The 17th Tokyo Medical and Dental University × Waseda University English Discussion Café was held on Saturday, December 11^th. There were approximately 30 participants of various nationalities and backgrounds who participated in this all-English event.

These events are a precious time for students to have lively discussions in English and deepen their thoughts. The preparation for Discussion Café is also a wonderful learning experience for students who facilitate the event. From TMDU, four task force members gathered and had many discussions with Waseda University ICC(Intercultural Communication Center) staff to decide the theme, and plan how to organize and facilitate the event. This year's event was also held online.

The discussion theme was regarding SDGs. SDGs are in the news and have received much attention these days, but how much do we really understand about them? Each participant brought their own concerns about the 17 goals listed in the SDGs, and we discussed the prospects and challenges, as well as what we can do at the social and individual levels to realize them. Though it was a difficult topic, we were impressed by the participants heated discussions and the opinions from various perspectives that were exchanged, as the meeting progressed. We became convinced that the world will become a better place if this café’s discussion leads them to continue to think about the SDGs and to take whatever actions they can to reach them!

Discussion Café is not only an opportunity to improve participant’s English communication skills, but a chance to learn and realize various new thoughts and ideas by interacting with people in the same generation across university borders.

The next Discussion Café is scheduled to be held between late June and early July 2022. We sincerely look forward to your participation.