News

Graduate School Common Courses (Advanced Liberal Arts course group) 2026 Belgium On-site Group Work: Open Forum

From August 16 to 23, 2026, On-site Group Work training program was conducted in Belgium. This program is part of a collaborative initiative between Doshisha University and Daikin Industries, Ltd. It is designed in accordance with the philosophy of Doshisha University's Global Resource Management (GRM) program, which emphasizes the importance of "visiting the field and experiencing reality firsthand on site."

Through the graduate-level Advanced Liberal Arts courses(Japanese only), On-site Group Work Introduction and On-site Group Work, graduate students from Doshisha University and young employees of Daikin Industries learn together, transcending the boundaries of humanities and sciences, as well as those between students and working professionals.

On September 4, 2026, the Open Forum for the On-site Group Work training program conducted in Belgium in August 2026 was held at Ryoshinkan, Imadegawa Campus.

During the Open Forum, students and working professionals who participated in the program delivered group presentations on the insights and reflections they had gained through field research and site visits. Open to a broader audience, the forum welcomed students considering participation in next year's program, former participants, faculty and staff members, as well as representatives from Daikin Industries' Technology and Innovation Center (TIC), including those who joined online.

The forum provided a valuable opportunity to share the outcomes of the program and engage in active discussion.

Learning from Practical Initiatives for a Sustainable Society by Diverse Stakeholders

Throughout the program, participants explored from multiple perspectives how diverse stakeholders, including governments, businesses, universities, and citizen communities, contribute to the realization of a sustainable society and work collaboratively to address societal and environmental challenges, as described below.

- Site Visits to EU Policymaking Institutions
- Research of Environmental and Climate Change Initiatives
- Carbon-Neutral Urban Development and Citizen-Participatory Community Building
- University-Based Sustainability Organizations, Research, and Educational Activities

Through comparing the institutional, technological, and social approaches adopted by each organization, participants gained an understanding that environmental challenges cannot be addressed by a single actor alone but require collaboration among diverse stakeholders. At the Open Forum, participants were divided into three groups and presented the outcomes of their efforts to organize and analyze the insights gained through field research.

Analysis Focusing on the Linkage between Top-down and Bottom-up Approaches

Each group focused on how “top-down” approaches, such as institutional design and policy initiatives by government agencies and universities, and “bottom-up” approaches, such as voluntary actions and social practices by citizens and communities, function in a mutually complementary manner. They proposed that, to realize sustainable cities and societies, it is important to establish governance mechanisms through which diverse actors collaborate toward shared goals, rather than relying on either approach alone.

Participants also presented proposals on how the insights gained in Belgium could be applied to Doshisha University's education and research activities, as well as to campus operations. Concrete ideas were shared for positioning the university as a living laboratory for sustainability , including promoting environmentally conscious behavior, revitalizing the campus community, strengthening cross-departmental collaboration, and fostering organizational collaboration and co-creation toward carbon neutrality.

Sharing the Outcomes of Interdisciplinary and Practical Learning

The Open Forum provided an opportunity for participants not only to deepen their understanding of the insights gained through overseas field research, but also to consider how their insights could be applied to their own organizations and local communities. It also highlighted the importance of examining sustainability-related social issues from multiple perspectives through collaboration among participants with diverse academic backgrounds and professional experiences.

Following the group presentations, participants took part in a gallery walk ^(*), where presentation posters served as a basis for lively question-and-answer sessions and exchanges of ideas. The forum was a fruitful opportunity for continued learning and is expected to inspire further initiatives.

^{*Gallery walk: An interactive learning method in which participants walk around the room to view presentation displays and exchange opinions.}

Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all those who provided generous support from the planning and implementation of the program, including Daikin Europe N.V.

Read More About the Preparatory Study at Daikin TIC Here
Read More About Days 1-3 Here
Read More About Days 4-5 Here