[Event Report] STEM Women's Community Wom-tech, Asahi Kasei Corporation, and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. Host Company Exchange Event for STEM University Students
The STEM Women's Community Wom-tech, in collaboration with Asahi Kasei Corporation and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., successfully held its first company exchange event for university students studying in STEM fields on April 25, 2026, at MIX Marunouchi. Approximately 20 students participated, presenting the outcomes of the 'STEM GATE' program, which fosters active corporate understanding.
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- 📰 Published: May 8, 2026 at 22:00
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The STEM Women's Community Wom-tech, in collaboration with Asahi Kasei Corporation and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., successfully held its first company exchange event, 'Company Exchange Event for STEM University Students,' for university students studying in STEM fields (*) on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at MIX Marunouchi. Approximately 20 students, ranging from first-year university students to first-year master's students in STEM, participated.
*STEM stands for 'Science,' 'Technology,' 'Engineering,' and 'Mathematics.' It is gaining attention as a field that cultivates the ability to identify and solve societal problems and create new value.
■ Background of the Event
With internships being positioned as part of recruitment activities from fiscal year 2025, opportunities for university students to gather information without being conscious of evaluation from companies are decreasing. Especially for female STEM students, where role models are inherently limited, opportunities to understand companies and work styles are often insufficient. As a result, there is a challenge in making career choices that are satisfying and based on their own values. In this context, Wom-tech focused on the 'lack of opportunities for students to actively understand companies based on their own interests, rather than passively receiving information,' and planned the 'STEM GATE' program as a solution.
In this program, students themselves become 'researchers,' formulating questions for companies, investigating, and articulating their findings, thereby deepening their understanding of companies and work styles.
This event was held as a venue to share the results of the program's first proof-of-concept (PoC).
■ Features of STEM GATE
This program consists of the following processes:
- STEM students formulate 'questions (research themes)' based on their own interests and values.
- Visit companies and investigate research themes through on-site visits and dialogue with employees.
- Articulate the insights gained in their own words and share them with the company and other students.
In this way, the process from 'formulating questions → investigating → communicating' is carried out consistently. This design allows for corporate understanding to be viewed as an 'inquiry process.'
■ Event Content
① Student Presentations of Company Visit Reports
Scene of student presentations of company visit reports
Five female STEM students, over approximately 2.5 months, conducted self-analysis, company analysis, and company visits. They formulated questions based on their own interests, such as 'growth of young employees,' 'well-being,' and 'teamwork,' analyzed companies, and presented their insights.
Asahi Kasei Corporation and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., who participated as collaborating companies, commented, 'They articulated exactly what we wanted to convey.'
[Presenters]
- Saya Ito, 3rd year, Department of Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Science
- Ayu Kinoshita, 3rd year, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Design Engineering, Hosei University
- Yoshino Me, 1st year, Master's Program, Advanced Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology
- Izumi Nakahara, 3rd year, Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Nagoya University
- Mari Fujii, 3rd year, Department of Life Information Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University
② Panel Discussion by Technical Employees from Asahi Kasei Corporation and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.
Scene of the panel discussion
Employees with STEM backgrounds from both companies were invited to participate in a panel discussion. Students served as moderators, focusing on questions directly linked to their research themes, which were 'what students want to know right now.' As a result, deep conversations unfolded, directly addressing student interests, such as workplace communication and when they first felt a sense of accomplishment.
[Speakers]
- Ms. Sara Kusumoto, Human Resources Department, Talent Acquisition Office, Asahi Kasei Corporation (Graduated from Graduate School of Engineering, Functional Materials Science; Specialization: Organic Chemistry, Photochemistry)
- Mr. Ryosuke Oshima, Maintenance & Engineering Division, Operations Department, Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (Graduated from Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Aerospace Engineering; Specialization: Aerodynamics)
③ Company Exchange Session
Scene of the exchange session (Asahi Kasei Corporation) Scene of the exchange session (Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.)
At the end of the event, an exchange session was held between employees of Asahi Kasei Corporation and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. and participating students. By encouraging students to 'ask anything, even things you wouldn't ask at a job hunting event,' many frank questions were raised, such as:
- What do you look for in the selection process?
- Does academic background affect hiring?
- How should I balance research and job hunting?
- How should first-year undergraduate students spend their time?
