Machinaka Campus Shiroshita Station Opens
June 26, 2012
Okayama University has announced the opening of Machinaka Campus Shiroshita Station on June 26 as part of the Machinaka Campus concept pursued by the Academic and General Okayama University Regional Research Association (AGORA) to bring students and the local citizens together to resolve challenges faced by the community. The facility is located in Ishizeki Town, Kita Ward, Okayama City.
The goal of the Machinaka Campus project is to have students go out into the community and work together with local residents, local government, the corporate community, and NPOs to consider the challenges faced by the community at large, and come up with ways of overcoming them. To that end, students have launched a wide-ranging program including schemes to promote the “fascinating culture of Izushi Town” and a “beginners’ guide to the Fagiano Okayama football club.” The Machinaka Campus Shiroshita Station idea seeks to leverage the favorable location of the facilities in central Okayama City and the beautiful surroundings not only for the purposes of the Machinaka Campus project, but also with an eye to potential demand for the facilities to be used for seminars and extracurricular activity.
The opening ceremony attracted some 30 people from Okayama University, Ubusuna Okayama, an NPO focused on urban planning, and local community residents’ associations. Kiyoshi Morita, president of Okayama University, cut the ribbon alongside Masaru Araki, the Director of AGORA and other dignitaries, and Mr. Morita then gave a speech hailing Machinaka Campus Shiroshita Station as a major step forward in bringing the university closer to the community and encouraging all involved to broaden the scope of activity.
The opening ceremony was followed by a “kick-off seminar” attended by some 20 students and local citizens who engaged in debate on “The Potential and Challenges of Urban Design in Okayama: Revitalizing Nishikawa Greenery Pedestrian Path and the City Center.”
< Photo > President Kiyoshi Morita (second from left) helps cut the ceremonial ribbon
< Photo > Students and local citizens in attendance at the “kick-off seminar”