Grand Finale of 2025 HKU International Techno‑Entrepreneurship Challenge concludes with strong global participation as top 20 global teams showcase the power of world‑leading innovation
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 26-Apr-2026 21:16 ET (27-Apr-2026 01:16 GMT/UTC)
An international group of literacy education experts are calling on teachers and parents to adopt a new framework for teaching critical consciousness in children through the way they learn to view the books they read.
Several barriers in schools make teaching challenging, particularly for early-career TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) teachers. A study from Doshisha University examined the professional development experiences of three such teachers from their school years through university and into the early stages of their careers. The findings revealed critical factors at each stage that can support teachers’ professional development, even in schools full of constraints, carrying significant implications for advancing TESOL education.
The “Wakuwaku Aira Dinosaur Museum Exhibition,” organized by Aira City in cooperation with Okayama University of Science, concluded successfully on December 27, 2025, attracting a total of 11,580 visitors over eight days. Held at Aira Square in the city’s newly completed municipal office building, the exhibition showcased approximately 20 dinosaur-related specimens, including a full-body tyrannosaurid skeletal reconstruction, a Triceratops skull, and Tarbosaurus fossils.
The exhibition emphasized hands-on learning and research outreach, featuring a recreated excavation site from the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, along with panels and videos introducing paleontological fieldwork. Daily workshops allowed children to experience fossil replica making and fossil cleaning activities. Students from the Faculty of Biosphere-Geosphere Science served as guides, providing accessible explanations of dinosaur research to visitors.
On the final day, an educational lecture titled “Digging for Dinosaurs in Mongolia!” was delivered by Masato Fujita, professor of dinosaur paleontology and director of the Museum of Dinosaur Research at Okayama University of Science, attracting approximately 150 attendees.
Originally expected to draw around 5,000 visitors, the exhibition’s turnout more than doubled projections, highlighting strong public interest in dinosaurs and science education. Organizers noted that the combination of authentic research content, interactive experiences, and student-led explanations contributed significantly to the exhibition’s success.