Structural Engineering Program
From 15 to 22 October, five students from AIT’s Structural Engineering program, along with Dr. Chaitanya Krishna G., Assistant Professor, had the extraordinary opportunity to participate in a special academic exchange with Kanazawa University (KU), a partnership nurtured by Prof. Makoto Fujiu, whose warmth and expertise made this exchange unforgettable. Kanazawa city is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture and is known as the “City of Gold”. On the first day, they had a chance to explore the Kanazawa University campus and engage with the students.
Students attended Prof. Makoto Fujiu’s seminar on the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (令和6年能登半島地震), which took them beyond textbooks into real stories of devastation and hope. This visit included exploration of various facilities and tours of the labs present on the campus.
Students visited the Noto Peninsula, where they stood on the land that had once been seabed, now raised by four meters, and saw the coastline that receded over 500 meters overnight. They also visited the Wajima Morning Market, which was once full of life but has now turned into ashes and broken roads, and they saw the Iroha Bridge in Wajima, Shiroyone Senmaida rice terraces, which were 80% destroyed due to the 2024 Noto earthquake.
The day ended with an exchange of knowledge and culture at Kanazawa University, where our students shared their research and listened to the inspiring work of KU students under Prof. Fujiu’s mentorship. This blend of lived experience and academic passion inspired them.
Additionally, students got a chance to wander through Kanazawa Castle Park, Kenrokuen garden, the Samurai district, Omicho Fish Market and Asanogawa River. They explored the traditional beauty of both the Higashi Chaya district and Kazuemachi Nishi Chaya tea districts, witnessing the enduring spirit of old cultures and delighting in the delicate flavours of authentic Japanese cuisine.
On 19 and 20 October, students visited Tokyo via the Shinkansen bullet train. They navigated the pulse of the city, visiting Shinjuku Station, the world’s busiest station, and walked through the historic streets of Yanaka and visited the Imperial Palace grounds and the Tokyo Tower. Day 2 focused on visiting the University of Tokyo and exploring its campus and lab facilities. While exploring the campus, they delved into the impactful research of Prof. Kimiro Meguro, Prof. Ohara, and Prof. Numada.
Students got a chance to meet Prof. Meguro, where they shared their research with him. Networking with various professors and exploring the campus were among the major learnings they took back. They returned to AIT inspired by the knowledge gained, the friendships formed, and the spirit of perseverance witnessed throughout this meaningful exchange. The students extended their gratitude to STE program, SET, AIT and Kanazawa University (KU) for providing this invaluable opportunity.
