国際学生ワークショップ2008 - 参加者レポート -
（写真：右）
CAS IGDBA group of young students coming from different countries with different cultural background made The NAIST International Student Workshop 2008 a memorable experience.
We were very impressed by the hospitality of the organizers of the NAIST who created a friendly atmosphere for the participants to communicate with each other. The workshop provided the us with an opportunity to exchange our opinions about scientific research，career design and so on, which broadened our horizon a lot. Furthermore, we accumulated detailed experience about how to do a presentation at an international conference. For instance, we all realized what matters are not only the contents of your presentation, but also the way you express it, because you must organize your words in a very neat way in case the non-native English speakers misunderstand you.
Smart ideas and successful experimental strategies were shared and enjoyed among us, which made each of the participants a player instead of spectator. Moreover, we also learnt how to deal with conflict situation. Sometimes views are different and even controversial which may lead to an awkward end if not handling well. However the extensive discussion and constructive suggestions never let that happen.
In a word, this workshop was very impressive, and I hope what we learn from this event can help us make improvement in our future study.
（写真：中央）
UC DAVIS CBSThe 2008 NAIST International Student Workshop was a highly successful exercise in cultural and scientific exchange among students from NAIST, CAS, and UCD. All of the student presentations were very professional. It was clear that the students from all three groups had put in a lot of effort to make sure that their ideas were communicated to the entire audience, despite the wide range of scientific background and linguistic challenges. The discussion that followed each presentation was a lively exchange of ideas and suggestions that continued throughout the workshop and the International Symposium.
The beautiful autumn scenery at I&I Land and the coziness of the shared accommodations encouraged both scientific discussion and personal friendships among the participants. We were able to compare our daily lives as graduate students and discuss our career goals and opportunities in our respective countries. Hopefully the relationships that were built during this workshop will continue into the future and will aid scientific exchange between our universities.
Finally, I would like to thank the organizers of the workshop and the NAIST student hosts for making us all feel welcome during our visit and for sharing so much of Japanese culture with us!
（写真：左）
NAIST BSThis workshop was very good for me in various respects. First, discussing our research with the students from UCD and CAS was a great chance for me to realize how difficult it is to have a discussion in English. I knew my English is insufficient. However, through this workshop, I strongly felt that I must study English to be able to hold a good discussion. Furthermore, throughout the workshop, I was strongly stimulated. I was impressed that the students from CAS made such nice presentations and that they are so enthusiastic about their research. This stimulation encourages me to learn and study very hard. It was also very interesting for me to hear about the foreign students' attitudes to research and their careers. This experience will influence my research style very much. This workshop was a great help for me to become an international researcher. I thank very much Profs, Kawaichi, Yang, Erickson and Smith, the G-COE office staff, and the Japanese students. I hope this workshop will continue to improve in various respects in response to feedback from the participants.
NAIST BS ( 英語講師 )
In many ways, the second International Student Workshop resembled the first, which was held in Kyoto last year: the participants and the location were different, but the aims and the structure of the meeting were the same. A pattern has thus been established, and it is clear to me that the students who have participated in both Workshops have benefited enormously from their experiences.
The trilateral Workshop provides an exceptional opportunity for students to learn how to present and discuss their work, and to interact socially with their peers from different cultures, in an atmosphere that is really a miniature version of an international scientific conference. For the Japanese and Chinese students, in particular, the Workshop represents a challenging but friendly forum in which to explore and test their ability to communicate in English. Of course, this experience can be stressful; more importantly, however, it should help each student to recognize and assess their own linguistic strengths and weaknesses, a reflective process which is essential for long-term development.
Conducting a discussion in a foreign language is rather like conducting an experiment in the lab. The words and the grammar are our reagents and protocols. We may or may not achieve the result that we were expecting or hoping to achieve - but we usually learn something. We must not be afraid of making mistakes, because making mistakes forces us to think in depth about what we are doing, which, in turn, helps us to do it better the next time. Above all, we must keep a broad perspective: acquiring the skills and experience to succeed, in international communication as well as in scientific research, requires patience, determination, an open and positive attitude, and a great deal of time. I hope all of the participants in this year’s Workshop will be able to use the valuable experiences that they have gained here for their future development as creative scientists and as global communicators.