【Article by International College of Innovation】

Faculty members and students from National Chengchi University’s International College of Innovation (ICI) were invited by Kyushu University to participate in the PARKS Global Youth Innovation Showcase, part of the RAMEN TECH 2026 program, in Fukuoka, Japan, on October 8, 2026. The NCCU team presented IdeaLens, an innovative digital platform developed from an academic research project.

The team was led by ICI Associate Professor Hsin-Tse Lu and included ICI students Susan Milagros Dávalos Vega, Hoang Linh Nhi, and Chuang, Kai-Zao, as well as Department of Management Information Systems student Chin-Ju Lin. ICI Dean Kuang-Ta Lo also traveled to Fukuoka to support the participating faculty and students and to meet with representatives from Kyushu University to explore future collaboration in academic research, innovation and entrepreneurship, and international education.

Held from October 7 to 11 in Fukuoka, RAMEN TECH 2026 featured more than 100 events across the Tenjin, Daimyo, and Hakata areas, connecting international startup and innovation communities. “RAMEN” stands for Revolutionizing Asia: Merging Ecosystems & Networks, reflecting the event’s goal of creating new opportunities for collaboration by linking diverse innovation ecosystems and networks across Asia.

The program brought together startups, investors, engineers, researchers, and government representatives through forums, startup pitches, exhibitions, and networking activities. By connecting technological expertise, creative ideas, and market resources, the event also provided young innovation teams with opportunities to engage directly with the international startup community.

This year’s PARKS Global Youth Innovation Showcase featured 10 innovation projects from Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. The projects covered a wide range of fields, including educational toys for children who stutter, robotic endoscopy systems, 3D printing technology using coffee grounds, and artificial intelligence platforms.

With only 14 days of preparation, the NCCU team transformed its research concept into a functional web-based platform, completed an exhibition poster, and prepared both a five-minute project pitch and a 60-minute live demonstration. During the showcase, the team introduced international participants to the functions and potential applications of IdeaLens.

IdeaLens was inspired by research conducted by Associate Professor Hsin-Tse Lu together with students Susan Milagros Dávalos Vega and Chuang, Kai-Zao on students’ cognitive structures. The team found that transforming open-ended textual data, such as student reflections and feedback, into analyzable networks of conceptual relationships could present a significant barrier for users without programming experience.

To address this challenge, Hoang Linh Nhi and Chin-Ju Lin jointly developed the IdeaLens web platform to simplify the processes of data analysis and visualization. After uploading data, users can generate concept association maps that show how different concepts co-occur within a body of text, making it easier to identify key ideas and the relationships among them. Users may also choose to receive AI-generated explanations of the results to support further interpretation.

During the exhibition, a number of visitors tested IdeaLens firsthand and offered detailed feedback. In addition to praising its user-friendly interface and intuitive design, some participants suggested expanding its target users beyond educators and researchers to include product development teams and human resources departments.

IdeaLens is currently in the product research and validation stage. The team also invited interested visitors to leave their contact information and participate in future testing using their own datasets. These trials will help the team assess the platform’s potential across different use cases and provide a basis for refining its functions and future service direction.

The visit also created opportunities for broader exchange in entrepreneurship education and academic collaboration. Dean Kuang-Ta Lo met with representatives from the Robert T. Huang Entrepreneurship Center of Kyushu University (QREC), including Director Professor Megumi Takata, Associate Professor Kosuke Kaneko, and Assistant Professor Yuka Watanabe.

During the meeting, the QREC team introduced the center’s mission and development priorities. Both sides exchanged views on interdisciplinary learning, innovation and entrepreneurship education, and possible areas for future collaboration, deepening their mutual understanding of each institution’s educational philosophy and strategic direction.

Through the visit to Fukuoka, NCCU’s local and international students were able to transform knowledge developed through coursework and research into a practical tool that could be demonstrated and tested with international participants. Feedback gathered during the event also encouraged the team to further consider user needs and possible directions for future development.

The experience of working in a cross-cultural team, delivering presentations in English, and demonstrating the platform in a real-world setting also gave students valuable opportunities to strengthen their communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. The showcase and institutional meetings further laid the groundwork for closer cooperation between ICI and Kyushu University in future innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives.