Greetings, I am Gan Chiao Sing, an undergraduate student from University of Malaya, Malaysia. It was great to be selected to join this 3-month exchange program. I have gained a lot of experiences, not only from conducting a research, but also including those interesting cultural and living experiences. Before meeting with my supervisor Tokimatsu sensei, the coordinator of this exchange program told me that I was so lucky to join Tokimatsu laboratory. It was so true as Tokimatsu sensei is such a kind and nice person that you won’t feel stress or uneasy when talking to him. It was my pleasure to be able to work with him. And I was fortunate enough to be assigned with 3 helpful tutors throughout the program. Hereby, I would like to thank Dyla san for her patience and guidance for my research project. I also highly appreciate the help from Michino san and Yutaro san in handling the complicated documents and procedures for my 3-month stay in Japan.
Regarding the research project, it is really interesting to conduct a research topic which is related to my home country in Japan. As it was new to me, I have taken some time to get familiar with the topic and understand the palm oil sector and development of biomass in Malaysia. Dyla san’s guidance and explanation make me understand the topic better and hence, I can successfully complete my research in Tokyo Tech as well as carry out the presentation during the MISW workshop 2018.
Besides the research, I have attended classes for Japanese language which were taken place in the Ookayama campus. I have learnt some basic greetings and common phrases which are very useful during my stay in Japan. But since the exchange period is quite short, I only manage to learn how to speak some Japanese phrases. If there is sufficient time, I would like to learn more on how to read and write Japanese words as well, so that I can at least understand a little about the label on the goods and products and no need to rely on the Google translate while I am in the supermarket and convenience store in Japan.
I have also joined the site visits to several companies in Japan. It was great to witness the high-end technologies and high-efficient system in Japan which makes them to become one of the leading countries in science and technology. Moreover, the special activities organised by Tokyo Tech (elementary school visit, traditional tea ceremony and flower arrangement) gave me a chance to broaden my understanding towards the Japanese cultures and beliefs. I know that I most probably won’t be able to join this kind of events if I am only come here as a tourist. So, I highly appreciate the efforts and preparation from Tokyo Tech which give me a very memorable experience in Japan.
To conclude, the 3-month stay in Japan is full of joys and happiness. I enjoy the work and interaction with Tokimatsu sensei and also with my tutors. I am amazed with the laboratory’s atmosphere where all members from the laboratory are kind and close to each other. I have definitely gained a remarkable exchange experience in Tokimatsu laboratory.