Discover Tohoku University ?東北大学ってこんな大学?

2024年12月 4日 10:30

オープンキャンパス行ってみた2024 ～2日目　シカゴ大学コラボ～

東北大学学生広報スタッフの小滝です。

フィンランドに帰国した留学生と今も連絡をとっているのですが、あちらの夏は例年20-25度くらいだと聞きました。今の日本だと秋口あたりの気温ですね...。

さて、猛暑の7月末に開催された本学のオープンキャンパスですが、今年はシカゴ大学の教授や学生の方々も参加しておりました！
オープンキャンパス紹介最終回となる本記事では、当日の様子をお伝えします。

初の英語でのインタビューも行いました！

シカゴ大学×東北大学量子アライアンス（Chicago-Tohoku Quantum Alliance）：
特別展示、量子ゲーム体験
取材：教育学部　3年　小滝真悠

東北大学は2023年6月に量子アライアンスを発足し、様々な共同プロジェクトを進めてきました。

今回のコラボ企画はシカゴ大学側から提案されたもので、2日間にわたって特別展示や量子ゲームの体験コーナーが設けられました。

いざ会場へ（電気情報物理工学科復興記念教育研究未来館）

量子ゲームの体験コーナー

文系の小滝はそもそも「量子」自体を知らなかったのですが、会場でお会いした田中陽一郎総長特別補佐（国際共創担当）も「量子科学を理解するのはとても難しい」、今回のゲーム企画などを通して「将来的に量子科学を学んだときに、『あの時ゲームでやったところだ！』と思い出してくれればうれしい」とおっしゃっていました。

ということで、小滝も高校生に交じって「量子ゲーム」を体験してみました！

量子ゲーム

シカゴ大学ウェブサイト

小滝が挑戦したのは、量子をイメージした3色のカードの役を競うゲームです。
赤、青、紫の基本的なカードや、「赤?紫」や「青?紫」の色を変更できるカード、各色のカードを「結合」させるカードなどを戦略的に集めて、最終的な役の強さを競いました。
小滝は真ん中くらいの強さの役を作りました！

ゲームを楽しむ参加者の様子

紫のカードが「quantum superposition（量子重ね合わせ）」を意味しているなど、量子物理学の考えを感覚的に体験できることが特徴だそうです。
難しかったですが、高校生の方々と楽しくプレイすることができました！

フォトブース

広報室サイエンスライターの口町さんと一緒に、「量子キー」を暗号に互いの自撮り写真を交換する体験をしました！　2つのブースに分かれてタブレット端末の指示に従って操作すると、気づいた時には写真の交換が完了していました...！

量子ゲームと同様、量子の「もつれ」などを利用しているみたいですね。

「量子キー」なるものが作成されていました...！

続いて、本プロジェクトの学生側の代表であるシカゴ大学 STAGE Director of Science の Sunanda Prabhu-Gaunkar さんにお話を聞きました。

Sunanda さん

―How did you feel when the collaboration project you worked on finally became reality?
（両大学のコラボが実現すると決まったときのお気持ちを教えてください。）

This is a great partnership, and we were very excited to come to Japan and meet the Japanese students. It was incredibly rewarding to be there in person to see that the students enjoyed the game we worked so hard on.

―What do you want high school students to learn about quantum science?
（高校生の方たちに、量子科学のどのようなことを学んでほしいと思いますか。）

Quantum science is a new and interesting field, so we want high school students to try to understand it, get excited about it, and be curious. Through fun, interactive games, we aim to teach them about quantum science. The games provide an engaging way to learn basic quantum principles. Even if you don't know anything about quantum science at the start, you can pick up concepts as you play. Then, the next time you hear about quantum science on TV or even in your own lab as a scientist, you'll recognize it from the game as something familiar.

―What was it like interacting with high school students?
（高校生と交流しての感想を教えてください。）

The students in Japan are fantastic! They were really involved in thinking up different strategies while playing. They were very excited to meet new people and asked us a lot of questions about the science behind the game. It was apparent they wanted to know more and more about the world of quantum science.

―Lastly, please tell me your vision for the future.
（最後に、今後の展望を教えてください。）

We want to encourage students to collaborate across disciplines, like how our games bring together students from science, art, and game design. We want to tell students that you don't have to choose only science or art, you can combine these interests. One of our goals is for a diverse group of people to play the games--all genders, ages, and races--because science is for everyone. Afterall, the future quantum workforce will need a diverse group of people with knowledge from a variety of fields.

