19 students and faculty members from ESTIAM (École supérieure des technologies de l'information appliquées aux métiers), a French university that has a friendly relationship with the KCG Group, including Kyoto Computer Graphics Graduate Institute (KCGI), visited Japan and held a "work jam" with KCGI students on March 10-13, 2026, at the KCGI Hyakumanben Campus.Students from both schools, studying in a wide range of specialized fields such as data science, tourism, and the web, worked in groups to plan and develop projects with free themes such as health, natural disaster countermeasures, and cross-cultural exchange.With the limited four-day schedule from idea generation to presentation, the venue was filled with lively discussions and enthusiasm every day.
A KCGI faculty member said of the program, "The goal of the program is to apply the knowledge learned in the lectures through practical projects.The exchange of opinions among students from different cultures and values also provides a valuable opportunity for new ideas and innovation, and exposure to different perspectives and ways of thinking can lead to more creative ideas," he said.The students deepened their discussions not only from a technical standpoint, but also from the perspective of how it should be realized as a business, such as marketing and after-sales service.The presentations on the final day were interactive and lively, with many questions flying around.
Students who participated in the event said, "It was a valuable experience to share ideas with people from different backgrounds and learn about different lifestyles," "It was wonderful to participate in an interesting event while experiencing different cultures for the first time in Kyoto," and "I now have a "HOW" perspective on how to give shape to my ideas.
ESTIAM students visited Kinkakuji Temple, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, and other temples, and also experienced traditional Kyoto culture through a tea ceremony.