Category Archives: Living

From Philippines to NAIST: Story of an internship

Every year, several students from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines take the opportunity to come in Nara to take a grasp of research at NAIST in particular, and life in Japan in general. This experience helps them to decide if they want to enter NAIST in the future, after their undergraduate or master’s course. We interviewed one of the interns (who prefers to remain anonymous) to know more about how the Filipino interns spend their time at NAIST.

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NAIST Kendo Club: Tradition surrounded by technology

In spite of being a Japanese graduate school, there are some extracurricular activities going on on campus. This time VSP introduces you to one of the more traditional ones, NAIST Kendo Club. Kendo, or Japanese fencing, is a martial art that literally means “the way of the sword”. Practitioners wear an armor and try to strike the opponent correctly in duel matches. It is practiced by people from all ages around the world.

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Reuse Market: Good for students and the environment

At the annual Reuse Market, students can receive used appliances and goods donated by students who have graduated and left the university. In 2016, over 200,000 JPY (2,000 USD) worth of goods have been distributed to students on a pay-what-you-want basis. The Recycling Club recounts what goes into planning and organizing the event, and how it became what it is today.

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Campus culture: Halloween Party 2016

With a student body consisting of roughly 20% international students, the NAIST campus fosters a vibrant and diverse culture. One of the regular events organised by the students is a Halloween costume party with changing themes. This year’s party was the Silly Costume Party. Read below to find out what kind of costumes did the students came up with.

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Campus Clean Day 2016: Together it’s more fun!

On October 6th, NAIST students took part in the annual Campus Clean Day event that takes place during one evening in October. In this event, students and professors from all labs in every graduate school get together to cooperate for one hour in the laborious task of cleaning the school grounds. This includes not only sweeping, but also getting rid of the weeds that grow from year to year between the cobblestones of NAIST’s paths.

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Fire Drill 2016: Live exercise

Japan is a country with regular earthquakes, natural disaster, and mass sudden death. As such, it is important to keep in mind the necessary procedures to keep oneself and others safe. Institutions like NAIST regular hold drills to ensure the timely evacuation of their buildings. This year’s fire drill was aimed at the staff and foreign students of the Graduate School of Information Science.

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Bike-sharing at NAIST, courtesy of the Recycling Club

Bikes are one of the healthiest and cheapest transport options around. However, exchange students often cannot afford to buy one for a short stay, and regular students may have a bike with a flat tire that they cannot or do not have the time to repair. That’s when the NAIST GSK Recycling Club comes into action.

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