During the last two or three months before my graduation of master, Dr.Tokimatsu will take at least one or two times a week to meet with me, one is to discuss the specific method of model calculation, and the other is to modify the Japanese details of the paper word by word. One night, meeting lasting until at 9 o'clock. On the way home, We take a train together. That twenty-minute conversation may remain in my memory.
At that time, the calculation was finally over, and the summary were started. We sat in the tram and talked about the revision plan of the final paper content. We talking like friend, sigh with the feeling that the work of the past two years was finally completed, and I feel accomplishment about it. But the time from application to the final master's thesis, was past so quickly.
When I applied for Tokimatsu lab 2 years ago, I was fortunate to meet Dr.Tokimatsu at Beijing where he had conference at. In fact, by the time I was not clear with my research details, so Dr.Tokimatsu has been hesitating for a long time to accept me. However, when I met him at Beijing,I bring my re-conceived research plan and firmly stated my research willingness in the field of energy and environment. I finally got the approval from Dr.Tokimatsu
Fortunately, after I entered school, I wanted to start an economic analysis on hydrogen energy. Dr.Tokimatsu not only agreed with my plan, but also introduced me to the professors of the two best research institutes in the field of hydrogen energy in our school, Ihara lab and Oda lab, and carried out economic analysis in both macro and micro aspects. Although this means double the amount of work, to be honesty, it feels very tired and stressed. (At the time, I had my own desk in three labs, and I had to move back and forth between three labs every week, Facing the super-meeting of the six professors by myself) but now it seems that my knowledge improvement and accomplishment are not only doubled.
With the help of professors from three laboratory, I achieved academic achievements that I could not imagine. I participated in international and domestic conference, published journal articles, and had the opportunity to act as translator for the chairman of the China Hydrogen Energy Association in symposium.
In addition, my lab life was also very happy. Although I only go to the lab once or twice a week, I am looking forward to chatting with members from all over the world every time I went to lab room. At other times, I communicated with the lab members (English) and the teacher (Japanese) through emails. This not only improving my language skills, but also help me to learned the way they thinking and communicating at japan society. This is the most important asset I have learned at the time.
Moreover, the wealth I got from studies, research，normal Life at Tokimatsu lab will not end with my graduation. After graduation, I will enter Toyota China's new energy technology planning department, and will continue to develop in the future, especially in the field of energy. I will apply the professional knowledge I have learned in the past two years, the way of thinking, the way of social communication in Japan, and I hope to make my own contribution to the development of Chinese-Japanese energy technology exchanges.
Tokimatsu sensei's response（教員からのコメント）
Her first email contact was summer in three year ago. In the email exchanges, she finished her exchange program in Tohoku university, worked in hydrogen experimental works, then started to seek labs in energy systems analysis for her graduate course study. I asked her why you don’t join to a famous lab in Tohoku, she replied no enrollment system for foreign students. She mentioned that she grew up in Beijing while born in Japan, and that she would like to move to Tokyo in consideration of job hunting while Sendai is very good place to live in, then requested me to visit my office. During email exchanges I found she gave me responses in appropriate Japanese with relatively prompt. Then I expected smooth communications in research guidance if I agreed to accept as a lab member.
The next opportunity to meet up with her was an international conference in Beijing, October. She listened presentations for related works whether she can have any interests and met with the scholars. We talked together if she joined what you expected to me, what I could serve for her, and what she wanted to engaging in after her graduation. Her reply was that she was interested in waste related issues because of its business area of her father in Beijing, and that wanted to work in Japan contributing to China’s environmental improvement by joining in Japanese private company, letting their asthma-sick parents move to Japan due to bad environmental condition in Beijing. I made up my mind to accept as a lab member.
In reality, such expectations were fall short in both research theme and job hunting. Instead, I had learnt from her behavior, which must be “normal” for Chinese but “disturbing and annoying” for Japanese. It is very natural that students must seek their future chances and possibilities within short year (a few) to make his/her best decisions. Even though I totally understand this “general” tendency, her “specific” characteristic had been indeed “her own” immediate mind change, totally different from other students. In addition to the sudden change, lots of selfish behaviors had been observed that cannot be ignorable. Traditional, old style faculties shout to make expulsion. “At least in Japan, your such attitude or behavior are never allowed, you must learn from Kengo, the same grade, who always acts as a Japanese traditional model” I had persuaded her many times.
After joining an international conference in Hong Kong in her M2 summer, she went to play in China main land, in addition, she caused severe accident during a mountain climbing in the begin of October. Because of these reasons, no progress had made in the beginning of November. “I don’t believe you can make progress on your thesis enough for graduation even though you spend all 24 hours a day on your research, including end-of-year and new-year break.” I said while she replied “I am confident I could manage completing my thesis even in a short period since I had made a haunted house in a day!.” I did not debated this “strange” reply, even though stunned. Her pride drove her engine started seriously. From then I had obliged to have meetings twice in a week (one in Suzukakedai, the other is Oookayama); one for research progress and the other is thesis compilation. Every time it takes more than several hours, exceeding over 9pm (business as usual in conducting research). That was very tough time for me, but I had worked for her.
Regarding to her new-year break, we had carefully checked and made up our schedule so that she can work anywhere outside of our office. I believe that such a balancing between businesses in house and society must be required after her graduation and that she can grow up through this experience. But simultaneously I had sentenced to her that all her decision was up to her but self-responsibility, and that I could not help her with further more if her graduation was delayed. This decision making was the toughest for me after suffered many her mind changes and selfish behaviors. Could she really graduate? I had only way to believe her. That must be the moment I had grown as a supervisor through students. It was the very end of January, just a week before final examination, when we felt completed and nothing further can be made to be exhaust.
The time together with her in “three legs in two person” was truly tough. Moe was “genuine naughty”, but ironically I had felt sincerely attached because of her mentioned above. This might as well one of the awards to academic supervisors. She as well accompanied with me in Japanese sake. For her honor, still after her graduation she pursued to complete her peer-reviewed article (accepted for publication in e-book, Springer) so that she would like to follow her senior’s suits.