I-HoP
Hokudai International Human Resource
Development Program

Activity
ReportHokkaido University
Front Office for Human Resource
Education and Development

2019I-HoP provides programs in Englishfor supporting the career developmentof young international researchers at Hokkaido University

Front Office for Human Resource
Education and Development
The FOHRED helps to diversify the career paths of doctoral course
students and postdoctoral researchers, hires and develops
tenure-track teaching staff as next-generation leaders and provides
support and a better academic environment for female teaching
staff and students who wish to become researchers.
PresidentSperior Skill Station
ExecutiveDirectorS-cubicDirector
Hokudai International Human ResourceDevelopment Program (I-HoP)
Steering Committee

Office for Developing Future ResearchLeaders (L-Station)

Support Office for Female Researchers(FResHU)

Consortium Office for Fosteringof Researchers in Future Generations(COFRe)1

About I-HoP

What is the International Human Resource
Development Program?

The International Human Resource Development Program (I-HoP) of the Front Office for Human Resource Education andDevelopment provides various programs in English in order to support the career development of young foreign researchers(doctoral candidates and postdocs: henceforth DCs and PDs) at Hokkaido University. The programs are broadly divided as‘seminar for improving transferable research ability’, ‘individual career counseling’, ‘support for learning Japanese language’,and ‘fact-ﬁnding survey on international students’.
In the academic year 2019, besides long-standing activities, the ‘English-speaking’ matching event ‘for DCs and PDs’ called‘CAREER LINK MEETUP’ (the English version of Akaiito-Kai) was held for the ﬁrst time. This was a spin-off of the informationexchange meeting named ‘Akaiito-Kai’ between companies and DCs and PDs which the Front Office for Human Resource
Education and Development had organized for supporting DCs and PDs. English-speaking matching events with domestic
companies have rarely been held in Japan, and this was an extremely important initiative.
In career-interest surveys of foreign DCs and PDs conducted every year by the Front Office for Human Resource Educationand Development, more than 40% of them every time answered that they would like to stay in Japan. Proﬁciency in Japaneseis often required when they apply for a job in Japan. I-HoP is collecting information about companies which do not requireapplicants to have proﬁciency in Japanese, in order to help excellent foreign DCs and PDs remain in Japan.

Job hunting in Japan
International researcherswith doctoral degrees

If one is ﬂuent in Japanese, one can getemployment information and opportunities in the same way as Japanese
researchers doJapanese

If one is not good at Japanese, one would ﬁnd it extremely
difficult to get a job in a company
Japanese・ One cannot get to recruitment information in the ﬁrst place・ The number of companies which accept applications in English is limited・ One would have difficulties in working even after joining a company → Have to leave the company?

CompanyRole of I-HoP

1
Holding seminars toimprove transferable
research capabilities

3 Individual career consultation2
Providing opportunities
for interactions withresearchers working insociety as well asJapanese companies

language
4 Japaneselearning support

5

Various surveys for supportingthe careers of young international
researchers

I- HoP Activity Report 2019
2

PICK UPTOPIC

1

CAREER LINK MEETUP-For international DC and PDs-

2019

12Venue

10

Number ofparticipants

Seminar room and Foyer, Frontier
Research in Applied Sciences Building

24（HU :17／ Other universities :7）※OIST:6, University of Hyogo:1

POINT

1

The Akai-Ito-Kai, conducted entirely in English!

2Direct interaction with companies that do not require
Japanese language skills at the time of application!

3Expanding the possibilities for international PhDs in Japan!

This is the English-speaking information exchange meeting between DCs, PDs andcompanies. This was held entirely in English with the same structure as that of
ʻAkaiito-Kaiʼ in Japanese, which had been organized by the Front Office for Human
Resource Education and Development for helping DCs and PDs. Each company gave ashort presentation about what types of DCs and PDs would be needed, and DCs and PDs
gave poster presentations about their research and skills. After that, there was a booth
visit session in which DCs and PDs could visit any companiesʼ booths. Then they moved
to a cafeteria in the Department of Engineering for exchanging information andsocializing. It was a half-day event full of ʻnice long talk that could be made only hereʼ.
3

