[Topics] International Training Program Held at the Faculty of Agriculture for Jinan First High School and Jeonbuk National University

Kyushu University Hosts Overseas Training Program under Korea's High School-University Partnership Project

On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, an Overseas Training Program for Jinan First High School and Jeonbuk National University from Korea was held at the University Forest (Sasaguri Town, Kasuya District, Fukuoka Prefecture) and at Ito Campus (Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture).
The participants included 44 second-year students and 8 teachers from Jinan First High School, 2 faculty members from Jeonbuk National University, and 1 faculty member from Gyeongsang National University. Faculty members and technical staff from the Faculty of Agriculture and the New Campus Planning Office delivered lectures and provided on-site introductions on forest, environmental, and water resource management.

Jinan First High School, located in Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province (formerly North Jeolla Province), was designated in FY2024 by the Korean Ministry of Education as an "Autonomous Public High School 2.0" and operates under this program. With support from industry, academia, and government organizations--including Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water), Jeonbuk National University, and the Jeonbuk Forest and Environment Research Institute--the school is committed to fostering global environmental leaders who connect local communities with the world through a specialized curriculum focused on forests, environment, and water resources.

At Kyushu University, the Forestry and Forest Products Course of the Faculty of Agriculture conducts education and research on "forests, environment, and water resources." For practical training, the Faculty utilizes its affiliated University Forests located in Fukuoka, Hokkaido, and Miyazaki, as well as the Ito Conservation Green Area.
Jeonbuk National University is a partner institution under Kyushu University's inter-university academic exchange agreement. Based on its previous experience conducting overseas field training at the Fukuoka Experimental Forest, Jeonbuk National University proposed an overseas training program using Kyushu as the field site to Jinan First High School. As part of this initiative, the training program was implemented at Kyushu University.

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Program Activities at the University Forest

In the morning session, six members of the Faculty of Agriculture, including Professor Tomonori Kume from the University Forest, delivered a lecture on "What is a University Forest?"
Participants also explored the ideal relationship between people and forests through fieldwork using satoyama landscapes as a case study. During the fieldwork, they experienced how trees that look similar can feel completely different to the touch and learned through on-site observation that both tree felling and the expansion of bamboo groves have advantages and disadvantages. In addition, at the specimen room of the Experimental Forest, which has a history of over 100 years, they confirmed that tree specimens brought from the Korean Peninsula in the past are preserved there. Kyushu University has a long history of exchange with Korea, and we look forward to further strengthening this relationship in the future.

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Program Activities at Ito Campus

In the afternoon session, lectures and field training were conducted at the Large Lecture Hall of the Faculty of Agriculture and the Ito Conservation Green Area.
Following a welcome address by Professor Sang-Hyun Lee of Jeonbuk National University, Professor Yasuhiro Shuin of the Faculty of Agriculture delivered lectures on "Historical Transitions of Forests and Forestry in Japan," "Introduction to the Forestry and Forest Products Course at the Faculty of Agriculture," and "Future Challenges Illustrated by Climate Change and Recent Changes in Forests and Disasters."
Subsequently, Research Assistant Professor Yuri Yoshimura from the Campus Planning Office introduced "The Formation and Management of the Ito Campus Conservation Green Area."
The session concluded with thank-you remarks from Principal Dae-Won Choi of Jinan First High School and student representative Ji-Soo Ha.

At the Ito Conservation Green Area, participants strolled through the "Biodiversity Conservation Zone," one of the six zones of the area, while Research Assistant Professor Yoshimura (New Campus Planning Office), Technical Specialist Keiichiro Cho, and Technical Staff Ayumi Ogata delivered lectures on topics such as "Green Space Management in the Ito Conservation Green Area" and "Ecosystems and Water Resources of the Ito Conservation Green Area."

The students eagerly attended the lectures and actively engaged in friendly Q&A sessions with Kyushu University faculty and technical staff during the field visits. During breaks between lectures and training sessions, they strolled around West Building No. 5 and its surrounding areas, experiencing the atmosphere of campus life and gaining unique insights into university life.
After completing the program, the students shared their impressions, saying, "We enjoyed the classes," and "This experience deepened our interest in environmental and forestry fields and provided a valuable opportunity to consider our future career paths." Teachers expressed their hope that this program would serve as a foundation for academic and cultural friendship between Kyushu University and Jinan First High School and that such exchanges will continue in the future.

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Contact Information

Tomonori Kume, Professor
TEL: 092-948-3113
Mail: kume.tomonori.329★m.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Yasuhiro Shuin, Professor
TEL: 092-802-4645
Mail: shuin.yasuhiro.542★m.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Yuri Yoshimura, Research Assistant Professor (New Campus Planning Office)
TEL: 092-802-2096
Mail: yoshimura.yuri.176★m.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Please replace ★ with @