Q: What brought you to participant in IROAST Internship?

As an undergraduate student aspiring to pursue a PhD and eventually become a researcher, I have been considering the best path forward. My current supervisor, Dr. Cai, has suggested that I participate in the IROAST Internship. He believes that this internship could serve as an excellent transition into a PhD program.

Q: What did you learn /enjoy from participating in the internship?

The biggest challenge I faced during the internship was reading and understanding original research articles in both English and Japanese. These articles were not only difficult in terms of language but also in their scientific methods and logic. To tackle this challenge, I committed to reading one academic article in English and one in Japanese every day, while also continuing my Japanese studies through an online course. Although I didn’t fully overcome this challenge during the four-week internship, after being admitted to Kumamoto University and persisting with this method for a year, I gradually reached a point where I could roughly understand academic articles.

The staff at the IROAST office were incredibly kind and friendly. Every time I visited the office seeking information, they would go out of their way to assist me, even if it wasn’t part of their official duties. They would also offer me snacks every time, the お菓子(Okashi:sweets) they received from the IROAST researchers, which always warmed my heart and filled me with gratitude.

                           
The お菓子(Okashi:sweets) I got from IROAST staff one time      Obtained the certificate from Director TAKASHIMA and Dr. Cai in person

Experimental photo with lab members

Presentation in a IROAST symposium organized by Cai lab with British and French members

IROAST BBQ in last summer

Q: Any encouraging message and/or advice to those who wish to interested in the program?

I recommend that an intern have multiple supervisors from different disciplines. This approach can better promote interdisciplinary collaboration and provide exposure to various research methods and content.