation Program（NICP）held the ‘Nuclear Open Campus for High School Students’, an event for cultivating human resources in the nuclear field supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology（MEXT）at the Kuramae Hall of the Tokyo Institute of Technology. The event was held under the theme of ‘Imagination, Science and Engineering’, and consisted of lectures, poster sessions, and a laboratory course. Around 180 high school and technical college students from all over Japan attended the event.
Lectures and Poster Session
After the opening address by Professor Toru Ohara, Chair of NICP, and the greeting by Mr. Koji Aribayashi, Director of the Nuclear Energy Division, MEXT, the first lecturer, Mr. Rikao Yanagida, author of the Science Fiction Reader series gave a lecture entitled ‘The Energy of Heroes’. Using a whiteboard, Mr. Yanagida explained the mysteries and wonders of anime and manga heroes in a way that was easy to understand from a scientific perspective, arousing the participants' interest in science.
Professor Obara giving the opening address
Mr, Aribayashi, Director of the Nuclear Energy Division, MEXT
Mr. Yanagida during his lecture 1
Mr. Yanagida during his lecture 2
The following poster session lasted an hour and a half, attended by 14 universities’ departments or majors in the nuclear field, seven companies and one research institute involved in nuclear power-related projects and business, and the Advanced Nuclear Education Consortium for the Future Society（ANEC）. Participating students visited the exhibition booths and deepened their understanding of cutting-edge nuclear research and development at universities and businesses through free discussions.
<Organizations that participating in the poster session (in no particular order)>
Hokkaido University, Tohoku University, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagaoka University of Technology, University of Fukui, Fukui University of Technology, Nagoya University, Kyoto University, Osaka University, Kyushu University, Tokyo City University, Waseda University, Kinki University, Japan Atomic Energy Agency（JAEA）, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, IHI Corporation, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation, JGC Corporation, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Advanced Nuclear Education Consortium for the Future Society（ANEC）
Poster session（University booths）
Poster session（Tokyo Tech）
Poster session（Kyushu University） 3
Poster session（Company booths）
Poster session （JAEA）
Poster session （IHI Corporation）
After the poster session, there was a lecture by Dr. Shutaro Takeda, Co-founder and Chief Strategist of Kyoto Fusioneering and Associate Professor at Kyushu University, entitled ‘Can we save the world through fusion [the sun on earth] x startup entrepreneurship!?” Dr. Takeda has been appointed as the only Japanese national living to be a Knight of Magistral Grace of The Sovereign Military Order of Malta for his achievements in working on numerous humanitarian aid campaigns. Dr. Takeda is working on the development of a nuclear fusion reactor to achieve world peace through the resolution of energy issues. His lecture was a great inspiration to the participating students.
The event came to a close with a closing address by Professor Akio Yamamoto, Program Director of ANEC.
Dr. Takeda during his lecture 1
Dr. Takeda during his lecture 2
Prof. Yamamoto, Program Director of ANEC
Students attending the event
Laboratory course
On July 23 and 24, 2024, a basic physics laboratory course using radiation was held for the Open Campus participants using the Pelletron accelerator at the Zero Carbon Energy Research Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology.
The laboratory course was held over three sessions under the guidance of Associate Professor Tatsuya Katabuchi, with 11 to 13 students participating in each session, for a total of 37 students. The participants had studied the basic knowledge of atoms and nuclear reactions in the text distributed in advance and then attended the course on the day. In the laboratory, they observed the nuclear reactions caused by neutrons using a particle accelerator and learned about the properties of neutrons, the interaction between neutrons and matter, and nuclear reactions.
The lectures, poster sessions, and physics laboratory course all received very positive feedback from participating students. Many of the participants said that the event was a very worthwhile experience for them.
Prof. Katabuchi explaining the particle accelerator
Prof. Katabuchi explaining the nuclear reactions
Feedback from Students
＜Lectures and poster session＞
- I was interested in science and engineering, but I wasn't particularly interested in nuclear power. However, through the lectures and poster sessions, I became interested in nuclear power and various other fields!
- I used to think that nuclear power was dangerous, but that my perception has been overturned. I also learned that if nuclear power is used safely, it is an energy source that has the potential to greatly improve our lives. Thank you for the lecturers.
- I was able to learn more about the initiatives of companies and university research involved in nuclear power, and I became more interested in nuclear power. I also could gain a deeper understanding of nuclear fusion, so I want to study more about it myself.
＜Physics Laboratory Course＞
- There were some specialized and complex points that I could not understand just by reading the text before attending the laboratory course, but I was able to understand most of it after receiving an explanation on the day, so it was a very meaningful and enjoyable time.
- By observing the state of neutrons and gamma rays in real time on a graph, my interest in atoms increased even more.
- It was a very valuable experience that I was able to observe machinery that we don't usually get to see up close. The content was difficult for me as a first-year high school student, but I think I was able to have a meaningful time by attending the event.
