Ph. Dialogue「博士人材セミナー」は、Ph. Discover連携企業からゲストを迎え「博士課程修了者が企業でどのように活躍しているのか」「企業は博士人材に何を求めているのか」についてお話していただき、後半はゲストと学生が対話を通して交流する企画です。5回目は玉置瞳美さん（株式会社ダイセル）をお迎えしたPh. Dialogueの紹介です。

Nice to meet you, I'm Hitomi Tamaki from Daicel Corporation. I entered Hokkaido University School of Science of Science in 2007 and majored in chemistry in my second year. From the fourth year of the undergraduate school until the completion of the doctoral course, I was indebted to the first laboratory of organic chemistry. In 2016, along with my Ph.D., I also obtained a teaching certificate. I joined Daicel in April 2016 and am about to complete my fifth year.

Today, I would like to talk about how I got a job at Daicel and my own experience of working at Daicel. First of all, I would like to ask you why I decided to work for Daicel.

Leave yourself to the flow and become a doctor
I started looking for a job after seeing my friends around me pursuing a master's degree and looking for a job. However, I didn't pass the interview at all, and even when my classmates started getting job offers, my job hunting didn't progress at all. Looking back on the reasons why I failed in job hunting, I think that I gave a negative image to the person in charge of personnel affairs because I was not motivated to do research or job hunting at the time.

I gave up on finding a job and decided to become a high school teacher because my father was a teacher. This is my 2nd year master's degree. When I told my professor that I would be a non-degree student and obtain a teacher's license after graduating from the master's course, he recommended that I go on to a doctoral course. With the encouragement of my parents, I went on to a doctoral course.

Focusing on research as an upperclassman, and finally looking for a job
I went on to the doctoral course as if it was going to happen, but I had the stubbornness that I didn't want to be an upperclassman who would be taken lightly by the lowerclassmen. It worked in a positive direction, and I decided to put more effort into my research. I took pride in working hard for three years, and I wanted to make the most of my research in my work, so I took on the challenge of job hunting again.

However, at that time, it was around June that D3's job offers began to come out, but I had the experience that all the chemical manufacturers I had hoped for were wiped out. The reason for my failure was that at the time, I didn't research the differences between multiple chemical manufacturers, and thought that any chemical manufacturer would be fine.

At a time when I was disappointed, a teacher from the Human Resources Development Division told me that Daicel was still recruiting and would recommend it. After correcting the entry sheet and practicing for the interview, I was able to get a job offer from Daicel.

Daicel Corporation started with cellulose nitrate

次に、ダイセルの紹介をしたいと思います。ダイセルは、従業員が2,500名ほど、年間売り上げは4,000億円規模の化学メーカーです。

Established in 1919 as a joint venture of eight companies for the stable growth of the celluloid industry. The cellulose business began with the synthesis of cellulose acetate with the aim of making cellulose nitrate, a combustible plastic, noncombustible. In addition, we began to synthesize acetic acid, which is necessary for the synthesis of cellulose acetate. From there, we expanded into various petrochemical products, and the organic synthesis business was born. Cellulose acetate is classified as a plastic, so we expanded the scope of plastics and started a synthetic resin business. In this way, we started with cellulose nitrate and expanded our business from there, transcending the boundaries of chemistry.

Growth in non-specialized evaluation analysis groups
After completing one year of factory training, I was assigned to the evaluation analysis group of the Corporate Research Center of the Business Creation Division in my second year of assignment. This is a department that analyzes and evaluates samples for the entire company, and its mission is from hearing about the purpose of analysis to showing the next guidelines after analysis. Among the evaluation analysis, I was assigned to a unit that evaluates the physical properties of polymers.

Before my assignment was decided, I wanted to at least do organic analysis close to my specialty. However, I was assigned to evaluate the physical properties of polymers.

While learning from my seniors, I also learned about the work by participating in departmental study sessions and external seminars. By the end of the first year, I was able to master the main equipment, and by the end of the second year, I think I had grown to a level where I could be in charge of everything from hearings to proposing the next guidelines. In the third year, we started creating the latest technology necessary for Daicel. Although the content was different from the research field in graduate school, the basics of learning and problem-solving were the same, and I realized that what I had learned in research would not be wasted.

When I finished my third year in the Evaluation Analysis Group, I realized that I had finally become a core member, and I thought I would work hard from here, but it was decided that I would be transferred to the Business Concept Planning Group, where I am currently affiliated.

