The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), School of Advanced Studies, Fusion Science Program held the SOKENDAI Asian School from May 29th (Mon.) to June 2nd (Fri.), 2023, at Srinakharinwirot University in Thailand. This project was previously conducted as the Sokendai Asian Winter School, but since it was held in early summer this year, it was renamed the Sokendai Asian School. 

     The purpose of this school is to widely promote fusion research to students in Southeast Asia, where economic development has been remarkable in recent years, and to invite them to enroll in the fusion science course at Sokendai. Since 2017, the School has been held jointly with the ASEAN School on Plasma and Nuclear Fusion (ASPNF), which is organized by TINT: Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (Public Organization). This year’s school was held with a total of 92 participants from Thailand, Indonesia, India, Nepal, Vietnam, and Japan.

     During the classroom lectures, various topics related to fusion plasma research were lectured, the current status of fusion research and development in Thailand, Europe, and China were introduced, and the current status and future of ITER, which is currently under construction in France, was discussed. From the SOKENDAI Fusion Science Program, Dr. Goto, Chair of the Course Public Relations Committee, introduced the latest research results being conducted at the National Institute for Fusion Science, and Dr. Ogawa, member of the committee, gave a lecture on the interaction between high-energy particles and waves in fusion plasma. On the last day, Dr. Isobe, member of the committee, explained about the Fusion Science Program at Sokendai, and Mr. Liao, a Sokendai student, introduced his student life.

     In addition, a tour of Thailand Tokamak-1, the first magnetic confinement plasma experimental device in Southeast Asia, which will soon start plasma experiments, was conducted, and the students were inspired by seeing the actual device. In another program, the students were divided into six teams and conducted an experimental exercise using the GOLEM tokamak device installed at the Prague University of Technology in the Czech Republic. On the final day, each team gave an oral presentation on the results of their GOLEM experiments, followed by a question-and-answer session with the lecturer and other students.

     The students were very enthusiastic and asked questions to the lecturers during the breaks, showing their strong motivation. We also received many questions about entering Sokendai. We hope that students who participated in this school will go on to Sokendai in the future.