On November 20, 2020, Hitachi High-Tech (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Hitachi High-Tech Diagnostics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. held their first remote class to use the Tabletop Microscopes at a Japanese school in Beijing.
The class was attended by 39 first-to-third-year junior-high students, one of whom took part online. In order to get all the students excited about learning about science, even while one of them was attending from home due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, we didn't just bring in a tabletop electron microscope for the students to use in person, but also connected one with remote functionality located at the Hitachi High-Tech Headquarters in Japan to the classroom in Beijing via the Internet, so that students could perform remote observations as well.
This allowed the students in the classroom in Beijing to remotely examine the features of four types of face mask. Bringing equipment into the classroom also gave students the chance to observe objects of their choice in person. Once the staff explained how to operate the equipment, even students who had never touched a microscope before were able to use them proficiently, observing a variety of objects, such as the stomata of leaves, eraser dust and strands of hair, with enthusiasm.
Hitachi High-Tech (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. will continue to try out new science education support activities to encourage children to become interested in science, including collaboration with other Group companies to host events.

Remote class held by linking a classroom in Beijing to the Hitachi High-Tech Headquarters

A Hitachi High-Tech (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. employee giving an explanation on tabletop electron microscopes

A student performing a remote observation