On July 21, 2023, a pre-lecture for the "On-site Group Work" of the GRM course was held at Technology Innovation Center (TIC), Daikin Industries, Ltd. in Settsu City, Osaka.

This course emphasizes the importance of "Learning from the issues faced by the local community in Japan or overseas." It is a fundamental course of the GRM program. For this academic year, the target field was set in the Philippines, which is expected to see significant development in the air conditioning market, particularly in the ASEAN countries. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Daikin Industries, Ltd., University of the Philippines Diliman and Los Baños, Daikin Philippines, and local governments in the Philippines.

In this program, 11 graduate students from Doshisha University and 4 young researchers from Daikin Industries collaborate and study together, across the boundaries of humanities, sciences, and their specialty fields. The aim is to integrate knowledge from humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, and to cultivate the wisdom to identify and solve issues. Moreover, it seeks to promote the practice and cultivation of "3C (Critical thinking, Creativity, Conscience)" through collaboration.

At Daikin TIC, after the presentations in English about the company overview, global expansion of air conditioning business, and efforts to address environmental challenges, a tour of the first-floor museum and the third-floor open lab was held. The students learned about the history of the company's products and technologies, as well as its corporate culture.

It was the first time for the students and Daikin researchers to meet each other. At first, some looked little nervous, but the tour of TIC eased their tension. Many questions were raised during the interaction, such as "What are the typical air conditioners used in the Philippines?", "How much is the overseas market expected to expand?" It turned out to be a great opportunity for productive exchange.