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| The DLSU Participants - Students and Faculty (Photo by Jason Ongpeng) |
Last April 29 to May 8, 2015, an intercultural exchange
collaboration took place in Tokyo, Japan. 23 Civil Engineering (CE) and 16 Manufacturing
Engineering and Management (MEM) students from De La Salle University were
invited by the Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT) for a 10-day socio-cultural
program. DLSU faculty, Ronaldo Gallardo (CE) and Dr. Nilo Bugtai (MEM) and TIT Phils Offcie staff, Ms. Ioulany Esguerra and Dianne Buagas accompanied the students. The purpose of the program was to expose students to the cultural and
the technological development of Japan as well as to promote closer ties with
the TIT students and professors. The itinerary included various locations such
as the TIT campus, museums, temples, and other iconic landmarks found in Tokyo.
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| TIT Students' Exhibit of Inventions |
One of the highlights of the
exchange program was the TIT campus tour. Here, the students were exposed to
the university life in Japan as they visited different areas in the campus.
Students were able to witness projects done by the TIT students as well as
Japan’s most powerful super computer known as the TSUBAME 2.5. This high-speed
supercomputer is used to process and store a large amount of data. The types of
data processed include the simulation of earthquakes, wind patterns, water
molecule movement, and much more. One of the locations also included in the
campus tour was the TIT library, which is also known as the Cheesecake Library
due to its architecture. In this segment of the campus tour, students were able
to observe the study habits of the TIT students as well as the structural
design of the buildings at the University.
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| TIT's Cheesecake Library |
Aside from the campus tour,
students noted the efficiency and unparalleled public transportation scheme of
Japan, particularly its railway system. With a delay rate of only 7
seconds/year, Japan’s subway system proves to be one of the most reliable
transportation lines globally. The train system provides linkages among
different cities and provincial towns, making pedestrian transport convenient
and more accessible.
Other locations that were of
note in the program were the Miraikan Museum, Rainbow Bridge, and the Tokyo
Skytree. The Miraikan Museum showcased the ingenuity of the Japanese through
their advanced technology. An example of this would be the famous robot called
ASIMO, which had the capability to perform human movements such as walking,
running, and jumping. The Rainbow Bridge can be considered as an engineering
marvel by the Japanese due to its state of the art design. It is a suspension
type bridge and is one of the longest in Tokyo. The Tokyo Skytree, on the other
hand, stands as the tallest tower at 624 meters.
Aside from the exposure to the advanced engineering and progressive
technology of Japan, students were also given the chance to look back and
experience the rich culture of the country. The Meiji Shrine, situated in the
heart of Harajuku, and the Asakusa Temple showcased and preserved centuries of Japanese
heritage and history. Students marveled on how temples could tell stories of
the Japanese people and their practices. The students also learned how to pay
respect in the temples and engage in rituals to show such reverence.
The last destination for the
students in the itinerary was Hino Motors, Ltd. The corporation is a leading
manufacturer of trucks and buses in Japan. It has expanded to various locations
around the world. One of which is in the Philippines. The tour allowed the students
to observe the production of Heavy Duty Trucks (HDT) from start to finish.
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| DLSU Students in Green. Animo Lasalle! |
All in all, the program was a
fruitful experience that brought about many lessons and insights with a
responsibility instilled in the aspiring engineers of DLSU. With that, students
may bring home what they learned and apply it to future engineering projects in
the Philippines.
Article by Kevin Atienza,
Carla Gonzalez and Jorge Joaquino
Photos by Beatrice Liu and
Nestor de Ocampo
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