Off to Sendai! Deepening Strategic Partnership with Tohoku University : Exploring Innovation and Tradition in the "City of Trees"

NTU OIA, in collaboration with our OverseasInternshipProgram partner WaterMirror, leveraged resources from Northeast Japan to host the 2026 NTU x Water Mirror Traineeship: Sendai - StartupInnovationEcosystem. This program led 17 interdisciplinary students from the NTU System into the heart of Sendai’s startup ecosystem, focusing specifically on our key strategic partner—Tohoku University. Through in-depth campus visits and dialogues across academia, government, and industry, students witnessed how this top-tier research institution drives regional transformation and innovation. Under the professional guidance of Tohoku University, students visited東北大学スタートアップガレージ and Tohoku University Knowledge Cast, dedicated startup incubation spaces, to observe how academic research is transformed into market-ready business proposals. A major highlight was the close collaboration between campus R&D and local support: from policy briefings by the Sendai City Economic Affairs Bureau and the Sendai City Industrial Promotion Organization, to visiting YUI NOS —the largest co-creation center in the Tohoku region. Students engaged in deep exchanges with local entrepreneurs and Tohoku University peers, while the Tohoku University Student Support Center provided detailed insights into how Japanese universities cultivate globally competitive, innovative talent through comprehensive career guidance. Furthermore, through the "Taiwanese in Japan" seminar, students gained practical survival rules for the Japanese workplace—from exchange studies to navigating foreign investment banks. Beyond professional observations, the team visited Osaki Hachimangu Shrine to participate in the 300-year-old Dontosai Festival, experiencing the power of faith and community cohesion through the traditional ritual fire. The trip concluded with an exhilarating skiing experience, allowing participants to build team spirit amidst the snow. Throughout the five-day journey, students also visited the Sendai City ScienceMuseum and the maker space FabLabSENDAI, finding innovative inspiration through science popularization and hands-on making. This study tour not only allowed students to experience the immense research energy of Tohoku University as a key partner school but also provided them with a valuable international perspective that integrates tradition with modernity, and research with the marketplace. Learn more about the Overseas Internship Program: https://internshipabroad.ntu.edu.tw/