With graduations happening all over the world, but many areas in lockdown, people are having to get a bit creative.
In Japan, Business Breakthrough (BBT) University came up with the genius idea to use robots. The graduates in Tokyo weren’t able to have a traditional ceremony, so instead tablets were attached to the heads of Newme telepresence robots (aka avatar robots), while students attended the ceremony remotely via Zoom.
The robots even wore caps and gowns, and I’ve got to say, the commitment is admirable. The students’ diplomas were handed over by President Omae Kenichi.
Business Insider reports that it took place at the Hotel Grand Palace, Tokyo, on March 28.
In a statement, one of the graduates said: “When I entered, I never thought I would operate my avatar and participate in the graduation ceremony. However, receiving a diploma in public is a novel experience.”
Professor Shugo Yanaka, Dean of Global Business Administration, Faculty of Business Administration, BBT University, who planned the graduation ceremony, said: “While new corona measures are required, the introduction of avatars can realise a warm online graduation ceremony. We hope this initiative will be helpful to educational institutions who are having difficulty holding graduation ceremonies and entrance ceremonies.”
The university added: “While the response to the new coronavirus is being sought, the implementation of ceremonies to celebrate student entry, such as graduation ceremonies and entrance ceremonies, has been affected. BBT University, which conducts online business education, has realised a graduation ceremony that takes advantage of the strengths of online while keeping safety in mind. Through this initiative, we hope to create an opportunity for many educational institutions to explore ceremonies that expand their online potential.”
Well, I don’t know about you but I think this is the coolest thing a university has done so far.
Featured image credit: BBT University