続いて、同じくシカゴ大学のNancy Kawalek教授にもインタビューしました。

Kawalek 教授

―What do you hope high school students will learn through this project?
（今回の企画を通して、高校生たちにどのような学びを得てほしいと考えていますか。）

First of all, I want people to understand how exciting quantum science is. There will be many career opportunities in the near future, but we don't have enough people to fill those roles. I'm not sure if it's the same here, but in the U.S., there's a lot of economic disparity, and many people don't personally know any scientists. They might think, "I can't be a scientist because I'm not smart enough," but that's completely untrue. Anyone who's determined, works hard, and loves science can become a scientist. We want people to know about the exciting opportunities in the field of quantum science, especially because we still don't know what incredible discoveries await us.

―I also enjoyed the Quantum game. What were some of the key points you focused on while developing the game?
（私も量子ゲームを楽しんだのですが、ゲーム開発の上でこだわった点を教えてください。）

One key point was to introduce quantum science to non-scientists and to get them excited. They're not going to learn the whole field from playing one game, but if they have a fun experience, some aspect of it will stick with them.

We've all come out of a pandemic. I know that in Japan, people were much better about getting back to normal, however, in the U.S., this became a very political issue. People didn't trust the scientists. I think there is this general feeling again of being afraid of science.

You can't just order people to do something--that doesn't work. To really change their minds, you need to engage them emotionally and give them an experience that sticks with them. When people have a positive, memorable experience, they're more likely to shift their perspective. Scientists also need to be careful not to make things too complicated when explaining to the public. Instead of overwhelming people with too many details, it's important to focus on what's fun and exciting. By showing people the wonder and excitement of science, you can create a meaningful connection and make a real difference.

―What were some of the challenges in implementing this collaboration project?
（企画展示なども含め、今回のコラボ企画を実施するにあたって苦労した点を教えてください。）

One of the main challenges was time. Students are very busy studying rigorously, so it's hard to find enough time for them to refine their work to a professional level. Large projects have many elements that need to come together, and we often don't have enough people to handle everything. University students, especially those at serious schools like the University of Chicago, want to do well in their studies, so it's important to make sure they have enough time to be thoughtful about their work without compromising their studies. These are some of the everyday challenges we face.

―Could you please give a message to both aspiring and current university students?
（これから大学進学を考えている高校生や、現在大学で学んでいる学生にメッセージをお願いします。）

There are several reasons to come to this university. First of all, after meeting the students here, I've seen how we have a shared expression. I don't know if I can explain it, but we say that "someone is game to do something"; it means they're just going to jump in without hesitation. For example, "I'll do this.", or "I'll learn this." They're enthusiastic and up for anything. The students here have risen to the occasion by learning difficult games in a short amount of time, and even show the initiative to teach others the rules as well. This shows a progressive mentality and highlights the quality of their training, as they approach things with curiosity and a willingness to explore. I think that's as good a reason to choose going to university as any.

I feel that this is a very progressive university. A lot of it was started by the previous president, who recognized that in the next 10 years, many jobs will arise, and we need to start preparing the younger generation for them now. You can't wait 10 years when the technology is already there, because it takes time to train people. Therefore, looking to the future and the opportunities available, I think choosing Tohoku University is a great decision because it is really thinking ahead.

―What are your thoughts on the alliance with Tohoku University that was signed last year?
（昨年締結された東北大学とのアライアンスに関しては、どのようにお考えですか。）

We'd like to create many more projects together. I believe Tohoku University is a progressive place where bringing people together with a common goal can achieve much more than working separately. A collaborative project including people with different fields of expertise from different cultures results in even greater achievements.

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東北大とシカゴ大の方々が協力して高校生たちを楽しませていて、英語や歓声が飛び交う、活気あふれる素敵な空間でした！刺激的でグローバルで、東北大学の魅力がより多くの方々に伝わったのではないかと思います。

改めまして、取材にご協力いただいた両大学の皆さん、英語でのインタビューの際に助け舟を出してくださった口町さん、ありがとうございました！

これにて、2024年のオープンキャンパスの紹介はおしまいです！他にも多くの企画が催されていたので、各学部や研究科などのサイトも見てみてくださいね。

来年のオープンキャンパスも楽しみですね！

文?写真：学生広報スタッフ　小滝真悠
協力：国際連携部

問い合わせ先

総務企画部広報室
Email: koho*grp.tohoku.ac.jp（*を@に置き換えてください）

2024年 | 東北大学で学びたい方へ