11 October 2017 at 9:00 am

SIT students journey to Japan

Last month, eight Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia (PMSA) awardees from the Southern Institute of Technology headed to Tokyo for an intensive programme on cybersecurity.

japan
L-R: Students Hillgard Du Preez, Jordan Hamilton, Aaron Boal, Dr John Ayoade (SIT staff), Brittney Huxford, David Cartman, Matthew Pope, Jesse Lilley, Nelson Egadu.

The students are Bachelor of Information Technology or Master of Information Technology students at SIT. Thanks to the scholarship, they are participating in an eight-week Cybersecurity and Internet of Things Knowledge Transfer and Cultural Programme at Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST).

Accompanying the students is Dr John Ayoade, the academic leader of the Master of Information Technology programme at SIT. Having previously worked at Tokyo’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Dr Ayoade took the group to visit NICT to attend presentations and hands-on workshops by its cybersecurity experts and researchers.

“The PMSA programme will help the students to build connections, networks and friendships, and develop a deeper understanding of the Japanese language and culture,” said Dr Ayoade.

“They’ll also gain an international perspective that will stand them in good stead for their future careers, and in the short-term, contribute to ideas for their postgraduate and master’s projects at SIT.”

Staying in Kichijoji, a vibrant suburb in Tokyo, the students have also had some down time to explore Shinjuku, Akihabara, Shibuya, Harajuku and SkyTree and visit the local shops, cafes and restaurants.

Having just concluded their first week, they are excited and looking forward to learning from the talented professors at NAIST.

What's in it for me?