National Institute Of Technology Hachinohe College: Contributing Positively To Human Welfare And The Progress Of Global Society

Shigenao Maruyama
Shigenao Maruyama, President
With an aim to provide an education that fosters not only highly specialized knowledge and technology, but also places importance on understanding humanity, National Institute of Technology-Hachinohe College (NIT—Hachinohe College, Hachinohe KOSEN in Japanese) was established in 1963 as a higher education institution to foster engineers during the education revision for the promotion of designated industries and the furtherance of science and technology education in Japan. Consistently staying true to the precepts of college which encompasses Honesty, Advancement, and Collaboration, Hachinohe KOSEN is determined to encourage future engineers to contribute positively to human welfare and the progress of the global society.

Offering Outstanding Curriculum

The curriculum at Hachinohe KOSEN is a 5-year integrated educational pro-gram that starts at the age of 15 when students graduate from junior high school. In addition to more traditional general and specialized engineering subjects, students are exposed to demonstrations of scientific experiments, experimental learning and practical training, to train them to become engineers with both theoretical and practical skills. In 2015, NIT(KOSEN)-Hachinohe College became the first among 51 NIT Colleges in Japan to introduce the quarter system, which allows students to study and explore research areas they discover on their own ‘self-directed research'. "Our school offers very active international exchange programs, including short-term overseas training from 1st- grade students, and a three-month exchange program in advanced courses. Also, 5th grade and advanced course students are required to present in English at their graduation research conferences. In addition, there are many unique extracurricular activities, such as robotics contests (known as `Robocon’ programming contests, and eco-runs in the Department of Automotive Engineering. In 2020, our ‘Robocon’ team won the design award and Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL) special award,” shares Dr.Shigenao MARUYAMA, President, National Institute of Technology - Hachinohe College.

Hachinohe KOSEN offers four engineering courses including Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Materials and Biological Engineering, and Civil Engineering and Architectural Design. The Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering course is designed to train students in basic mechanical engineering to become engineers who will be active in fields such as bio-medical engineering, robotics, and automobiles. The Electrical and Computer Engineering course provides students with basic and advanced knowledge of energy, electronics, information science and communication, and trains them to work in the areas of robotics, programming, and information technology. The Materials and Bioengineering course provide students the fundamentals of chemistry and chemical engineering, and trains students to become specialists in material engineering and biotechnology. The Civil Engineering and Architectural Design Course provide students with the fundamentals of civil engineering and architectural engineering, and develops engineers who can creatively de-sign social infrastructure in the key areas of construction, disaster prevention, environment, planning, and architecture.

“Hachinohe KOSEN is determined to encourage future engineers to contribute positively to human welfare and the progress of the global society.”

With the program that trains global engineers in a 5 year or 7-year (including additional two-year advanced courses) level starting at the age of 15, NIT—Hachinohe College nurtures engineers with a global perspective and enabling them to take charge of overseas projects. The college is proud to disclose that, many graduates have gone on to first-class graduate schools and/or are active in international affairs after graduation. Additionally, Hachinohe KOSEN offers a unique program called ‘Self-Directed Research’, in which every year, students find their interest in research topics, conduct scientific research, give their presentations in public, and finalize their reports. The KOSEN is a college equipped with research facilities and filled with opportunities for the students to conduct scientific research starting at the age of 15. “Many of our graduates go on to work for companies or study at universities and graduate schools. Most of them are employed by leading Japanese companies. Our students, in general, receive more than 30 job offers per person by the time of graduation. Students who have studied Japanese and have quality education in engineering at our school are very attractive to Japanese companies as they expand their businesses worldwide,” according to Dr. MARUYAMA.

“Many of our graduates go on to work for companies or study at universities and graduate schools. Most of them are employed by leading japanese companies. Our students, in general, receive more than 30 job ffers per person by the time of graduation”

A Premium Study Destination for International Students

In 2019, the NIT-Hachinohe College launched the international dormitory with both Halal and non-Halal food kitchens where Japanese and international students live together. Additionally, NIT-Hachinohe College offers to mentor and tutorial programs for international students. The Japanese students who are designated as mentors or tutors not only help international students to better understand study materials and adjust to daily life in Japan, but also the team of the Center for International Exchange help the international students make a smooth transition to living in Japan. The international students studying at NIT-Hachinohe College hold either scholarships sponsored by their own countries (e.g., Thailand, Mongolia) or the Japanese government (the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)) scholarships. The Japanese government scholarships are very competitive and students will have to provide proof of their excellence in academic areas and proficiency in Japanese.

“Students from India who wish to study at our school should first apply for a scholarship from MEXT before graduating from high school. The scholarship provides a special Japanese language course for one year to become proficient in Japanese before the students transfer to the 3rd year of Hachinohe KOSEN. After graduating from the main course in the 5th year, many international students transfer to famous national universities for master's courses. Indian students who understand Japanese culture and have diverse language skills will be a great asset for Japanese companies and will have an opportunity to play a major role as engineers in those companies,” states Shigenao MARUYAMA.

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