We held a special event featuring Sayaka Kobayashi, the model for the protagonist of the movie "Biri Gal," and Nobutaka Tsubota, the author of the same book.

In conjunction with the open campus events on August 1st (Sat) and 2nd (Sun), we held a special event in a hybrid format, both at the university's Discovery Hall and online, featuring Sayaka Kobayashi (August 1st), the model for the protagonist of the movie "Biri Gal," and Nobutaka Tsubota (August 2nd), the author of the same movie, as lecturers.

This event, aimed at junior and senior high school students and their parents who aspire to attend university, featured lectures on study methods for the future, and was attended by approximately 800 people over the two days.

On August 1st (Saturday), Ms. Kobayashi gave a lecture titled "The 'Biri Gal' Way! Five Rules to Turn the Impossible into the Possible." Based on her own experience of studying at Columbia University's Graduate School of Education in the U.S. in her mid-30s, she explained the importance of "cognition," a mindset to change how you perceive things in a positive way, and methods to boost motivation. She also spoke about how confidence is nurtured through accumulating successful experiences and the importance of an environment where challenges and failures are accepted, offering encouragement to the participants.

On Sunday, August 2nd, Mr. Tsubota gave a lecture titled "Techniques to Dramatically Improve Anyone's Grades." Drawing on anecdotes from his book, "The Story of a Girl Who Went from Last in Her Class to Getting into Keio University in One Year by Raising Her Academic Score by 40 Points," he emphasized that it is important to focus on "what you do now for the future" rather than being bound by past grades or circumstances. He also spoke about the importance of mindset and taking action to achieve goals.

[8/1] Voices of participants in Mr. Kobayashi's event

• Based on your knowledge of cognitive science research at Columbia University's Graduate School of Education, your explanation was logical and easy to understand, and I learned a great deal. Currently, I'm facing some academic challenges, but through this talk, I gained many insights and ideas that I'd like to put into practice. I definitely want to put them into action. (High school sophomore / Shizuoka)
• I learned about the various factors involved in my personal growth and how to approach things that require studying and taking on challenges. I believe there will be many more situations in the future where I will be required to take on challenges and put in effort, so I would like to make use of what I learned in this lecture. (High school senior / Kagawa)
• It was great to hear insights that are helpful not only for exams but for life in general. I had been talking to my daughter, who plays sports, about mental aspects, so it was very helpful. (Parent/Tokyo)

[8/2] Voices of participants in Mr. Tsubota's event

• I loved "Biri Gal" and watched it many times, so I was very happy to be able to hear Ms. Tsubota speak in person. There was a lot of what she said that I found convincing, and it gave me an opportunity to re-examine my own way of thinking. (High school sophomore / Tokyo)
• Ever since I heard about "Biri Gal" in a class when I was in elementary school, I've been really interested in Ms. Tsubota. I was so happy to be able to hear her lecture this time, and it has increased my motivation for studying and taking entrance exams. (Junior high school student / Tokyo)
• This talk went beyond mere exam preparation, encompassing important perspectives on how to live one's limited life, making it incredibly insightful. It was one of the most memorable lectures I've attended at any open campus event. I would definitely like to participate again if the opportunity arises. (Parent/Kanagawa)