-HoP of the Front Office for Human Resource Education and Development held the English-speaking information exchange meeting ‘CAREER LINKMEETUP -For international DCs and PDs-’ between foreign
researchers (DCs and PDs) and domestic companies inthe Frontier Research in Applied Sciences Building on
Tuesday 10 December for the ﬁrst time.
On the day of the event, 19 people from seven domestic
companies including Sony Corporation, and 24 DCs and PDs,including those who came from partner universities (sixpersons from Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University and one person from University ofHyogo) of ‘Comprehensive Cooperative System for Fostering Researchers with Doctoral Degrees’, participated.
After the opening address by Hisanori Bando, associate
director of the Front Office for Human Resource Education and Development, there were short presentations bycompanies, poster presentations about research andskills by DCs and PDs, the company booth session, andthe information exchange session. Everything was done
in English, and everyone could interact closely with eachother.
After the event, the DCs and PDs who participated gave
positive comments like “it was very good that the event
was held in English”, “I deepened my knowledge about
Japanese companies”, and “the event was far more fruitful than expected”. Some participants found the possibility of future internships. In addition, several participatingcompanies commented that the event should be held regularly in the future.
Exchange meetings between DCs, PDs and companies areheld at many universities in Japan, including ‘Akaiito-Kai’of our university which has existed for 14 years, and mostof them are open to foreigners. However, participants inI

all of the meetings are supposed to communicate in Japanese, and those who are not very good at speaking Japanese have very little chance of interacting with recruiters of Japanese companies and getting a job.
Based on the ‘Hokkaido Universal Campus Initiative’scheme, Hokkaido University is promoting internationalization in the campus like the expansion of international
graduate schools, with the aim of becoming ‘Hokkaido
University’s contributions to solving world issues’. Manyforeign DCs and PDs are working hard every day in Hokkaido University. In career-interest surveys of foreign DCsand PDs conducted every year by the Front Office for
Human Resource Education and Development, more than
40% of them every time answered that they would like tostay in Japan. I-HoP considered that providing foreign
DCs/PDs and ‘Japanese companies which do not requireapplicants to have proﬁciency in Japanese at the time ofapplication’ with opportunities for exchange in English
must be beneﬁcial and extremely important for both parties. This is why I-HoP organized this event.
I-HoP has improved the career building support platform,
which had been designed mainly for Japanese DCs andPDs and systematically built up, in order to expand thefunctions of the global support system for foreign DCsand PDs. In addition, I-HoP has made efforts to help foreign DCs and PDs broaden their career options in Japan,
through supporting their Japanese language lessons andcreating opportunities of meeting between them and Japanese companies. Several companies could not participate in this event because of scheduling conﬂicts, andother partner universities are interested in this event. It isexpected that the event would be held regularly in thefuture, and that it would eventually contribute to raisingthose foreigners’ employment rate in Japan.

Participant's comments

Great opportunity to network with companies.
It is really helpful to non- Japanese speaker. Thank you.
I'm so thankful to CAREER LINK MEETUP. By this chance, I learn a lot and get more important
information for Japanese company.

Participating seven companies. Sony Corporation. Sanoh Industrial Co., Ltd.
. NEC Corporation. Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation. Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
. Cambridge Consultants Japan Inc. AWL, Inc.

I- HoP Activity Report 2019
4

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USA Site Visit in RTP

2019

12Venue

1~7Research Triangle Park
North Carolina, USA

Number ofparticipants4（HU :4／ Other universities:0）

Category

Company Visit

RTP

Research Triangle Park
North Carolina, USAPOINT

5

1

Visit Research Triangle Park,a cluster of research institutes!

2

Present and discuss your research in English
with corporate researchers!

3

Expand the possibilities for doctoral personnel towork abroad!

