DENSO’s DRIVEN BASE held Girls Meet STEM. Junior and senior high school students and female engineers held a roundtable discussion at DENSO Advanced Technology Research Laboratories, providing an opportunity to deepen their interest in pursuing science and engineering.
DENSO’s owned media platform DRIVEN BASE held Girls Meet STEM, a program bringing together female engineers working in STEM fields and junior and senior high school students. The event was held at DENSO Advanced Technology Research Laboratories in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, with 6 high school students, 7 junior high school students and 5 engineers participating.
At the roundtable, participants spoke candidly about uncertainty over career choices, their experiences as students and why they chose DENSO as an employer. The junior and senior high school students viewed the event as an opportunity to connect their interests with future choices. Many said the world of science and engineering felt closer and more appealing to them.
The 4 engineers discussed why they chose careers in science and engineering, the importance of valuing one’s interests without being influenced by one’s surroundings, and the broader possibilities created by combining multiple fields. They described the appeal of research as the insights gained through exchanging different perspectives.
Ito (伊藤), director of DENSO Advanced Technology Research Laboratories, cited the enjoyment of solving familiar questions as the reason for pursuing science and engineering, and stressed the importance of creating a society that values individuality and areas of strength regardless of gender. Ito said the appeal of STEM lies in its contribution to society.
The program concluded with the hope that the small shift from “it seems difficult” to “I want to learn more” would give each participant an opportunity to envision a future true to themselves.