Interview for Suzuki foundation scholarship award winner 2022
Professor Dr. Subrahmanyam Challapalli
Term: 8/1/22-9/30-22
Supervisor: Professor Nobuyuki Mase
A basic ability to have conversations in Japanese would make your life much more comfortable
- How is your life in Japan for both cases, for private and research? Please explain your experience.
I would like to thank the SUZUKI FOUNDATION for the grant. I had an amazing experience during my stay of two months at Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu Campus. During this period, I got involved in the research activities at Prof. Nobuyuki Mase Sensei’s lab on flow chemistry for the synthesis of Fairy chemicals, which are the potential growth-controlling hormones in plants. I interreacted with students and the discussions are interesting. I am amazed by the simplicity, politeness, dedication and friendly nature of the Japanese students.
- What is your concrete research and study in Dr. Mase’s laboratory? In the future, how do you develop the result of your research in Japan? And what is the target of the research?
Fairy chemicals, namely, 2-azahypoxanthine (AHX), imidazole-4-carboxamide (ICA), and 2-aza-8-oxohypoxanthine (AOH), are plant growth regulators. It was found out that these compounds endogenously exist in plants. However, chemical synthesis of these compounds involves many step and tedious separation and purification procedure, which also limits their production on a large scale. Prof. Mase’s lab has been involved in synthesizing these compounds via green protocols. At Prof. Mase’s lab, the main focus is to synthesize these compounds by green chemistry approaches by using flow chemistry and fine bubble synthesis. These approaches are practical from the industrial point of view, where the production has to be on a larger scale. We will remain in collaboration, even after leaving Japan, to realize the target.
- Did you travel in Japan? And what do you feel about this country? Please tell me about your experience in Japan.
I have been to the beautiful Japan several times in the past. As my present stay is only for two months, I did not travel anywhere. I am a vegetarian; I cooked my food. I used to get all vegetables in Entetsu, which is next to Shizuoka University International Guest house- Hamamatsu.
- Do you have any exchange with Japanese Student and/or Japanese people besides the research?
During this period, I stayed in Shizuoka University International house-Hamamatsu, where students from different countries live. I enjoyed meeting them in the common areas. I used to bicycle to visit nearby sites seeing attractions. Along with other students, I went to Hamana Bridge and Hamanako Lake-Hamamatsu, which is very beautiful.
- Do you have any advice for the researcher coming to Japan.
Japan is a safe country to live. The residents are kind-hearted, and they respect foreigners.
Interview for Suzuki foundation scholarship award winner 2022
Madhu Kumar
Term: 7/1/22-10/31/22
Supervisor: Professor Hiroyuki Futamata
1. How is your life in Japan for both cases, for private and research? Please explain your experience.
This Japan visit was my first abroad visit and long stay (4 months) till now. The four months of stay and research at Shizuoka University helped me to experience and learn many new things both in my research life as well as in my personal life. During my visit to Shizuoka University (SU) for research at Futamata sensei lab, I learned many techniques and methods for characterizing microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes. My lab mates here at sensei lab helped me learn many microbial analysis protocols, including antibiotic resistance genes detection and interpretations. The discussions and research inputs from Futamata sensei (my Ph.D. supervisor from SU- as I am an IITH-SU sandwich program student) from time to time helped me to streamline many things in my Ph.D. research.
2. What is your concrete research and study in Prof. Futamata’s Lab? In the future, how do you develop the result of your research in Japan? And what is the target of the research?
The primary objective was to learn the various microbial examination and analytical techniques for bacterial enumeration and characterization at their genus level. These are part of my proposed Ph.D. objectives at IIT Hyderabad, India. At Futamata sensei’s lab, I was introduced to different levels of microbial characterizations and interpreting the results. During the research, I used to discuss and get help from the lab members to clear my research doubts. I also conducted a small study here in Japan on the engineering wastewater system and planned to add the outcomes of these studies to my Ph.D. thesis based on the study’s outcomes. The techniques and protocols that I have learned here from sensei’s lab will further greatly help me in the analysis and interpretation of data obtained from the examination of the samples from the study sites in India.