Visited Companies

RedHat / BASF / IBM / Syngenta RTP Innovation Center

Visited Universities. North Carolina State University. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
. Duke University

-HoP organized a group visit to overseas companies called ‘USA Site Visit in RTP’ from Sunday 1December to Saturday 7 December. A group ofDCs visited four companies and three universities inResearch Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina, USA. Thevisit was originally scheduled in October, but it wasunfortunately postponed because of the arrival ofTyphoon Hagibis. So it was a long-awaited trip to the USA
for the participants.
During the trip to the USA, four DCs visited four companies (Red Hat, BASF, IBM and Syngenta), and three universities (North Carolina State University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill),with the cooperation of Technology Partnership of Nagoya
University, Inc. (NU Tech), that is the USA technology
transfer office of Nagoya University, one of the partner
universities of ‘Comprehensive Cooperative System for
Fostering Researchers with Doctoral Degrees’. Afterhearing explanations about the business and workplacefrom the person in charge at each company, they visited
facilities, and presented their research in English, anddiscussed doctors’ career with researchers of the companies.

IOn the ﬁnal day, there was a review meeting at NU Tech,and all participants talked about what they learned fromthis trip and how they would like to make the most ofwhat they learned after returning to Japan. Each participant stated his determination like “I want to bring what I
got from this program back to the Japanese community”,
and “my goal of getting a job at a company has become
clear. I will further improve my skills toward that goal”.
I-HoP has organized overseas site visits since 2018 inorder to broaden the career options of Japanese and foreign DCs and PDs. Nowadays it is easy to get information
instantly from abroad via the internet, but it is importantto actually experience the research/work environment in
the USA. Participants commented, “I got an image for myfuture move to the USA”, “I felt the difference between
Japan and the USA in my bones”, “what I have to do in thefuture has become clear”, and “I was only thinking about
pursuing my career in academia after earning a doctoral
degree, but my horizons were broadened”. It is obviousthat they got strong inspirations for future research andcampus life. It is expected that they would be more activein the future.

Participant's comments

Before visiting RTP, I was wondering which I should go to a company or academia after getting
my Ph.D. Thorough all visit, it was a good opportunity to think about my future career after myPh.D.
I also learned about research differences between companies and academia. This made me
want to do research in the company. In all the companies I visited, I heard the opinion that what
is important in ﬁnding a job is not what your major is, but how you can adjust your experience
to corporate projects. What I learned through RTP is to clarify what I want to do.
We experienced a lot from this trip. Moreover, we understand the education and industry working principles in USA. Both Academia and Industry execute their research with some variationin target. We also experienced the corporate culture as well as way of industry academy collaboration.
At the end I want to appreciate the Human Resource Development program to organize thesuch a trip to assist our future carrier goal.

I- HoP Activity Report 20196

I-HoPActivityReport20197

Activity Report 20192019425VenueCareer Seminar forInternational Researchers and Students
Meeting Room, Mid-Campus Open Laboratory Bldg #1
Mr. Yoshichika Iida

Lecturer

Visiting Professor, Hokkaido University
JCDA certiﬁed CDA (Career development Adviser)

Number ofparticipants21（HU :21／ Other university:0）

Category

Transferable Skills SeminarYour future career option may include, but notlimited to, pursuing academic career as a scientist, practicing your scientiﬁc skills as a corporate researcher, advancing to wide variety ofbusiness arena, or launching your own company to realize your ambition. In the era of LifeShift, you may experience some or all of theoptions in your deserved career. The seminar
introduces tips for the diversiﬁed vocations andsome unique career development programs
that the university provides.

2019

6

Evening Japanese Course_begineer
6~27

Venue

Meeting Room, Mid-Campus Open Laboratory Bldg #1

Lecturer

Ms. Yuki Ota (Nihongo Lecturer)

Number ofparticipants9（HU:9／ Other University:0）

Category

Support for Japanese Language Learning

Japanese language classes are held in theevenings to support international students
who are busy with research during thedaytime. The course is divided into three
sessions to learn hiragana, which is essential for reading and writing Japanese.

I- HoP Activity Report 2019820196Career Talk Experiences and Advice by SENPAI
19Venue

Meeting Room, Mid-Campus Open Laboratory Bldg #1

Lecturers

Mr. LI（Faculty of Engineering DC3）
Mr. ALBERT RODRIGUEZ MULET（Faculty of Science DC3）

Number ofparticipants3（HU:3／ Other universities :0）

Category

OthersHow they have carried out their university life?
How they have started and completed their Syukatsu (jobhunting in Japan)?
The two Senpai (senior students) will talk to you theirexperiences and give you some advice.

