APU Students Visit Kyutech's Research on Space and AI Robotics

On March 3, 2025, students from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), led by Professor Masanori Fujita (College of International Management, APU), visited Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech) to observe research in the fields of space and AI robotics. This visit was organized to promote student exchange following the selection of APU and Kyutech in November 2024 for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) initiative, Multicultural Campus Project Toward Social Impact, which supports the internationalization of universities to create social impact.

At Kyutech’s Tobata Campus, the students observed research on microsatellites, an area where Kyutech has ranked number one globally in satellite launches for seven consecutive years. They toured the Center for Nanosatellite Testing and attended a lecture at the Advanced Research and Innovation Center’s Innovative Space Utilization Demonstration Laboratory, deepening their understanding of Kyutech’s space-related research.

At the Iizuka Campus, the students visited research laboratories within the Graduate School of Computer Science and Systems Engineering’s Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering. They engaged in discussions with Kyutech students in both English and Japanese, exchanging ideas about AI robotics research. During the AI robotics demonstration, APU students also had the opportunity to operate robots themselves.

Through this exchange, APU students were able to connect Kyutech’s research to their own fields of study, while Kyutech students gained valuable experience in explaining their research to an international audience, as many of the visiting APU students were international students. This meaningful exchange provided valuable learning opportunities for both sides.

Moving forward, APU and Kyutech will continue to foster collaboration across disciplines, bridging the gap between the sciences and humanities.