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Led by Professor Yi-Hsin Chien, Associate Professor Jun-Wei Huang, and Assistant Professor Ping-Yen Hsieh, 19 students from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Feng Chia University traveled to Kyushu University — one of Japan's leading national research universities — from August 17 to 25, 2026, for a nine-day, 68-hour overseas immersion program. The program combined classroom lectures, hands-on laboratory work, and reflection sessions, conducted entirely in English.
Ahead of departure, Professor Chien organized a 20-hour pre-trip training program taught by the three faculty members themselves. The sessions covered key technologies of global interest — including plasma technology and applications, nuclear fusion reactions and materials selection, and wide-bandgap semiconductor devices — alongside practice in reading scientific literature, oral presentation rehearsals, and an introduction to Japanese academic etiquette to prepare students for the exchange.
At Kyushu University, Professor Nobuya Hayashi, Associate Professor Yoshito Yagyu, Professor Tsuyoshi Yoshitake, and Professor Kazunari Katayama delivered lectures — entirely in English — on the applications of plasma in biomedicine and agriculture, the fabrication of wide-bandgap semiconductor nanodiamonds, and fusion fuel processing and tritium separation technologies. The 19 Feng Chia students were divided into seven groups and worked in the laboratories of the four Japanese professors, conducting hands-on experiments under the guidance of local graduate students. Research topics included plasma-activated macrophages for cancer therapy and antibacterial applications in space, advanced packed-column distillation for deuterium reduction, and nanodiamond thin-film deposition via coaxial arc plasma. Through trial-and-error experimentation, theoretical verification, and substantive cross-disciplinary discussion, the Feng Chia students demonstrated strong hands-on adaptability and a genuine spirit of scientific inquiry.
Nineteen students from Feng Chia University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering completed a nine-day, 68-hour English-immersion program at Kyushu University, showcasing their international competitiveness and marking a new milestone in the two universities' dual-degree partnership.
Participating students conduct hands-on experiments related to plasma, semiconductors, and nuclear fusion in Kyushu University laboratories, guided by Japanese graduate students.
Kyushu University faculty members deliver subject-specific lectures to Feng Chia students entirely in English.
Beyond coursework and lab work, the faculty-student delegation also visited several of Kyushu University's specialized research facilities. The group first toured the Photonics Research Laboratory led by Professor Kiichi Hamamoto, where students observed the yellow-light lithography room and semiconductor laser room firsthand and learned about photonic integrated circuits used in breath and gas sensing. The delegation then visited the Ultramicroscopy Research Center, directed by Professor Satoshi Hata, where researchers explained the structure and industrial applications of transmission and scanning electron microscopes, giving students a close-up look inside these precision instruments.
Feng Chia faculty and students visit the Photonics Research Laboratory and the Ultramicroscopy Research Center, observing the internal structure of advanced precision instruments up close.
At the program's closing ceremony, students combined a week of hands-on results with their academic knowledge to deliver final project presentations entirely in English, fielding questions from Kyushu University's faculty. The Feng Chia students' fluent English delivery and confident responses earned high praise from the judging panel. Group 5 — Po-Yung Lin, Yu-Tsen Lin, and Yu-Chin Lin — took first place; Group 4 — Po-Tsang Chiu and Hui-Wen Cheng — placed second; and Group 1 — Shou-Chun Cheng and Shih-Che Chang — placed third.
Kyushu University Professor Emeritus Yoshinobu Kawai presents awards to students who excelled in the all-English final presentations.
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Feng Chia University maintains close academic ties with Kyushu University. Kyushu University Professor Emeritus Yoshinobu Kawai, a leading figure in Japan's plasma physics community, has been invited by the department to serve as a visiting professor and special lecturer for the past 13 years. Professor Kawai has worked closely with Feng Chia University Chair Professor Chu-Liang Ho on industry-academia projects and has actively helped facilitate Feng Chia students' overseas immersion programs and laboratory visits at Kyushu University — playing a key role in bringing about the letter of intent for a dual-degree program between the two universities. This nine-day overseas immersion program strengthened both the English communication skills and international research capabilities of Feng Chia students. In recent years, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering has actively promoted internationalized instruction, and it will continue to deepen joint research initiatives, dual-degree collaboration, and diverse academic exchange with Kyushu University going forward.
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