2019

627

Lecturer
Category

CAREER SEMINAR
for international students at Graduate
School of Environmental ScienceMr. Yoshichika Iida
Visiting Professor, Hokkaido University JCDA certiﬁed CDA (Career development Adviser)

OthersConducted a career seminar for students of the Graduate School of Environmental
Science, including an explanation of job hunting in Japan.

2019

7 25

Evening Japanese Course
Advanced:Technical Japanese

Venue

Meeting Room, Mid-Campus Open Laboratory Bldg #1

Lecturer

Ryo TAKEDA Ph.D Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University

Number ofparticipants10（HU :10／ Other universities :0）

Category

Support for Japanese Language Learning

In your researcher life in Japan, you will face the opportunity toexplain your research in Japanese. Learn the vocabulary, phrases
and the structure of Japanese presentation concerning research
explanation.

92019920

Transferable Skills Seminar Negotiations

Venue

Main Conference Room, Creative Research Institution

LecturerDr. Greg Story Trainer, Dale Carnegie Training Japan

Number ofparticipants

23（HU :23 ／ Other universities :0）

Category

Transferable Skills Seminar

A seminar and exercises to learn about "negotiation," an inevitable part of dealing withpeople.

20191024~25

CAREER SEMINAR Consultation
at Hakodate Campus

LecturerMr. Yoshichika Iida Visiting Professor, Hokkaido University
JCDA certiﬁed CDA (Career development Adviser)

Category

OthersConducted a career seminar at Hakodate campus for students of the Graduate Schoolof Fisheries Science, including an explanation of job hunting in Japan.

2019

10

How's like to work in Japan
31

Venue

Meeting Room, Mid-Campus Open Laboratory Bldg #1

Lecturer

Mr. Masahiro Tsukamoto CEO, Harmony For Inc.

Number ofparticipants

6（HU:6 ／ Other universities:0）

Category

OthersThe CEO of the company supporting international students for their job hunting is coming to Hokkaido University and talk to you about "How’s like to work inJapan?" and the "Important things to work in Japan".
Join us and get the tips of the job hunting in Japan!

I- HoP Activity Report 2019
10

2019

1114

Venue

Site Visit toTakenaka Research &Development InstituteTakenaka Research & Development Institute(Inzai City, Chiba)

Number ofparticipants3（HU:3／ Other universities:0）

Category

Company Visit

We will visit the Takenaka Technical Research Institute in Inzai City, Chiba
Prefecture and touring the facilities, the participants gave presentations on
their research and held discussions with Takenaka researchers.

2019

1125

Learning Japanese: Why now and how to start itVenue

Meeting Room, Mid-Campus Open Laboratory Bldg #1

Lecturer

Dr.Yumiko Enyo The part-time instructor at Hokkaido University

Number ofparticipants7（HU:7／ Other universities:0）

Category

Support for Japanese Language Learning

In this seminar, you will learn about “How to learn
Japanese and why it is necessary to do so” in English.

2019

12USA Site Visit in RTP

1~7VenueResearch Triangle Park
North Carolina, USA

Number ofparticipants4（HU:4／ Other universities:0）

CategoryCompany Visit

I-HoP will take total ﬁve Doctor Course students and Postdocs to the laboratories ofcompanies and university in Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina, USA.
The participants will have the opportunity of giving a presentation and discussion in English about your research to the companies.

11

2019

12

CAREER LINK MEETUP
10

Venue

Number ofParticipants-For international DC & PDs-

Seminar room and Foyer,
Frontier Research in Applied Sciences Building

24（HU:17／ Other Universities:7）※OIST:6, University of Hyogo:1

I-HoP will provide international doctoral course students and postdocs the special opportunity to meet up with Japanese companies who are looking to hireinternational talents in ENGLISH.

