On 27 September 2024, all of the 1,080 students in the high school were present at the event.
The students were very interested in Dean Kato's research theme, and there were many questions about rare earth mud and manganese nodules during the Q&A session.
It was a lecture that was stimulating for many students who left comments such as "I thought researchers had to go through a thorny path, but after seeing the slides of Dean's exciting research in Australia, I wanted to go there too, and I felt that being a researcher is a wonderful profession that can contribute to the world" and "There were many topics related to new technological innovations that we don't learn about in class, and I wish I had been able to hear a lecture like this earlier". During the Q&A session and the round table discussion that followed the lecture, Dean Kato gave advice to the students, including advice on choosing a faculty, what to keep in mind when giving a presentation to a screening committee, etc.
Many students felt a sense of empathy with Dean Kato's words, and through his lecture, the students learned the importance of taking on challenges with confidence, and it became a good opportunity for them to reconsider their own career paths and attitudes towards achieving their future dreams.
Midori Aoki (Metaverse School of Engineering)