The EiA (Engineers in Action) team of OIT International Center and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) conducted a joint international PBL (Project-Based Learning) program from August 19 to 26 at the Omiya Campus and Kawakami Village in Nara Prefecture.
For the first time, the PBL project addressed local community development issues, utilizing local resources from Kawakami Village, which has a partnership agreement with OIT. The theme was "Eco-Friendly Soap Making." Workshops were planned for August 24 at the OIT seminar house (former Kawakami East Elementary School) and on August 25 during the Omiya Open Campus.
Initially, three student leaders (TAs) were selected, and starting in April, they made multiple visits to Kawakami Village to gather materials such as cherry blossom petals, cedar and cypress sawdust, and waste materials for soap making. From May onward, general students from different departments and years were recruited to participate in teams focused on soap prototyping, 3D modeling, packaging design, and publicity. Through repeated online discussions leading up to the August training, they built trust while overcoming challenges and differing opinions.
In addition to soap making, the Taiwanese team designed a filtration system using recycled plastic bottles and various sizes of gravel to help participants experience the importance of Kawakami Village's clean water. Posters and surveys created to recruit local elementary and junior school students incorporated concepts related to SDGs and environmental education, with cooperation from the village office to promote the initiative to residents.
A key feature of the EiA project is that after setting the goals, students primarily took charge of planning and executing the workshop details. In the three days leading up to the event, students from both schools camped at the Seminar House, experiencing nature while exchanging ideas and strengthening their team dynamics late into the night. Approximately 30 participants, including local elementary pupils and their parents, attended the workshop on the 24th, and around 20 high school students and their parents visited booths on the 25th, providing positive feedback such as "I really enjoyed making soap" and "I gained a deeper understanding of SDGs."
Reflecting on the experience, participating students shared insights such as, "We learned that we can create soap and water filtration systems from readily available materials, making a step toward solving water pollution even in resource-limited areas with creativity and simple knowledge," and "We understood the importance of international exchange and the attitude of striving to understand others." They also noted that gathering individuals with diverse knowledge expanded possibilities and provided multiple perspectives on a single theme, highlighting the importance of personal responsibility in achieving their goals.
EiA stands for "Engineers in Action," a national project by the Taiwanese government aimed at addressing local issues through international teams from the perspective of university social responsibility (USR). NTUST has previously conducted activities in rural areas of Yilan County, Taiwan, as well as in Can Tho, Vietnam, and Surabaya, Indonesia. Since 2024, OIT has also been a partner in the EiA project, hosting this project and sending three graduate students to both countries for two weeks in July.
[Participating students]
OIT: 7 students (Master's Course in Applied Chemistry, Master's Course in Mechanical Engineering , Master's Course in Environmental Engineering, 3rd year of Mechanical Engineering, 1st year of Electrical and Electronic Systems Engineering)
NTUST: 5 students (Master's course in Electronic and Computer Engineering, 4th year of Materials Science and Engineering, 4th year of Chemical Engineering, 3rd year of Chemical Engineering, 3rd year of Applied Foreign Language)
[Faculty members in charge]
OIT: Masahiro Muraoka, Director of the International Center (Prof., Dept. of Applied Chemistry)
NTUST: TSAI, SHEN-LONG (Prof., Dept. of Chemical Engineering)
WANG, CHIU-YEN (Associate Prof., Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering)
https://www.2020usrexpo.org/en/USR.php
For the first time, the PBL project addressed local community development issues, utilizing local resources from Kawakami Village, which has a partnership agreement with OIT. The theme was "Eco-Friendly Soap Making." Workshops were planned for August 24 at the OIT seminar house (former Kawakami East Elementary School) and on August 25 during the Omiya Open Campus.
Initially, three student leaders (TAs) were selected, and starting in April, they made multiple visits to Kawakami Village to gather materials such as cherry blossom petals, cedar and cypress sawdust, and waste materials for soap making. From May onward, general students from different departments and years were recruited to participate in teams focused on soap prototyping, 3D modeling, packaging design, and publicity. Through repeated online discussions leading up to the August training, they built trust while overcoming challenges and differing opinions.
In addition to soap making, the Taiwanese team designed a filtration system using recycled plastic bottles and various sizes of gravel to help participants experience the importance of Kawakami Village's clean water. Posters and surveys created to recruit local elementary and junior school students incorporated concepts related to SDGs and environmental education, with cooperation from the village office to promote the initiative to residents.
A key feature of the EiA project is that after setting the goals, students primarily took charge of planning and executing the workshop details. In the three days leading up to the event, students from both schools camped at the Seminar House, experiencing nature while exchanging ideas and strengthening their team dynamics late into the night. Approximately 30 participants, including local elementary pupils and their parents, attended the workshop on the 24th, and around 20 high school students and their parents visited booths on the 25th, providing positive feedback such as "I really enjoyed making soap" and "I gained a deeper understanding of SDGs."
Reflecting on the experience, participating students shared insights such as, "We learned that we can create soap and water filtration systems from readily available materials, making a step toward solving water pollution even in resource-limited areas with creativity and simple knowledge," and "We understood the importance of international exchange and the attitude of striving to understand others." They also noted that gathering individuals with diverse knowledge expanded possibilities and provided multiple perspectives on a single theme, highlighting the importance of personal responsibility in achieving their goals.
EiA stands for "Engineers in Action," a national project by the Taiwanese government aimed at addressing local issues through international teams from the perspective of university social responsibility (USR). NTUST has previously conducted activities in rural areas of Yilan County, Taiwan, as well as in Can Tho, Vietnam, and Surabaya, Indonesia. Since 2024, OIT has also been a partner in the EiA project, hosting this project and sending three graduate students to both countries for two weeks in July.
[Participating students]
OIT: 7 students (Master's Course in Applied Chemistry, Master's Course in Mechanical Engineering , Master's Course in Environmental Engineering, 3rd year of Mechanical Engineering, 1st year of Electrical and Electronic Systems Engineering)
NTUST: 5 students (Master's course in Electronic and Computer Engineering, 4th year of Materials Science and Engineering, 4th year of Chemical Engineering, 3rd year of Chemical Engineering, 3rd year of Applied Foreign Language)
[Faculty members in charge]
OIT: Masahiro Muraoka, Director of the International Center (Prof., Dept. of Applied Chemistry)
NTUST: TSAI, SHEN-LONG (Prof., Dept. of Chemical Engineering)
WANG, CHIU-YEN (Associate Prof., Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering)
https://www.2020usrexpo.org/en/USR.php
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With local participants at the workshop -
Children creating original packages -
Taiwan team students enjoying the open campus