From August 3rd to 9th, three APU master students have joined the International Network of Universities' Master's Summer School accompanied with Professor Faezeh Mahichi. The topic of this year was Global Environmental Sustainability, Water Security which was hosted by Hiroshima University. The INU program is an extraordinary event, it is not just a tour to Hiroshima, but an eye-opening field study of water security. Mainly I have categorized the most valuable lessons I have learnt from these three activities: Poster Conference, Sea Research, and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony a Museum.

                        

The poster conference is the moment where students represent their university educational standards and make their professor proud. In this friendly competition, everyone is under pressure and took a lot of effort to prepare for this presentation. With a month of preparation, it is indeed a fierce and professional competition. Despite learning from other presenters and taking criticisms from judges, the topic of world water security should not be ignored. From this summer school we learnt the water problems from different nations. For instance in Bhutan where valleys are vulnerable to floods and dams are build as a form of protection. Meanwhile Vietnam faces droughts because the government has built too much dam for the electric power to stop the flow of local rivers.

In one of the program, where the whole group has to aboard the Japanese researcher ship, in there we learnt safety priority and how professionals conduct experiment on planktons, and measure seawater's pH. Previously I have heard from a friend from Nagasaki University of the aqua culture department that students are required to stay on a ship for a month to conduct experiment. I am glad INU have include this wonderful experience to make students learn in first hand the life of a boatman.

Overall, this journey couldn't have been better, I am grateful for being selected as one of the participants to join INU program as a true learning experience. It is fortunate to hear that there will be more INU programs opening every year, perhaps in the near future more participants can join this field study as I think many students are missing out the first hand experience needed and the lack of competition with other universities. If possible, I will sure join the next INU field study as it is indeed a one of a kind that is both educational yet thrilling.

        

Written by SAY Dietermar, Master Student of Asia Pacific Studies,

Major of International Cooperation Policy: Tourism.

August 12, 2014