Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Professor Dong-jun Park (Division of Chemical Engineering) and his research team visited Hiroshima University during the summer break to experience research sites in the fields of bio and biomedical engineering and to broaden students' global research capabilities and career exploration opportunities.

As part of JBNU's Glocal University 30 Project's Global PBL (Project-Based Learning) program, this initiative was designed to give students firsthand experience of overseas research environments and to support them in gaining practical research experience, including building international collaborative research networks based on the convergence of engineering and medicine.

Focusing on extracellular vesicles (EVs), regenerative medicine, biomaterials, and convergence technologies in biomedical engineering, Professor Park's team met with researchers from Hiroshima University School of Medicine to discuss collaborative research in bio and biomedical engineering and ways to expand student exchanges.

In particular, participating students toured laboratories and major research facilities at Hiroshima University, interacted with local researchers, and gained close exposure to the planning and execution processes of convergence research and the realities of international collaborative research. They broadly experienced trends and systems in Japan's biotechnology and medical science research.

One student who took part in the program said, “This experience provided an opportunity for chemical engineering students to expand their career possibilities beyond their traditional discipline into bio and biomedical engineering and medical science. It allowed us to feel how engineering analysis and design capabilities can translate into solutions for problems in life sciences, such as regenerative medicine, diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, and biomaterials.”

Professor Park said, “In recent bio research, the boundary between engineering and medicine is rapidly dissolving. It is very important for students to directly experience such convergence research at overseas research sites. We will actively leverage international academic networks and partnerships with overseas universities to expand opportunities for JBNU students to interact with world-class researchers and participate in international collaborative research.”

Meanwhile, Professor Park's research team plans to use this experience as a foundation to continuously expand collaboration with overseas researchers, including those at Hiroshima University School of Medicine. They will broaden support so students can apply their engineering expertise to the biomedical field and engage in collaborative research with global researchers.