"High School Students Shaping the Future × Researchers in ICT: Session on Beyond Human Intelligence, Co-create New Standards for Future Society" was held

The NICT Diversity Promotion Office held a talk session titled "High School Students Shaping the Future × Researchers in ICT: Session on Beyond Human Intelligence, Co-create New Standards for Future Society" on Saturday, June 29, 2024, as part of the "NICT Open House 2024."

This session was held as part of NICT's diversity promotion efforts and STEM talent development activities. It brought together 12 high school students from three schools, the President, and four NICT researchers at the forefront of the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) field. Based on research presentations stemming from the students' problem discovery, discussions were held on how to solve current issues.

The session kicked off with research presentations by high school students from various schools, showcasing their ICT-based initiatives. Otsuma Nakano High School highlighted the inconvenience of scattered school-related information and presented their efforts in developing a centralized website and new tools to enhance school life.
Tokyo Metropolitan Tama High School of Science and Technology addressed the issue of excessive teacher workloads by introducing an app designed to streamline and digitize certain tasks. Chuo University Junior & High School shared updates on their existing "Meteor Appearance Notification System," detailing their efforts in reducing noise in observation data and improving an application for individuals with disabilities.

In the latter half of the session, an idea-sharing discussion was held involving all the high school students and researchers. The students asked specific questions regarding system improvement methods based on feedback, system operation and maintenance, and security issues — specific challenges related to implementation. The researchers provided detailed advice on these issues and possible improvements.

At the end of the session, President TOKUDA presented certificates of recognition to those who delivered outstanding presentations.
Discussions unfolded from both the perspectives of high school students and NICT researchers, covering the current state of research, future challenges, social impacts, and potential future developments. It was an exceptionally lively and meaningful session, enriched by diverse viewpoints and ideas.

■Participating High Schools & Research Presentation Titles
Otsuma Nakano High School
"Development of the Tsumanaka Portal Site"
Tokyo Metropolitan Tama High School of Science and Technology
"Reducing Teachers' Working Hours through the Development of an AR-Based School Guidance Support App"
Chuo University Junior & High School
"Development of the Original iPhone Application 'Listening to Meteors' Aiming for Barrier-Free Meteor Observation"

■NICT Panelists
TOKUDA Hideyuki, President
MORIAI Shiho, Strategic Planning Department Director / Diversity Promotion Office Director
KOBAYASHI Shohei, Director of Bio-ICT Laboratory, Kobe Frontier Research Center, Advanced ICT Research Institute
NAKAMIZO Aoi, Senior Researcher, Space Environment Laboratory, Radio Propagation Research Center, Radio Research Institute