3. Did you travel in Japan? And what do you feel about this country? Please tell me about your experience in Japan.
Since the stay period was for four months, I could not travel outside Hamamatsu city during this stay. However, I have explored many things in Hamamatsu city during this period. I visited all the tourist spots in Hamamatsu, including the Hamamatsu city history museum. I also visited Suzuki Plaza on the Suzuki Foundation Invitation, which explains the history, growth, and development of Suzuki Japan and demonstrates the art of technologies used in the manufacturing of Suzuki cars. I also visited Bentenjima beach, a sunset point. On the way, I explored the countryside of Japan. I also had plans to go on a trek to Mount Fuji and explore Hokkaido and some other well-known places, which I could not make during this stay. At all the places I visited, I found people responsive and helpful.
4. Do you have any exchanges with Japanese students and/or Japanese people besides the research?
I used to communicate with my lab members during our free time or our stay beyond working hours. During this time, we used to discuss the culture and places they belonged to in Japan. I used to explain to them the diversified traditions and food culture in India and my state Karnataka. Meanwhile, they explained Japan’s culture, traditions, and food culture. We also discussed Japan’s different trends and education patterns and work cultures in laboratories and workplaces.
5. Do you have any advice for the researcher coming to Japan? (e.g. culture, food, and people)
India is a country where diversified food culture is found, even at every state’s district level. Therefore, a person visiting Japan for the 1st time, especially from India, may find it difficult to adjust to the food for a few days, and it’s so common when visiting other countries. Being open-minded and accepting will help one lead a happy life here. Language can be a problem sometimes; however, translators have made life easy. The people here in Japan are very kind, supportive, and helpful, irrespective of the language barrier, which makes our Japan stay safe and happier.
Interview for Suzuki foundation scholarship award winner 2020
Konjengbam Anand
Term: 11/1/2019-10/31/2020
Supervisor: Professor Sanetake NAGAYOSHI
1. How is your life in Japan for both of case, for private and research? Please explain your experience.
Through this SUZUKI FOUNDATION grant, I had an amazing experience during my one year stay at Shizuoka Univesity, Hamamatsu Campus. The research on business intelligence and management at the Nagayoshi Lab was enlightening. I found the interactions in the weekly seminars to be beneficial. I had the opportunity to interact and make friends with international students. The most fulfilling memory is that I could have a firsthand experience of the Japanese way of life, right from Japanese mannerism, eating habits, visiting shrines and temples, dressing in kimono, and sorting out the garbage. The COVID 19 outbreak has also made my experience very unique. I am amazed by the calm and diligent manner in which the government and people contained the outbreak.
2. What is your concrete research and studying in Dr. Nagayoshi’s laboratory? In future, how do you develop the result of your research in Japan? And what is the target of the research?
I have worked with Prof. Nagayoshi on a wide range of topics on business intelligence. We worked on how companies can be successful in the face of disruptive changes. For instance, the COVID 19 outbreak has affected business operations across the world. I studied how three Japanese companies exercise dynamic capabilities to explore and exploit their business. I had a chance to interact with Indian professionals at the S&T partnership initiatives between India and Japan, organized by the Indian Embassy, Tokyo. I also had the opportunity to visit Language & Media Lab, Hokkaido University, and interact with Prof. Rafal and his team. Our contribution to the effectiveness of a checklist for education got accepted for publication at the IEEE IEEM conference 2020. I am continuing to work with Prof. Nagayoshi to do further research on checklists. Also, I am collaborating with a Japanese company on their projects.
3. Did you travel in Japan? And what do you feel of this country? Please tell your experience in Japan.
I had the opportunity to visit some of the most famous tourist attractions in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Hokkaido despite the COVID-19 pandemic. I also had the chance to go Tokyo and Hokkaido on work visits. The railway and bus connectivity makes it easy to travel anywhere in Japan. The hygiene and quality of service makes it very convenient and safe to travel.
