Story perspectives

Hiroshima-Oslo Virtual Exchange Boosts Social Entrepreneurship Skills

7/14/2026

Summary

Eikei Hosts Exchange

On March 27 2026, Eikei University of Hiroshima hosted a virtual exchange with 16 undergraduates and 50 Oslo Metropolitan University graduate students.
The exchange capped the SPICE Social Entrepreneurship course, run since 2022 after former Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki’s vision.
Students tackled rural transport, migrant worker conditions, seniors’ AI access, and cybersecurity.
Hiroshima students shared video challenges that OsloMet master’s students turned into solutions, leading participants to report intercultural and interdisciplinary skill growth.

Summary

Eikei Seeks Partnership

The exchange convinced Eikei participants that blending expertise with stakeholder engagement is vital for complex social challenges.
Students saw Norwegian peers turn broad concerns into narrow engineering proposals while Eikei learners used a liberal-arts view.
An Eikei student assistant who facilitated the session said the experience reshaped her view of how humanities can guide design.
Undergraduates called for a partnership with Oslo Metropolitan University to deepen engagement with wicked problems.

Summary

Patel Facilitates Partnership

Professor Tulpesh Patel of Oslo Metropolitan University facilitated the partnership with Eikei University of Hiroshima.
The collaboration launched in August 2025 and continues through regular conversations between the schools.
Organizers cite mutual trust as a core element of the joint effort.
Both institutions believe human-centered, context-sensitive learning is essential to STEAM education.
SPICE’s Social Entrepreneurship course at Eikei is one of several local student programs it runs in Japan.

History

Historical Context

The EU created the Erasmus programme in 1987, initially funding 3,244 students to study abroad. The scheme grew to over 30,000 participants by 2000 and now supports millions, fostering links such as the University of Oslo–Hiroshima University exchange. Building on that legacy, Eikei University of Hiroshima and Oslo Metropolitan University launch a SPICE social-entrepreneurship project for 16 undergraduates and 50 graduates.

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Eikei Hosts Exchange

On March 27 2026, Eikei University of Hiroshima hosted a virtual exchange with 16 undergraduates and 50 Oslo Metropolitan University graduate students.
The exchange capped the SPICE Social Entrepreneurship course, run since 2022 after former Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki’s vision.
Students tackled rural transport, migrant worker conditions, seniors’ AI access, and cybersecurity.
Hiroshima students shared video challenges that OsloMet master’s students turned into solutions, leading participants to report intercultural and interdisciplinary skill growth.

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