Fighting in a business concept planning group that doesn't know right or left
The mission of the business concept planning group is to think about plans that can become new businesses and improve the themes. First of all, I decided on a theme from the conception of an idea, but it was a very difficult three months until I decided on a theme, starting from a state where I didn't know what to look for.

テーマが定まったのちは、市場調査と顧客ヒアリングを継続して行い、現在は情報を得るために他社様と秘密保持契約を結ぶまでに至っています。

I worked in the business concept planning group for a year, even though I thought it wasn't for me. If you are in a small circle, your perspective will inevitably become fixed, so I felt that it was necessary to expand that circle by seeking different perspectives and information in order to create new things.

Logical thinking ability and the power to expand the circle
Finally, I will tell you what companies are looking for in Ph.D. This is just my opinion, but I want them to cultivate the ability to think and act logically. Confidence is born from the experience of accomplishing one thing, and I think that you will be equipped with the ability to think through and verify things. For that reason, I want you to deeply face the research that is in front of you while you are in the doctoral course. And if you have spare energy, you have the power to expand your network.

コミュニケーションタイム

Seller's market calculation field

Q:I am majoring in the field of computational systems.
Tamaki: The calculation team basically works together with other teams that need calculations. If anything, I think it is more common for the team that needs the calculation to ask the calculation team to do it. When I was in the evaluation analysis group, I proposed to the development team that it would be better to do calculations, and asked the calculation team if they would like to work together.

Q:From the point of view of the people involved in the experiment, do you really want to use calculations?
Tamaki: Our company is now putting a lot of effort into calculations. In addition to theoretical matters, we also conduct calculations and simulations that match the real thing, such as an actual plant. It's a field that is in great demand right now, and I think it's the same for all companies that are trying to focus on calculation, not just our company.

Learning at external seminars

Q:You mentioned that you will attend external seminars, but will the company bear the costs?
Tamaki: If the seminar is deemed necessary for your business, the company will cover everything from travel expenses to tuition fees. I have also learned from people at my company who told me that I should take this seminar.

Q:Mr. Tamaki, how often do you attend seminars?
Tamaki: When I was in the evaluation analysis group, it was about 2-3 times a year. Since I started working on the current project, I have participated in many seminars, partly because there were many things that were moved online due to the coronavirus. The frequency depends on the department and the nature of the work being done.

Research at a company where time is limited, research at a university where time is free
Q:How often do you actually conduct experiments? Is there more or less for each department?
Tamaki: When I was in the evaluation and analysis group, we used it once a week, two days, or one full day to do measurements all at once. Even with the same evaluation analysis, the frequency differs depending on the team, and I have the impression that organic analysis and inorganic analysis are always performed. On the other hand, in the planning group that I am currently in, most of the time is spent on planning, and we do synthesis experiments once or twice a month. The frequency varies by department.

Q:I think the way companies conduct research has changed a lot compared to universities. Is there anything you wish you had done in college?
Tamaki: In a company, you can't freely conduct research at any time. You can't go to the lab in the middle of the night and do experiments when you feel like it, like you do at university, so I think you should spend your time at university and do experiments to your heart's content. If you want to continue your research, you can go to academia.

Q:Mr. Tamaki, do you agree with the fact that companies have limited time to experiment?
Tamaki: After all, nothing will progress if I just do experiments.

Good ventilation of Daicel

Q:At a company, you probably work with people with various backgrounds, such as master's degree graduates and humanities graduates.
Tamaki: Of course, on a personal level, you may find it difficult to get along with this person because they are not compatible. However, all Daicel employees are very friendly and can talk frankly. In that sense, I don't think I've struggled.

Q:Is there an atmosphere in the company that is easy to talk to?
Tamaki: Yes. For example, at Innovation Park, there are no fixed seats, so you can sit anywhere on the 3rd and 4th floors. There are no designated rooms for each department, so you can easily see if there is someone you want to talk to. I feel that I have created an environment where it is easy to talk to a variety of people.

Ability to think through the doctoral course

Q:Is there anything that you wish you had acquired during your doctoral course?
Tamaki: Not much. I'm not very good at English, so I should have practiced a little more.

Q:On the other hand, after joining the company, have you ever noticed that you have more power than you thought?
Tamaki: It's the ability to think logically. I sometimes think that it is because I have obtained my doctorate that I am able to come up with ideas that other people around me do not. I think my strength is my depth of thinking.

Launch: February 3, 2021
Organizer: Ph. Discover
Co-organizer: Hokkaido UniversityFaculty of Science/Hokkaido University Center for Mathematics and Data Science (Data-related Human Resource Development Program) / Hokkaido University Doctoral Program for Materials Science Leading Program