Youyuan is from Chong Qing in China. Before transferring to UTokyo, she was a chemistry student at Nanjing University.

How did you learn about GSC?

I found out about it from a friend who was on the program. Learning about her experiences here made me really determined. If I had known about it earlier, I would have applied. I had to wait an extra year and transferred after completing my third year at Nanjing.

What motivated you to apply to GSC?

I applied to GSC because the University of Tokyo has a high reputation. I also saw it as a chance to reconstruct my knowledge of chemistry, and to experience life in Japan.

What was the reaction of your family and friends when you told them you were applying to this program?

My friends were very supportive. Sometimes I wanted to give up as I didn’t know anything about Japan or Japanese culture, but because of their support I completed the application process. My parents supported me a lot too. After doing a summer program at UCLA, my dad thought I should just finish my degree at Nanjing and apply straight to graduate school at UCLA, but my mom thought the life experience in Tokyo would be good for me.

How do you feel about repeating an extra year of chemistry?

It’s been really useful because I had forgotten a lot of stuff and I’m now learning things better than before. It’s also given me a chance to study Japanese. I really enjoy learning foreign languages, and I’m trying to learn Japanese in these two years on GSC. Last week, when my parents came, I was able to guide them around Tokyo and to Mount Fuji with the Japanese I have learnt so far.

How has your GSC experience been so far?

It’s cool. Being in Japan is cool. This program has a lot of unique features. All the professors here are famous, and their work is really exciting. The professors are also very patient, and because there’s so few of us, you can raise a question whenever you get confused, so I almost never get lost in class. I’m also really enjoying the experiments and lab rotations.

Which lab are you working in now?

Now I’m visiting Professor Yamanouchi’s physical chemistry lab and I really like it. They are investigating the mechanisms of interaction between light and molecules as well as light-induced molecular dynamics through experimental and theoretical approaches. They actually design and construct experimental instruments themselves, and it contains a lot of engineering work. It’s very fundamental research that requires knowledge of physics, which I also like. Now I’m doing theoretical work on “time-dependent dynamics of laser-driven few-level systems”. At the moment my work is all theory based. However, if I get an exciting result, then I’ll be able to use the instruments in the lab to do experiments in order to support, prove or revise my theoretical result. If everything goes well, I will consider doing something related to this work for my graduate studies.

Have you received support on this program?

A lot! A student tutor picked me up from the airport so I didn’t need to get here alone. I’ve also had help with other things, like how to pay for tuition and setup a bank account. Anything you need help with, you can go to the Chemistry Office or the GSC Office. There’s also great financial support on this program.

Do you have any goals you want to achieve while on GSC?

In my previous university, I got good grades, but I don’t think I truly understood everything that well. My main goal is to really build my knowledge of chemistry. I want to be able to tell people that I’m a real chemist.

Have you had the opportunity to travel around Japan?

I’ve travelled a lot. I’ve been to Kamakura and Izu, and last week I toured around Japan with my parents.

Would you recommend GSC to other people?

Yes, of course! I’ve already recommended it to students at Nanjing University.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about applying to this program?

I would tell them to seriously think about what they want to do –what benefits will you get from transferring to a university abroad? I think the academic environment at UTokyo is really good, so this opportunity shouldn’t be wasted.

What makes an ideal GSC candidate?

Having an international perspective and a strong academic desire. It’s also good if they have an interest in Japanese culture.

What will you do after GSC?

I’m thinking of applying to graduate schools in America, but I’m not yet decided.

How does GSC give you a competitive edge when applying to graduate school?

The academic training at UTokyo is top level, but the research experience here is what’s really special. You wouldn’t get the experience that I am getting at Professor Yamanouchi’s lab anywhere else. As far as I know, all the instruments in his lab are unique and you get access to some of the best equipment in the world.