2019

12

Writing for Academic Journals
17Venue

Seminar room, Frontier Research in Applied Sciences Building

Lecturer

Mr. Greg Adams Managing Editor, FORTE Science Communications

Number ofParticipants76（HU:76／ Other Universities:0）

Category

Transferable Skills Seminar

The seminar on writing English papers, divided into two
sessions, "Basic" and "Advanced".
Outline: Basics, Preparing your manuscript, Avoiding
common mistakes and Q&A Session

2020

2Business Communication and Japanese Manners
12Venue

Seminar room,
Frontier Research in Applied Sciences Building

Lecturer

Ms. Kyoko UchidaJAPAN AIRLINES

Number ofParticipants

14（HU :14／ Other Universities:0）

Category

Transferable Skills Seminar

A seminar to learn about Japanese business communication and etiquette in English.
Outline: Understanding the difference of cultures and communications among several countries, learning theessence of Japanese communication and experience the business manners which will be useful in Japan.

I- HoP Activity Report 2019122020

2Talk with global companies
18Venue

Meeting Room,
Mid-Campus Open Laboratory Bldg #1Lecturers

Harmony For Inc.
Panasonic
Somic Ishikawa

Number ofparticipants20（HU:20／ Other universities:0）

Category

OthersBusinesspersons from two Japanese companies willvisit Hokkaido University and explain their hiring policies and tips for job hunting in Japan. A casual group
discussion after the seminar.

2020

2Hybrid

Business Email Seminar
27

Venue

Meeting Room, Mid-Campus Open Laboratory Bldg #1

LecturerMr. Yoshichika Iida Visiting Professor, Hokkaido University
JCDA certiﬁed CDA (Career development Adviser)

Number ofparticipants

15（HU:15／ Other universities:0）

Category

Transferable Skills Seminar

When you work with other business people, email writing skill isvery important to process your work and research. This seminar
will help you to learn about "How to write business email".

2020

Hybrid3

Preparation for
an Oral Presentation

2VenueMeeting Room, Mid-Campus Open Laboratory Bldg #1

Lecturer

Mr. Greg Adams Managing Editor, FORTE Science Communications

Number ofparticipants

22（HU: 22／ Other universities:0）

Category

Transferable Skills Seminar

A seminar to learn how to give presentations in English for youngresearchers who are planning to give presentations in English.
Outline: Importance of oral presentation skills for scientists, Preparing your presentation script, Delivery and Handling the Q & A session

13

Individual career consultation

Number ofconsultation

116
Hokkaido University has set the aim of “enhancing
career support for international researchers” in its
medium-term plan in order to achieve the goal ofglobalization in the third medium-term goals. As
one of its activities, I-HoP continues to provide
opportunities of individual career consultations forinternational researchers.
International researchers have a wide range ofcareer options, like “ﬁnding a position in a privatecompany or academia” and “remaining in Japan,returning home, or looking for a position in othercountry” , and have to dwell on them.
In addition, even if one would like to get a job inJapan, one ﬁnds it very difficult to understand theemployment system and job hunting schedule
which are unique to Japan. Moreover, one needs toconsider the ﬁeld and kind of job for obtaining a
residence permit.
In order to support international researchers’
career selection in such complicated situations,
I-HoP provides careful and timely consultation
opportunities. First, an interview is conducted
mainly in English for understanding each researcher’s situation, wishes, and options. Then, suggestions and advice on how to take appropriate action
are provided.

Other programs
Career Plan Survey for all the international MC & DC students
and Postdocs
Support forJapanese language
learning

・Lending of Japanese language textbooks
・JLPT online practice half-test

I-HoP
Activities Report 2019

Hokkaido University
HospitalEngineering

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Published in March 2022
Published byGinkgo Avenue

Hokudai International Human Resource
Development Program (I-HoP)

1st Floor, Mid-Campus Open Laboratory Bldg #1
Kita 12, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
TEL +81(11) -706-2157 FAX +81(11) -706-3584

Pharmaceutical

Pond
Cafeteria

Shopihop@synfoster.hokudai.ac.jp
Editor Mariko KATAGAKI Specially Appointed Assistant Professor
Design Shiori GraphicParking

Sciences
Museum

Education

HealthSciences

I-HoP
Mid-Campus
Open Laboratory
Bldg #1

I-HoP Activity Report 2019 Hokkaido University Front Office for Human Resource Education and Development