On February 9–22, 2025, Yokohama National University (YNU) successfully hosted the 2025 Winter School short-term exchange program for Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) students in Japan. A total of 10 master's and doctoral students from the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at SJTU School of Ocean and Civil Engineering participated. Additionally, three graduate students from the School completed a three-month short-term study program at YNU.

Academic Lectures and Laboratory Visits: Broadening Academic Horizons

During their time at YNU, eight professors and postdocs from YNU delivered a series of engaging academic lectures for Chinese and Japanese students. They also guided visits of the laboratories, introducing research achievements such as experiments in the towing tank, dynamic stability analysis of aircraft using CFD, basic knowledge of digital twin technology, the current situation and future development of aquaculture, mathematical modeling, and computer simulation of marine ecosystems. This deepened the students' understanding of cutting-edge hotspots and challenges in the field of naval architecture and ocean engineering in Japan and internationally, further broadening their academic horizons.

Group Activities: Innovative Design and Ideas

In the "Conceptual Design of a Floating City at Sea" group activity, Chinese and Japanese students divided into five groups for in-depth discussions and design practices around the theme. Combining previous research findings, they put forward many creative design ideas and thoroughly analyzed the technical challenges and solutions in the construction of floating cities. During the activity, the students fully utilized AI technology to complete the visual design of the floating city, showcasing the sparks of thinking in a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary context, while also enhancing their teamwork and communication skills.

Academic Reports and Cultural Sharing: A Bridge for Exchange and Friendship

Graduate students from both universities reported on their research progress during the event, with a wide range of topics and diverse selections. The exchanges between teachers and students were lively and in-depth. The students not only shared academic achievements but also exchanged cultural anecdotes from their hometowns, increasing their understanding of each other's national cultures. Moreover, the students participated in the graduation poster presentation and job fair for Japanese students, improving their oral communication abilities and gaining a deeper understanding of Japan's academic environment and job market.

Cultural Tours and Company Visits: Experiencing the Charm of History and Technology

During the exchange program, YNU organized a variety of cultural tours and technological company visits. Chinese and Japanese teachers and students jointly visited the Nissan Oppama Plant, gaining a deep understanding of Japan's cutting-edge technology and innovation in the automotive manufacturing field; at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), they had close contact with the latest developments in underwater vehicles and deep-sea exploration technology; at the Japan National Maritime Research Institute(NMRI), they conducted on-site investigations of research facilities in various laboratories; and at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), they not only enjoyed exhibitions of the latest achievements in the aerospace field but also personally experienced the fun of simulating ship and aircraft handling. In addition, the teachers and students also visited cultural landmarks such as Yokohama Port, deeply feeling the historical heritage and maritime cultural characteristics of Yokohama, and further experiencing the significance of cross-cultural exchanges.

With the conclusion of a warm and joyful farewell party, the winter school short-term exchange program came to a successful end. During the event, teachers and students transcended cultural differences, made many like-minded new friends, broadened their horizons, and injected new vitality into academic cooperation and cultural exchange between the two universities, laying a more solid foundation.

Yokohama National University is one of the earliest Japanese universities to establish a university-level cooperative relationship with SJTU. Since the signing of the student exchange memorandum between the two schools, the School of Ocean and Civil Engineering and YNU have regularly sent more than ten graduate students to visit each other every year, including short-term exchange students, dual-degree doctoral students, collaborative research students, etc., covering disciplines such as naval architecture and ocean engineering, and civil engineering. The continuous implementation of this exchange program has steadily and substantially developed the cooperative relationship with each other, further implementing our internationalization strategy.