Time flies and the last day of the Swedish Japanese Youth Science Program started of at the high school Klara Norra Gymnasium. Here the Japanese and Swedish students got to listen to the last year students of the school present their project work. Also, some of the Japanese students presented their research works that they are doing in Japan.
After the presentations the students got to eat lunch together at a restaurant nearby that the Swedish students usually go to for lunch to see and compare the differences between the countries.
When lunch was finished the students got to join a psychology class at the school and then got the afternoon off to explore Stockholm town with their host students.
Since this was the last evening that the Swedish and Japanese students had together for this program the project managers prepared a great final dinner for the participants.
The dinner was held at the Royal Academy of Sciences club house, where the Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, Physics and Economics are decided.
We shared a great Nordic Buffé with everything from salmon to veal to elk and all the students got to show some wonderful performances including dancing, singing and sharing traditions.
At the dinner diplomas were given to all the participants, great speeches were held of many involved and everyone was greatly thanked for coming together and making this project come true.
When the dinner came to an end the hosts had to say goodbye to their Japanese guests. Tears were shed and contacts established to keep in contact for years to come.
The Japanese guests travelled to a hotel at Arlanda since their plane parted early in the morning on Saturday. Here we could summarize the week and also enjoy a snowball fight before it was time for bed.
We said our farewells in the morning and made our promises to meet in the future, already in august when it is time for the Swedish students to be guests in Japan and participate in the exchange program, something that I think all of us that has been a part of this project are greatly looking forward to.
Until then we will keep contact and reflect upon all the great things we have learnt, all the science and also all the cultural differences and all the great people we have met.