This led to a flat, senior-junior-like dialogue among individuals with similar STEM backgrounds.
■ Collaborating Company Comments
Asahi Kasei Corporation
It was impressive to see students analyze what they learned from visiting our factory from a student's perspective, not a company's, and present it in their own words. It was a learning experience for the students who attended.
The STEM Women's Community Wom-tech, in collaboration with Asahi Kasei Corporation and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., successfully held its first company exchange event, 'Company Exchange Event for STEM University Students,' for university students studying in STEM fields (*) on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at MIX Marunouchi. Approximately 20 students, ranging from first-year university students to first-year master's students in STEM, participated.
*STEM stands for 'Science,' 'Technology,' 'Engineering,' and 'Mathematics.' It is gaining attention as a field that cultivates the ability to identify and solve societal problems and create new value.
■ Background of the Event
With internships being positioned as part of recruitment activities from fiscal year 2025, opportunities for university students to gather information without being conscious of evaluation from companies are decreasing. Especially for female STEM students, where role models are inherently limited, opportunities to understand companies and work styles are often insufficient. As a result, there is a challenge in making career choices that are satisfying and based on their own values. In this context, Wom-tech focused on the 'lack of opportunities for students to actively understand companies based on their own interests, rather than passively receiving information,' and planned the 'STEM GATE' program as a solution.
In this program, students themselves become 'researchers,' formulating questions for companies, investigating, and articulating their findings, thereby deepening their understanding of companies and work styles.
This event was held as a venue to share the results of the program's first proof-of-concept (PoC).
■ Features of STEM GATE
This program consists of the following processes:
- STEM students formulate 'questions (research themes)' based on their own interests and values.
- Visit companies and investigate research themes through on-site visits and dialogue with employees.
- Articulate the insights gained in their own words and share them with the company and other students.
In this way, the process from 'formulating questions → investigating → communicating' is carried out consistently. This design allows for corporate understanding to be viewed as an 'inquiry process.'
■ Event Content
① Student Presentations of Company Visit Reports
Scene of student presentations of company visit reports
Five female STEM students, over approximately 2.5 months, conducted self-analysis, company analysis, and company visits. They formulated questions based on their own interests, such as 'growth of young employees,' 'well-being,' and 'teamwork,' analyzed companies, and presented their insights.
Asahi Kasei Corporation and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., who participated as collaborating companies, commented, 'They articulated exactly what we wanted to convey.'
[Presenters]
- Saya Ito, 3rd year, Department of Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Science
- Ayu Kinoshita, 3rd year, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Design Engineering, Hosei University
- Yoshino Me, 1st year, Master's Program, Advanced Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology
- Izumi Nakahara, 3rd year, Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Nagoya University
- Mari Fujii, 3rd year, Department of Life Information Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University
② Panel Discussion by Technical Employees from Asahi Kasei Corporation and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.
Scene of the panel discussion
Employees with STEM backgrounds from both companies were invited to participate in a panel discussion. Students served as moderators, focusing on questions directly linked to their research themes, which were 'what students want to know right now.' As a result, deep conversations unfolded, directly addressing student interests, such as workplace communication and when they first felt a sense of accomplishment.
[Speakers]
- Ms. Sara Kusumoto, Human Resources Department, Talent Acquisition Office, Asahi Kasei Corporation (Graduated from Graduate School of Engineering, Functional Materials Science; Specialization: Organic Chemistry, Photochemistry)
- Mr. Ryosuke Oshima, Maintenance & Engineering Division, Operations Department, Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (Graduated from Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Aerospace Engineering; Specialization: Aerodynamics)
③ Company Exchange Session
Scene of the exchange session (Asahi Kasei Corporation) Scene of the exchange session (Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.)
At the end of the event, an exchange session was held between employees of Asahi Kasei Corporation and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. and participating students. By encouraging students to 'ask anything, even things you wouldn't ask at a job hunting event,' many frank questions were raised, such as:
- What do you look for in the selection process?
- Does academic background affect hiring?
- How should I balance research and job hunting?
- How should first-year undergraduate students spend their time?
This led to a flat, senior-junior-like dialogue among individuals with similar STEM backgrounds.
■ Collaborating Company Comments
Asahi Kasei Corporation
It was impressive to see students analyze what they learned from visiting our factory from a student's perspective, not a company's, and present it in their own words. It was a learning experience for the students who attended.