Doctoral Students × Companies In-Person Networking Event Report

On Thursday, February 19, 2026, we held the “Doctoral Students × Companies – In-Person Networking Event” at a venue near Hakata Station.

The event was designed to provide an opportunity for doctoral students and company representatives to interact directly, with the aim of supporting students’ career development, deepening their understanding of potential employers, and exploring new possibilities for industry–academia collaboration.

The event began with an icebreaker session, which helped students and company representatives start their conversations in a relaxed atmosphere.
This was followed by presentations from participating companies, in which they introduced their research and development activities, their expectations for doctoral talent, and the qualities they look for in future researchers. These presentations offered students valuable insights as they consider their future career paths.

A round-table session was then held, where students—regardless of their research field—rotated among company tables. They actively exchanged opinions on research topics, career interests, and questions related to job hunting. Although time was limited, the discussions were highly meaningful for both students and companies.

During the free networking session in the latter half of the event, students freely visited the company tables they were particularly interested in. They engaged in more in-depth conversations about research areas, future career options, job-hunting strategies, and even possibilities for collaborative research.
To conclude the event, Professor Kimizuka, the program director, delivered closing remarks, bringing the event to a successful close.

Participants commented that the experience helped broaden their career perspectives and that they would like to join similar events again. Overall, the event served as a valuable opportunity for both students and companies.