Purdue University is one of the most prestigious universities in the United States. It has produced three Nobel laureates in Physics from among its alumni. Furthermore, Dr. Ei-ichi Negishi, the 2010 Nobel laureate in Chemistry, is also a Purdue graduate. It is truly a university with a top-tier record of achievement.

Another noteworthy feature is its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program, which is one of the largest in the nation. Purdue is especially known as a leader in workforce development for the semiconductor industry and is a driving force in the field.

Hiroshima University, along with Purdue University, is a member of “UPWARDS for the Future,” an initiative involving 11 universities from Japan and the U.S. This program is a large-scale partnership aimed at cultivating talent in the semiconductor field across both nations. It is an initiative designed to nurture the leaders who will shape the future.

The participating students came from a diverse range of faculties, including the School of Medicine, School of Dentistry (1 student), School of Science (3 students), School of Engineering (1 student), School of Information Sciences (1 student), School of Integrated Arts and Sciences (2 students), and School of Education (2 students).

Before their departure, the students participated in one to two months of COIL-style collaborative learning in English with international students. They also engaged in online exchanges and discussions with students from Purdue University.

From Sunday, March 2, to Wednesday, March 12, 2025, the 11 undergraduate students mentioned above visited Purdue University as part of the START Program, a short-term exchange program to our partner universities.

During their time at Purdue, they toured state-of-the-art facilities, interacted with students in Japanese language classes, participated in engineering courses, and attended liberal arts lectures. This proved to be a highly motivating experience, giving them a taste of studying in English at an American university and inspiring them for their future academic pursuits.