Porsche Japan x University of Tokyo Center for Advanced Science and Technology: What is "Learn with Porsche"?

Learn with Porsche: A conference exploring the future of education

The date is February 16th, 2025.

I've been there since the morningWe went sightseeing in Tokyo on a double-decker bus with the Porsche girls, then had lunch together and drank all you could.It was there.

After the Porsche girls' get-together was over, I headed here.

Do you know where this is?

Here you go.

Yes, this is the University of Tokyo.

We are heading to Yasuda Auditorium at the University of Tokyo.

What I came here for was to participate (listen) in the "Learn with Porsche 2021-2024" symposium held that day.

"LEARN with Porsche" is a unique new educational program jointly developed by the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology and Porsche Japan. Starting in 2021, approximately 10 scholarship students will be selected from junior and senior high school students across the country each year to take part in a five-day experiential training camp in locations such as Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Amakusa.

Between the start of 2021 and last year, six programs were held, with a total of 55 students participating.

Previous Learn with Porsche events include:
(You can watch detailed videos on each site, so if you're interested, please check them out!)

2021: A program to bring out the strength to pursue your dreams
2022:Do you want to see what you can't see?
2023: In an age where you can learn without moving, why not try learning and thinking while on the move?
2023: Reviving an air-cooled Porsche from the 1960s! ~Five days learning about manufacturing wisdom from people and machines~
2024: Learning from your perspective: Thinking about the meaning of studying alone in an age when we should study collaboratively
2024: Plowing with a Porsche - 5 days of plowing wheat fields in an air-cooled 1960s Porsche and experiencing the joy of craftsmanship

Is today's education system really okay? Junior and senior high school students will be the judges!

The symposium, which was held in the very impressive Yasuda Auditorium, was titled "Is the current education system okay? Junior and senior high school students pass judgment!", but until I actually attended, I had no idea what the content would be.

I arrived a little late, so I missed the opening speech by Kenryu Nakamura (Director of LEARN, Research Institute of Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo) and Shinji Kuroiwa (Director of Public Relations, Porsche Japan).

However, I was able to listen to the next session, "How do junior and senior high school students judge the LEARN education? - How does this education appear to children who have received the LEAN with Porsche education?"

On stage were a number of famous guests, including the eight students who have participated in this program so far.

The speakers (excluding students) were:

• Kenryu Nakamura: Director of LEARN, Research Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo
• Hiromi Akamatsu: General Manager of LEARN, Research Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo
• Shinji Kuroiwa: Public Relations Manager, Porsche Japan
• Yoshiharu Doi: Culinary expert
• Tomotaka Takahashi: Robot creator
• Tomoko Fujishima: Motor journalist
• Jiro Tanaka: Farm owner
• Takeshi Ikeda: Engineer

The moderator for this event was Osamu Suzuki (CEO of Startup Factory).

Here, Suzuki acted as prosecutor, treating the teachers and adults running LEARN as defendants (and witnesses) for "causing the children to have difficult and painful experiences (as a result of the program)." In a trial-like format, the program was presented with a summary of what the participating students thought of it and what they thought of it.

Symposium participants act as jurors.

For details on each program, please see the details of each program on LEARN above, but in brief:

◆The participating students are suddenly sent alone to a designated location, but when they get there, there is no one there who appears to be in charge.

◆ I saw a student around me who seemed to be in a similar situation to me, so I asked him about it, and it turned out we were both participants in the same program. → Before I knew it, the participants had already introduced themselves to each other.

◆As the program progresses, suddenly you are told to "fetch a horse," or "go fishing on a fishing boat," or "fix an old Porsche," and you have no choice but to do it.

◆ Finally, we ended the day by experiencing some cool Porsches, such as riding in a Taycan at full throttle at PEC Tokyo or on the open ground of Hokkaido.

... Something like that. That's a very rough summary though (lol).

So, prosecutor Osamu Suzuki said, "It's terrible that they put the kids through all sorts of hardships and then just put them in a Porsche at the end!"

But actually, if you have time, I would really like you to take a look at the content of each program. Each program is designed to enable students to learn firsthand how to think about and solve problems on their own, and each program is truly wonderful.

Through their experiences in this program, I believe that even in the short time of just five days, the participating students gained various "realizations" and "discovered new strengths, abilities, things they want to do and try, and learned that the world is much larger than the one they knew."

At the end, the students who had participated in the program objected (although they didn't actually say it (lol)), and argued against the prosecutor's insistence that "this program is evil."

Hearing these last comments from the students brought me to tears.

When one child told me, "I will never forget the sight of getting on the repaired Porsche tractor (a 1960s Porsche 219 tractor) and plowing the vast wheat fields of Hokkaido," I was moved to tears as I could see the scene unfolding before my eyes.

*I can't remember exactly what was said word for word, but that's basically what was said.

I think that's probably because it was reminiscent of my own experiences as a student.

When I was in high school, I was also living in a summer school during the summer vacation program (overseas), and one of the activities in the program was horse riding, so I wanted to try it too, so I participated.

Of course, I had never experienced horse riding before, so I imagined it would be a beginner-friendly course where you ride a horse in an enclosed area and walk around for a bit.

But it wasn't.

After a simple lesson on how to ride the horses, the students suddenly headed into the forest, led by the horse teacher, "Let's go." After a while, the horses started running normally, and they ran through an amazing forest that made you wonder if this was a scene from a movie.

I will never forget the scene that I saw at that time.

When people hear about this, they might just think, "You were able to ride quite well on your first time riding a horse, that's great," but for me as a high school student at the time, there were things that I would have thought "I can't do it because I've never done it before, it's impossible," but the adults trusted me and said "You can do it," and I actually did manage to do it, and what's more, it happened while I was in the middle of nature interacting with the horse, and everything that happened while we were riding had to be solved between me and the horse, so it was all so moving and fun for me, and it remains one of my fondest memories.

I think that it was definitely one of the events that changed something about me at that time. For me, the scene of riding through the forest on horseback must have been the wheat field that the student was looking at from the tractor that she had repaired, and I was really touched.

We also heard the story of one person who realized that "until now, I had been living my life on a set path," but after participating in this program, he was no longer just learning on the set path, but was instead learning a variety of new things that he found enjoyable and that he wanted to learn on his own.

It was clear from every student's story that they had gained some kind of personal realization through this program, and I was truly moved (tears tearful).

In the end, the symposium participants who served as jurors raised their hands, concluding that this program was not a terrible program that was simply causing suffering to children, but rather a new form of education.

By the way, here is a photo that was taken during the process:

This is not a composite image, but was actually taken to Rishiri Island, a remote island in the upper reaches of Hokkaido!!

This photo is apparently highly regarded at Porsche headquarters, and is used to introduce Porsche's CSR activities.

By the way, the Taycan shown here is the Taycan GTS that was used as the lead car in the Tokyo Marathon. I wonder if it will also be featured in this year's Tokyo Marathon, which will be held soon.The main focus is on the EV Macan.)^^

A conversation between famous people: What they enjoy doing and what they have failed at

After the trial ended, there was a discussion session with prominent people from various fields.

At first, the title was seriously "What do leaders in fields other than education want for young people of the future?", but it was suddenly changed to "That's not very interesting after all, so let's ask each of you why you have enjoyed continuing in your field of expertise, and also about any failures you have experienced."

This sudden change was probably a unique way of doing things that Nakamura-sensei did at LEARN.

He also tells adults, "Please speak in your own words, here and now, rather than using the model answers you've prepared."

The people in this conversation were:

• (Moderator) Kenryu Nakamura: Director of LEARN, Research Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo
• (Moderator) Hiromi Akamatsu: General Manager of LEARN, Research Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo
• Masataka Matsutoya: Music producer, composer and arranger
• Yoshiharu Doi: Culinary expert
• Masakazu Sugiyama: Director, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo
• Tomotaka Takahashi: Robot creator

After the discussion, it was time for the closing. What a surprise!

Yes, our very own Philip von Witzendorf has arrived. Yes, he was the president of Porsche Japan until the end of December last year.

He will take up the role of CEO of Porsche in China from January 1, 2025.So now I'm no longer in Japan.

But this time, I saw your name on the program so I was secretly hoping to meet you, and I was so happy that I did.

By the way, Philip also said, "I had prepared what I wanted to say, but I've stopped looking at them," and placed his cue cards on the chair behind him, speaking entirely in his own words.

Philippe was the one who agreed with the LEARN program and negotiated with Porsche AG to do the program together as Porsche. It seems that it was difficult at first, but he said, "When I mentioned the name of the University of Tokyo, they gave me the OK."

The program concluded with a closing speech from Atsushi Tsuda, Executive Vice President of the University of Tokyo.

I personally have some deep ties to the University of Tokyo, so I was able to hear about his beloved Porsche and the LEARN program there, and I was deeply moved and sympathized with what he said. I also got to meet and greet Philippe, who I thought I would never see again, and it was all wonderful.

On this day, I had just finished drinking a lot at a Porsche girls' party, and for some reason, I'm usually drunk whenever I meet Philippe (lol).

LEARN with Porsche was a program that made me truly want to give my own children such a wonderful experience. I would be so happy if such an opportunity came up.

Oh, and one last surprising piece of information I learned that day. It turns out that former Porsche Japan CEO Philippe has six children. Amazing!

You may be wondering what kind of information this is at the very end, but for me it was the most surprising thing that day, so I thought I'd let you know (lol).

Related article:The 5th Tokai & Kanto Joint Porsche Girls' Gathering @Tokyo