In the spring of my 4th year undergraduate (2020/4th year majoring in macromolecular function, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science of Science), I participated in the Nakatani RIES program, a research experience program for undergraduate students of the Nakatani Foundation for the Promotion of Medical Engineering Measurement Technology (hereafter referred to as the Nakatani Foundation). International student exchange program”. I was scheduled to travel to the United States in August of that year, but due to the effects of the novel coronavirus, my travel to the United States was delayed by about a year and a half. This time, I would like to tell you about the appeal of the program and what I felt through studying abroad.

First of all, this program is for all science undergraduate students. Not limited to medical engineering measurement technology, students from universities all over the country with various majors participate every year, including students majoring in chemistry, biology, physics, aerospace engineering, information science, etc. doing. Meeting fellow researchers who aspired to be researchers was a great stimulus for me.

During the study abroad period, each participant is assigned a graduate student (or postdoctoral fellow) mentor and can receive careful guidance. I took on the challenge of research to synthesize peptide molecules, which are useful for drug discovery and development, using specific enzymes. Since the theme was in a different field from my graduation research at Hokkaido University, I had many online meetings with my mentor before coming to the United States to actively acquire basic knowledge. In addition, my mentor suggested that I not only improve my experimental skills, but also improve my management skills. I was.

The Nakatani RIES symposium will be held in the final week of study abroad. The symposium was a large event attended by more than 80 people, including not only professors from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, Davis, but also Japanese companies in Atlanta and consuls from the Japanese Consulate General. to hold. There, they are expected to explain their own research carefully and in an easy-to-understand manner to researchers in a variety of specialized fields, as well as to non-researchers. I was fortunate enough to receive the Best Poster Presentation Award at this symposium. I feel that this valuable experience has become an asset for my future growth as a researcher.

The best result I got from studying abroad was that I was able to recognize the importance of "networking" in growing as a researcher. In the United States, there is a culture that strongly values personal connections, as evidenced by the importance of recommendation letters as a factor in measuring a person's qualifications as a researcher. Among them, it was a big shock to learn that it is recommended to go to a university (faculty) different from the one you graduated from when you go on to a Ph.D course in order to put yourself in a new environment and expand your network. received. During my study abroad, I actually met researchers/students from various fields and backgrounds. Interacting with them gave me an opportunity to turn my attention to a wide range of fields, and I felt that the world of research was expanding. It is easy to become so engrossed in the research in front of you that you tend to narrow your horizons. felt.

最後に、全国から集まった留学の同期やメンター、ジョージア工科大学の大学院生など、このプログラムへの参加を通じた出会いは、研究者としての「人脈作り」のきっかけとなりました。帰国後は、生化学若い研究者の会に加入し、他分野の学生との活発な交流を図るなど、留学で学んだことを活かして日々研究に励んでいます。「中谷RIES国際学生交流プログラム」はどんな学生にとっても有意義なものになると思いますので、ぜひチャレンジしてみてください。

Click here for the Nakatani Foundation study abroad report:
https://www.nakatani-foundation.jp/achievements/ries_achievements_list/

Report: Nanka Ida (Graduate School of Life Science 2nd year master's student)