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Interview with Naoaki

Naoaki Shinjo is from Kashima in Ibaraki prefecture. He joined the GSC Domestic Program in 2015 and went to the University of Birmingham in the UK for his research internship. Naoaki has also participated in the Students and Researchers Exchange Program in Sciences (STEPS) and the Study and Visit Abroad Program (SVAP).

Where are you from in Japan?

I’m from Kashima in Ibaraki prefecture. It’s famous for soccer, kendo and the Kashima Jingu Shrine.

Why did you decide to come to UTokyo?

I wanted to be a researcher in energy and environmental sciences. I was looking for somewhere with a good research environment and felt that UTokyo was the best in Japan.

Why did you apply to the GSC program?

I was looking for opportunities to do research abroad.

What was it like studying alongside international transfer students as part of this program?

It was really enjoyable and I found it really stimulating to work with them. They put a lot of effort into studying hard and performing experiments efficiently. We have become good friends and all keep in touch.

Had you been abroad before joining the GSC program?

Yes, I’d been to Saint Petersburg in Russia with the STEPS program. I did research there for a month. I’d also travelled to other countries in Asia. I once went to South Korea with my chorus club at UTokyo.

Why were you interested in doing research abroad?

I’d heard that the research environment in Japan was very good in comparison to that of other countries, but I wanted to see the differences with my own eyes. My other motivation was to make connections with other researchers abroad, especially with my contemporaries.

For your research internship, why did you choose to go to the University of Birmingham?

I talked with Professor Tsukuda about it. I was interested in catalytic chemistry and he introduced me to some laboratories overseas that he had connections with. I was interested in observing clear images of clusters directly through a microscope, which is related to the topic of my graduation thesis. I did some research into the Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory at Birmingham University in the UK, and saw both on their website and in their articles that they were producing beautiful images of the clusters observed with an electro-microscope. At UTokyo, we have similar microscopes, but in the lab at the University of Birmingham, you can count the number of atoms in the clusters using a special method developed in their lab.

image01Naoaki in the Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory at the University of Birmingham

Outside of your research internship, what other experiences did you have in the UK?

I was there for one month and had the chance to visit a lot of places in England. I went to Stratford-Upon-Avon, London, Manchester, and Cambridge. Every city was very beautiful in a different way. Compared to modern cities in Japan, a lot of traditional architecture there has been preserved.

image02Naoaki at Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon

Do you have a message for future applicants?

I want to recommend this program to anyone interested in research and gaining international experience. People should be eager to get into this program as it is a very good opportunity for Japanese students to travel abroad and to interact with foreign students. I also think the Department of Chemistry is very good for those motivated to become researchers.