KIT’s Second Monotsukuri Engineer Summer School

Seventeen students from our partner institution, the King Mongkut Institute of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Thailand, attended our summer school from June 4 to 9, 2018. Ayabe Industrial Park Promotion Center, KMUTT and KIT were parties to the internship agreement that made the first summer school of this type possible last year. News of the accessibility of our campus to Japanese manufacturing plants increased its popularity with Thai students. As a result, this second consecutive fiscal year we increased the number of companies summer school participants visited, making the program even more attractive. Thai participants in the school are excellent students who have enrolled in the “KMUTT Qualified Hands-on Engineer (Monotsukuri Engineer) Program.” They come from a range of disciplines and share a common interest in careers in Japanese manufacturing companies.

On the afternoon of Monday, June 4, the group began visiting 15 companies in cooperation with Ayabe City and Ayabe Industrial Park. Students were keenly interested in every company, not only in advanced technology and production management systems, but also in the firm’s history, human resource development policies, and more. Among the astute questions asked during discussion sessions was, “Are artisans necessary in a time when technology and mechanization have progressed so far?”. After completing the 4-day business visit, students paid the mayor of Ayabe a courtesy visit on June 8 (Friday) where they were encouraged to become “human resource bridges in manufacturing” between Thailand and Japan in the near future. In the afternoon, the group came to our Matsugasaki campus to hear from students about KIT areas of pride, student participation in annual Robocon and formula-style racing car competitions. The Thai engineering students eagerly listened to reports on the second consecutive overall KIT formula-style car race victory and the robot that was about to compete in Tokyo. After student’s reports, a Japanese language study gesture game and other activities, held with Japanese students, were thoroughly enjoyed by all. This completed the one-week program in Kyoto.

During the stay in Kyoto, participating students got a feeling for the Japanese spirit of manufacturing, enjoyed their first stay in a tatami room and Ayabe hot spring inn. In Kyoto city, they experienced making Japanese sweets and learned about Japanese cultural activities. We will continue to implement two-way Japan-Thailand corporate internships in cooperation with communities and regional governments.

Companies visited (random order):
GUNZE LIMITED, OMRON Corporation, NITTO SEIKO CO., LTD. (Yata Plant/Shiroyama Plant), KYOCERA Corporation, SUMITOMO RIKO COMPANY LIMITED, NITTO PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD., KATAYAMA CHEMICAL, INC., KANSAI DIETCOOK Co.,Ltd., Hanshin Delica Co.,Ltd., Honda Miso Honten Co., Ltd., KOKUSAN PARTS INDUSTRY CO., LTD., HORIUCHI MACHINERY CO., LTD., NITTO KOSHIN CO., LTD. and others.

  • Visiting Amanohashidate (a bridge to heaven)Visiting Amanohashidate (a bridge to heaven)
  • Courtesy visit with the Mayor of AyabeCourtesy visit with the Mayor of Ayabe
  • Briefing at Hanshin Delica Co.,Ltd.Briefing at Hanshin Delica Co.,Ltd.
  • Students gain experience in facility engineering at NITTO KOSHIN CO., LTD.Students gain experience in facility
    engineering at NITTO KOSHIN CO., LTD.
  • Commemorating the end of the programCommemorating the end of the program