Eligibility
- 18 years of age or above
- Good academic and disciplinary standing at Penn State
- 3.0 cumulative GPA or better at the time of application review
- Sophomore standing or above at the start of the program
- This program is only open to students in the College of Engineering and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
Program Description
The Tohoku University STEM Summer Program (TSSP), Exploring the Frontier of Science & Technology is designed specifically for students majoring in science and engineering (STEM). Tohoku University will provide students with insight on what world society needs based on advanced science and technology in the future and how they can contribute to society through research, and they will offer cutting-edge classes in advanced sciences and engineering. Penn State students can earn 4 credits on this summer program at Tohoku University.
This 4-week program consists of the following 4 parts: (1) cutting-edge science and technology being developed at Tohoku University; (2) science and technologies related to disasters and reduction of damage based on experiences of the Great East Japan Earthquake; (3) group problem-solving activities (hands-on experiments) to gain experience with the frontier science and technology; and (4) Japanese language and culture. At the end of the program, students will make a final (wrap-up) presentation on items (1) or (2) on their experience. The program includes experiments, lectures, facility/ laboratory visits, presentation, and field trips.
Dates
Summer: mid June - mid July
Refer to Tohoku University's website for the specific dates.
Location
Sendai, the largest city in the Tohoku Region, is located about 350 km to the northeast of Tokyo. It can be reached in two hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen Superexpress, the Bullet Train. It is an important economic and cultural center in northern Japan with many universities, government agencies, and corporate branch headquarters. Sendai, often called the City of Trees, is a city known for its tree-lined streets, and it is also regarded as an academic city with its center on Tohoku University. Sendai is regarded as one of the most pleasant Japanese cities in which to live.
Tohoku University was established in Sendai in 1907 as Tohoku Imperial University by consolidating an agricultural college and a science college. It is the third oldest former Imperial University after Tokyo and Kyoto. Tohoku University is well known for its open and progressive policies. It was the first Imperial University to admit women and foreign students, and also pioneered in opening a university by offering public lectures. In 1911, Tohoku University graduated its first foreign students, thus becoming the Japanese university with the longest history of foreign graduates.
Education Abroad in Countries with a Penn State Restricted Travel Designation
In order to comply with Penn State’s International Travel Policy, students interested in studying abroad in countries that Penn State has designated as “restricted” for travel, a petition for a waiver must be submitted. Once a petition is complete, and if the student is approved for study on the program in question, the student may be asked to meet with the Director of Education Abroad and the petition will be reviewed by the Penn State International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC). The necessary petition will be included in the online application process for this program. To see if your program is taking place in a restricted travel country, please visit the Penn State Global website.