On March 19, as part of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Project to Strengthen Universities’ Global Expansion Capabilities (U.S.)” selected for the Reiwa 5 fiscal year, we held an international symposium titled “Internships as a Strategy: Case Studies from North American Universities.” For this symposium, we invited speakers from Arizona State University (U.S.), a partner institution in this project, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), which collaborates with the university; as well as from the University of Waterloo (Canada), a leader in innovative internship programs, and Scotiabank, which partners with the university. These speakers presented practical examples of strategic internships resulting from university-industry collaboration in North America. Approximately 60 people, including representatives from companies and universities both within and outside the prefecture, as well as members of the general public, attended the event.

　In his opening remarks, President Ochi noted that, based on the achievements of the university’s international collaborative education initiatives to date, enhancing practical internships in partnership with companies is essential for developing talent in the age of AI. He also outlined the university’s policy to further promote the development of highly skilled professionals capable of thriving on the global stage through graduate school curriculum reform and strengthened industry-academia collaboration. He also expressed his hope that this symposium would serve as an opportunity to further deepen collaboration between the university and industry and contribute to the development of local industries.

　Next, in Part 1, presentations were given on case studies from Canada and the United States, from the perspectives of both universities and companies. First, Ms. Judene Pretti, Interim Assistant Vice-President (Co-operative and Experiential Learning) at the University of Waterloo, introduced the Co-op education model, which systematically combines academic study with work experience. At the University of Waterloo, more than 26,000 students participate in internships through the Co-op program each year; this scale is more than double the combined total of the next two largest Canadian universities. Furthermore, the program’s scale was clearly demonstrated by the fact that last year, more than 8,000 companies in 70 countries hosted students, 52,000 job interviews were conducted, and 98% of students were hired. Next, Julie Cowan, Vice President of Asset Insurance at Scotiabank—which partners with the university to offer internships and is herself a Co-op program alumna—provided a data-driven explanation of how companies utilize interns and the benefits of doing so. She also explained that the company actively recruits interns because it views them not as short-term labor but as a core strategy for identifying and developing future top talent. Next, Dr. Eusebio Scornavacca, Dean of the School of Future Society and Innovation at Arizona State University, emphasized the importance of building ecosystems and the need to establish long-term relationships that go beyond fleeting interactions. He also introduced the university’s educational programs that incorporate work experience. Finally, Colleen Schwab of Amazon Web Services, who serves as an external consultant at the university’s AI Cloud Innovation Center, explained that the company integrates students into operations in a manner closely resembling actual work and assigns them quasi-employee positions to handle tasks over the long term. Furthermore, she described how, within the framework of the “Cloud Innovation Center (CIC),” the company employs a model where students learn through real-world projects and are utilized as key contributors to value creation. In each of these case studies, the importance of accepting interns as members of the organization, based on clearly defined goals, was consistently highlighted.

　In the panel discussion of Part 2, the four speakers mentioned above were joined by Mr. Yangzhe Lin, Director-General of the Chugoku Regional Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), for a discussion on the theme of “The Role of Strategic Internships in Japanese Companies and Universities.” Mr. Lin began by pointing out the current state of internships in Japan, noting that many are limited to short periods of one to two days and that their strategic significance is not always clearly defined from the companies’ perspective. He also noted that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face challenges such as establishing reception systems and a lack of available staff. In response, speakers from the United States and Canada emphasized the importance of starting the design of internship programs by sharing a common understanding of the purpose—“why we are implementing them.” Furthermore, it was noted that in North America, students are viewed as future members of the workforce, and systems are in place to provide them with practical work experience alongside appropriate compensation, as well as support programs funded by public funds. The importance of viewing students not merely as participants but as “partners in creating value,” and of setting clear roles and expectations for them, was shared. The discussion then expanded to the creation of an ecosystem to support internships. It was pointed out that in Japan as well, while taking into account cultural and institutional differences, it is necessary for companies, universities, and the government to collaborate in building sustainable systems tailored to regional characteristics and industrial structures.

　Rather than viewing internships as isolated initiatives, this discussion positioned them as a foundation for human resource development that contributes to enhancing regional and national competitiveness. It served as a valuable opportunity to gain multifaceted insights into the direction needed to achieve this goal and to deepen mutual understanding among the participants.

　At the conclusion of the symposium, Shinji Kaneko, Director and Vice President for Global Affairs, delivered the closing remarks. He noted that the day’s discussions had provided valuable insights into the strategic positioning and implementation of internships in North America, and outlined the university’s plan to further enhance its internship programs in collaboration with corporate partners. He also expressed his gratitude to the speakers and participants and voiced his hope that the insights shared at this symposium would contribute to future initiatives.。

　Through this symposium, we gained insights into the potential of internships—in which universities and companies collaborate to support student learning—as well as key perspectives for further developing this approach in Japan. Our university will continue to deepen international partnerships and industry-academia collaboration, and we remain committed to promoting the development of practical and pioneering talent.

Opening Remarks by President Ochi

Dr. Judene Pretti(University of Waterloo)

Ms.Julie Cowan（Scotiabank）

Dr. Eusebio Scornavacca(Arizona State University)

Ms. Colleen Schwab（Amazon Web Service）

Scenes from the panel discussion

Closing Remarks by Director and Vice President Kaneko