[Workshop Report] Leadership Core Program (Session 5): Expressing Yourself

■Overview: Each participant gave a presentation introducing themselves using the Pecha-Kucha format: 20 slides, 20 seconds per slide, for a total of 6 minutes 40 seconds. No text was allowed—only images, which made it easy for the audience to understand by visual storytelling.
■Objectives:
①Help participants get to know each other and build connections for the future
②Share research topics, personal ideas, or key messages in an engaging way
③Practice delivering impactful and authentic presentations using visual tools
■The automatic slide progression created a mix of excitement and pressure, making the presentations both challenging and rewarding. While the theme was “self-introduction,” the content varied greatly—ranging from research topics to personal values, hobbies, and life stories. This diversity allowed us to learn more about each other on a deeper level. Each presentation was followed by a short Q&A, which encouraged dialogue and deeper mutual understanding.

■Overview: We reviewed the activities that we experienced for five sessions and shared in groups how we would like to apply what we learned in the future. Afterwards, we held a dialogue on the theme of leadership in a world café format. Finally, each member shared their overall impressions and aspirations for the future with everyone.
■Objectives:
① Reflect on the overall experience from the core program and articulate thoughts on the learning.
② Through the World Café, engage with others’ perspectives and deepen understanding of leadership.
③ Share the articulated thoughts with everyone and gain insight into each other’s values.
■First, we marked down our impressions on a list of activities coverd in the five classes. After that, we discussed our questions with other group members during the sharing session, gaining additional insight from their comments. We then discussed how we would apply what we had learned in our research activities and ToTAL activities.
Second, in the World Café, we started with the question, “Should leadership education be incorporated into universities’ curriculum?” and engaged in dialogue about the definition of leadership and the situations in which it is required. By listening to members’ thoughts and writing down our feelings on flip charts, we were able to visualize the process of our thoughts.
Through this self-introduction opportunity, we got to know each other better, and the distance among students has significantly closed. We wish the connections among members are not limited to this core program, but continue as an emotional support in various ToTAL activities and our life as a graduate student.

■Overview: After the presentations, a casual dinner party was held to encourage open conversations among participants.
■Objectives:
①Provide an informal space for new ToTAL students to get to know one another
②Facilitate interaction across campuses (Suzukakedai, Ookayama)
③Build a broader network among students from different fields and grades
■Details: There were many conversations among participants during the dinner. We talked about research, hobbies, and life beyond campus. The dinner reminded me how important it is to have spaces where people can talk freely and naturally. The relaxed atmosphere—with no hierarchy or pressure—felt like a signature strength of the ToTAL community.