On 13 December 2024, a lecture was attended by 550 third-year junior high school students, and first- and second-year high school students.
The students were completely fascinated by the 90-minute lecture, watching the slides from beginning to end. We received the following comments: "I thought Dean Kato's lecture would be difficult, but it was interesting and easy to understand, so I was able to concentrate on listening. I learned just how much impact engineering research has on the world, and it was a very stimulating experience that changed my views on engineering", and "Because the topic covered a wide range of fields, including environmental degradation and the issue of child labor, I became interested in engineering, even though my first choice was humanities", and "It was a story about pursuing dreams and ideals. If I entered the University of Tokyo, my dream would come true; I will do my best". We also received positive questions during the Q&A session and very encouraging messages, such as, "We will change the future. I aim to enter the University of Tokyo".
The whole venue was filled with an atmosphere of emotion. The teachers also expressed their gratitude for the great encouragement the students received from the lecture.
Midori Aoki (Metaverse School of Engineering)