Student Experiences | ປະ​ສົບ​ການ

2-Year Experiences in Japan

I am a JDS fellow student from Laos, belonging to the laboratory of Food and Agricultural Policy, Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University.

Living at both university dormitory and rental room was completely environmental difference. Almost six months living with international students in international dormitory was similar as living in international houses where I had experienced in other countries. However, I was cautious when living in the rental house because most of neighboring doors are local Japanese residents and old people. I had to adapt my life to Japanese living culture because local society is a noiseless community. Thus, it is necessary for me to keep in mind to respect the next doors by being quiet at night time.

Japanese food is very tasty came with various choices. I experienced tasty dishes from various sources especially food at university cafeteria, restaurants, and department stores, self-cooked Japanese dishes. Actually, I am not good at cooking but living here it was my good chance to practice cooking.

Transportation services are very convenient and on time. Diverse vehicles are operational here but my big surprise was cycling a bicycle. People here uses bicycle often for daily life. I always cycled to university, shopping and sightseeing nearby my place.

Gymnasium is a place where it is not only for sport and relaxing activity after study. I usually used the gymnasium to do exercise such as playing badminton and lifting. Here, it was a location where I made new friends as well. Keeping healthy is considered as an important thing when I live away from my motherland and is also a key factor to guarantee completion of two year course at the university. Playing sport not only made me healthy, but also I gained nice friendship among friends from different countries.

The most important living here was my study. My academic knowledge and skills obtained during the 2- year course have been developed significantly and smoothly through participating classes, lectures and seminars, research activities, and discussions. Exchanges with lab mates and suggestions from renowned professors are invaluable recommendations. Similarly, Japanese people, culture and development processes also educated me. Japan is an amazing country enriched with civilized and anciently charming cultures. Its development is well planned and organized in sustainable manner.

Sightseeing in many place are very attractive and is an interesting activity. Accompanying my professors to conferences and personal journey were good memories. Antique styles of Japanese temples or shrines and ancient castles surrounded by modern high buildings are astonished me. I really love taking photographs of various kinds of colorful flowers. For example: sakura, tulip, kawachi and etc. During a short visit of my wife, sightseeing together was the most impressive and unforgettable. We had a good chance to go sightseeing in many beautiful places and took nice photographs together. All in all, long term living in Japan offers not only improving and developing my knowledge and skills, many admirable moments and new experiences are noticeable.

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Skiing Trip at Mizuho Highland, Hiroshima

In the end of 2012, I and four of my friends went to ski resort named Mizuho Highland in Hiroshima prefecture during New Year vacation. It is a two day trip travelling by bus. We left at around 10 PM from Hakata station (Fukuoka) and reached there around 6 PM the next day. When we get off a bus, my first impassions were snow field surrounding us and crowded people in early morning. Most of visitors carried their own ski or snow board. We did not have any equipment for skiing. However, there are skiing suit for rental in front of the resort. A set of skiing suit included clothes, pants, ski boots, ski or snow board and gloves costing around JPY 6500 per person. At first I did not know which the better for beginner between ski and snow board. Some of my friends, who used to play snow board, so we began with practicing the basics from our friends such as the way to stand, properly fall down and control a ski and snow board. In the first few hours, I and other new players played in beginning stage. I could not handle a ski and fall down many times till I was drained out of energy. At that time, I thought that ski sport was not fun but it was dangerous. However, I did not give up playing because I saw many kids could play well with enjoyable face. It was a motive to push me more attempts. Finally, I could play better at skiing and all of stresses encounter had turned to happiness and I forgot the rest of the world and enjoyed skiing. The last exciting in the trip was playing at medium stage and played together with all of my friends. It was the happiest hour. This skiing trip was a great and unforgettable experience while studying in Japan. I would strongly recommend the trip to all JDS fellow students from other countries not to miss this wonderful one-in-life time skiing experience.

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My Research, My Laboratory

After first year of my student life in Kyushu University passed, it seemed like the time in the second year was very much faster, time flied. Because I had prepared everything for my research trip in my homeland, all questionnaires, permission of supervising professor and documentations had been done. I flew back to Laos with my heart full with homesickness. One was to get needed data for my work, and the other was to spend 55 days in the embrace of my family.

The survey was ongoing well with the supportive assistance of my colleagues in the target area, Sangthong district, which is located 55 KM to the northwest of my city, Vientiane capital. More than 200 sample farmers were interviewed, on their production details, separately by organic and inorganic respondents. Once, market prices of inputs for their production were also needed to be collected, so I visited several local markets in the district and some supermarkets in Vientiane city. Those data would be utilized for my study with a title of “Study on Profitability and Factors influencing organic rice producing group participation: A case of Sangthong district, Vientiane capital, Laos”. The objectives of the study were firstly to examine profitability of organic and non-organic rice production by comparing their revenue structure, such as gross margin and profit margin with its hypothesis of, “Organic farmers could gain higher profit than non-organic farmers”. Secondly, to identify factors influencing participation of local farmers into organic group with results of binary logistic regression model by using socio-economic variables of both organic and non-organic respondents. Before selecting suitable model for analysis, I had learned many econometric models from individual studying, and from senior doctoral and master students, so finally I decided to use revenue structure analysis (profit and gross margin) to achieve the first objective, and binary logistic regression model to carry out the second objective.

55 days passed very fast, it was time to go back to my laboratory. I spent nearly two months to finish data entry and learned to analyze the data with software. Results of the initial analysis were not so satisfactory for me as I need to recheck many times until I could find the mistakes due to data transfer from data set into the analyzing software. Besidest, my seniors also contributed a lot to give good advices and instructed me on the detail steps of the analysis. Finally, final results of my research had come out and had been presented to supervising professors and laboratory mates for several times before starting to draft the midterm presentation file as well as the full text of thesis.

My midterm presentation was smoothly successful. I had worked hard to prepare technical answers for unpredictable questions from professors and audiences. I received several questions and comments, but none of them are technical questions, rather than general questions actually. However, I had to work harder for the upcoming final defense of my graduation presentation, finalizing the draft of my thesis, and publishing my results in some suitable journals. To publish a paper is not compulsory for master students, but it would be advantaged for those who want to continue doctoral degree in the near future. Therefore, I decided to publish in international journal, as well as to present in a technical conference in Japan.

For the above-mentioned success, I did not know exactly on how to appreciate JICE/ JICA, my professors, and my fellow brothers and sisters in the laboratory, for their kind contributions, assistances, and everything. Our laboratory is not just a place where students used for studying, but it is also another home that gathers all members to share lives. I will miss them all, and wait for the time to come back, to meet again at place I used to be, in the room I used to study in my beloved laboratory.

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from Ministry of Science and Technology

Time passes by very quickly!!! Two years in Japan passed with a lot of memories.

When studying at Kyushu University, I have joined not only academic course and field trip, but also cultural exchange and sport events. I actually had wonderful opportunities to soak up Japanese culture and traditional festivals, which are unforgettable for me. I enjoyed Japanese speaking environment with a warmly-welcome host family, specifically in Hakata Dontaku Port Festival.

From the bottom of my heart, it was difficult to say good-bye when I was leaving Japan, but I understand that we part to be met and we meet to be apart for the productive outcome obtained in Japan by applying valuable professional knowledge and competence from Japan. These remind me about my wonderful stay in Japan. I feel very grateful to all professors, classmates and friends, and once again special thanks to Japanese Government, JICA, JICE and JDS program without this auspices, I could never have an opportunity to pursue my higher education.