Supporting Education

Basic Policy

Daikin, through its local companies, supports education for youth. By conducting grass-roots activities such as donating financial aid and offering technical courses, we seek to cooperate with and gain the trust of local communities.

Efforts in Japan

Daikin Develops the "Circle of Life" Free Environmental Education Program on Biodiversity for Elementary School Children

Daikin Industries, Ltd., in cooperation with NGO Conservation International (CI), our partner in reforestation activities, has developed an environmental education program called "Circle of Life," to teach elementary school children about biodiversity.

The program focuses on Daikin's reforestation efforts in Indonesia. The lessons keep children interested and eager as they take part in role-playing and other activities that teach them how changes in ecosystems affect their lives and how their lives in Japan are related to the world's environmental problems. The course covers four lessons in the classroom, and schools can request to have extra lessons taught by Daikin employees.

Since April 2010, Daikin has been providing schools all over Japan with free teaching materials. In fiscal 2021, approximately 700 students from 10 schools took part in the program. We dispatched Daikin employees to give lessons at five schools.

In fiscal 2014, for its Circle of Life education program, Daikin received the Award for Excellence at the Career Education Awards sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan.

Daikin Leads Science Classes at Elementary Schools

In support of the Sakai Municipal Board of Education's initiative to implement special classes on science, Daikin employees take on the role of teachers in science experiments in schools. The children conduct actual experiments in which, for example, they see how an air conditioner conveys heat and cools the air, and how an air purifier uses electricity to collect dust. The event was held at four elementary schools with 340 students participated in fiscal 2021.

Science Classes at Junior High Schools

Since fiscal 2015, we have been collaborating with Osaka Prefecture University on a program to teach experiment-based science classes at junior high schools in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture in order to foster the next generation of scientists and engineers. With the aim of giving youngsters the opportunity to think and act with an open mind, Daikin employees take the part of instructors in leading science experiments and students tour Daikin facilities. The event was not held in fiscal 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participation in Local Education Programs

Following a request from the Kamisu Municipal Board of Education, the Kashima plant has been conducting educational presentations at local elementary schools since 2010 to get children interested in science. Members of the company's Security Control Department, Chemicals Division, Kashima Plant Manufacturing Department, and Engineering Department take the role of instructors and give upper-class students hands-on lessons.

Daikin brought enough teaching materials and equipment for all students to observe and take part in experiments and thus ensure that each and every student experienced firsthand the joy of science. The program is improved each year by having students write their feelings and opinions following the classes.

Although the event was not held in fiscal 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we opened the Daikin lesson by employees to families of employees and local residents during the pre-opening of the Kashima Integrated Production Center.

Factory Tours for Elementary and Junior High School Students

We open our plants to the community by conducting tours for elementary and junior high school children. The following are some of the initiatives undertaken at each business site in fiscal 2021.

The Yodogawa Plant hosted 146 lower primary students from neighborhood elementary schools on tours of the applied products' production line and around the forest on premise on an autumn themed walk. Visitors were able to get close to nature, including animals, plants, and insects such as acorns, autumn leaves, and Japanese rice fish. We received feedback such as "I had a wonderful experience that replaced the cancelled excursion during the COVID-19 pandemic."

At the Shiga Plant, tours were conducted for 300 students from five elementary schools in and around Kusatsu City with strict adherence to social distancing, sanitization and ventilation. In addition to observing the residential air conditioner manufacturing process, the students also learned about the environment in a sit-down lecture.

No events were held at the Rinkai Factory of Sakai Plant or Kashima Plant in fiscal 2021.

Hands-On Events Foster Interest in Technology

Events such as science experiments for students and air conditioner disassembly for elementary school students are held. Through hands-on activities such as taking apart air conditioners to see how heat pumps work, participants understand the importance of the environment and what Daikin is doing to protect it. As part of the environmental education, we also host lectures by a weather forecaster on preparing for disasters caused by global warming.

We did not hold any events in fiscal 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supporting Japanese Students Studying Overseas

At Daikin Industries, Ltd., each global base, TIC and the Global Operations Division work together to provide global internships for students as part of the comprehensive partnership agreement with the University of Tokyo. Around 50 students took part in fiscal 2019, the first year of the program. Around 22 bases partook in the internship program.
Although we were not able to dispatch any students overseas in fiscal 2021 due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we hosted the Global Internship, which enabled students to virtually interact with Daikin employees around the world online as a replacement program. The event was participated by 23 students.

In addition, Daikin sponsors a program, run by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, to send Japanese high school and university students overseas. By providing this program through scholarships and other means, Daikin Industries, Ltd. is contributing to more opportunities for young Japanese to see the world and grow into global citizens who respect a wide range of values. While our sponsorship was scheduled to end, we have decided to renew our sponsorship up to fiscal 2022 in order to support the university students who were unable to go overseas due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Efforts Overseas

Training Technical School Students in Emerging Countries

We offer scholarships and take in interns as part of efforts to provide technical school students in emerging countries with better employment opportunities. We also have tours of our worldwide factories to raise interest in technology among local students. Further, Daikin donates air conditioners to technical schools used for instruction in technical training and supports the development of engineers essential for the spread of air conditioning.

For example, at Daikin Industries Czech Republic s.r.o., we concluded an agreement with the University of West Bohemia in fiscal 2021. In addition to the existing scholarship and trainee programs available to technical students, we will introduce lectures hosted by Daikin Industries Czech Republic. We expect the training programs to bear fruit in the future as we have seen a past program participant now serving as an assistant manager on the development team.