The seventh class of the selection-based GLP-GEfIL Program for undergraduate students has completed the program. The completion ceremony was held on Friday, January 26, 2024 at Sanjo Conference Hall.
Thirty-one students completed the program at the ceremony, and the total number of students who completed the GLP-GEfIL program reached 334. After an opening speech by Professor Kensuke Fukushi, Director of the GLP Office, each student was handed a certificate of completion in the name of the President of the University of Tokyo by Professor Kaori Hayashi, Executive Vice President in charge of GLP-GEfIL. There were also congratulatory speeches from Professor Hayashi and Executive Vice President Professor Atsushi Tsuda.
Professor Fukushi
Presentation of Certificate of Completion
Professor Hayashi
Professor Tsuda
Twelve people from five sponsoring companies and one foundation who are supporting this program attended the ceremony. Ms. Makiko Eda, Managing Executive Officer, Chief Sustainability, DE&I Officer of Sumitomo Corporation, a GLP Leading Partner of the University of Tokyo, also gave a congratulatory speech.
The speeches from the students who completed the program were given by Hiroaki Sagawa, Rongzhi Li and Taiga Hirose.
Ms. Makiko Eda
(From left) Mr. Hiroaki Sagawa, Rongzhi Li and Taiga Hirose
At the reception following the ceremony, many of the students were seen relaxing and chatting with each other, the guests from sponsoring companies and the foundation, and the GLP mentor faculty members and staff, all with a sense of relief and accomplishment after completing the program, which lasted more than two years. One of the students who completed the program said, "When I started the GLP-GEfIL program, I thought two years would be a long time, but now that it is over, it seems to have passed by very quickly.” It must have been a fulfilling two years for them.
The year 2021, when they joined the GLP-GEfIL program, was still under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, so they started the program with a lower number of students than previous years. There were some difficult times after that, such as restrictions on travel to some overseas programs, one of the main pillars of the GEfIL program, but they worked together to overcome these difficulties.
Congratulations to the 31 students who have successfully completed the program!