4. Do you have any exchange with Japanese Student and/or Japanese people besides the research?
The weekly seminars held at Nagayoshi Lab provided an excellent opportunity to interact with students of Prof. Nagayoshi. Moreover, we had a good time at monthly events like playing football, going out for dinner and virtual dinner parties. Besides I had been fortunate to interact with local entrepreneurs at TEDxHamamatsu get together events.
5. Do you have any advice for the researcher coming to Japan.
It is common for foreigners to experience a cultural shock when they come to Japan for the first time. It would help if you are open minded and ready to adapt to the culture and food habits. The locals are very kind-hearted. So, do not hesitate to ask for help when you need anything. Also, the ability to have conversations in Japanese would make your life much more comfortable.
Interview for Suzuki foundation scholarship award winner 2019
Assistant Professor
Dr. Karri Badarinath
Term: 4/1/2019-7/31/2019
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Toshiyuki Sanada
1. How is your life in Japan for both of case, for private and research? Please explain your experience.
I had a very positive and enriching experience in Japan during the 4 months that I stayed at Hamamatsu. The accommodation was comfortable, research facility and laboratory in Sanada group was good. I learnt a lot about specifically seeing how hands-on Japanese people are. They know a lot of things about building facilities. Another experience to learn from was how the students and the faculty members themselves contribute to maintaining the cleanliness of the laboratory. We also participated in research group meetings in Sanada lab and the students put effort to present in English for our benefit. It was an enriching experience for both them and me.
2. What is your concrete research and studying in Dr. SANADA’s laboratory? In future, how do you develop the result of your research in Japan? And what is the target of the research?
During my stay in Japan, I had the opportunity to work in Sanada laboratory on the problem of using the bubble generation set-up to try to measure the surface tension of liquids. I also had the opportunity to visit Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (Prof. Yoshiyuki Tagawa laboratory), University of Tokyo (Prof. Shu Takagi’s laboratory) and Hokkaido University (Prof. Masao Watanabe laboratory). The researchers are well known in my field and it was good to interact and see the facilities in their laboratory and research being carried out. In the future, I plan to analyze the results we obtained from experiments at Sanada laboratory and hope to write joint publications with Sanada sensei.
3. Did you travel in Japan? And what do you feel of this country? Please tell your experience in Japan.
I travelled to Tokyo and Hokkaido for research visit and during my free time also had the opportunity to travel in these cities for sightseeing. Apart from these cities, I have visited Osaka, Nara and Kyoto as well on a personal visit during one of the weekends. I also had memorable experiences like seeing the Hanabi fireworks show at Hamana lake, parade near the city centre and Nakatajima Sand dunes and kite festival and finally trekking on Mount Fuji. I also saw the Pacific ocean for the first time and had an experience of visiting a Japanese Onsen. A river boat ride near Kyoto was also a very different experience. My travel in Japan was filled with memorable experiences. We found Japan to be a very green place with a lot of trees and scenic beauty. Overall, I have a very positive experience of travel. Even not knowing the language, we did not face any difficulty in travelling. People were very friendly and polite and happy to help us.
4. Do you have any exchange with Japanese Student and/or Japanese people besides the research?
We had a visit by Sanada group comprising Prof. Sanada and 4 of his graduate students as part of the SSSV program of Shizuoka University in Nov. 2019. Apart from these, IITH and specifically my research group have hosted 3 undergraduate students from Hokkaido University in February 2019.
5. Do you have any advice for the researcher coming to Japan.
Be open-minded to experience a different culture. Japanese people embrace technology and are very tech savvy, this is something that researchers coming to Japan can experience and learn from. We can also learn a lot from the laboratory organization and how students themselves contribute to maintaining the lab space. Overall, be eager to learn and experience the culture.
Interview for Suzuki foundation scholarship award winner 2018
Associate Professor
Dr. Sushmee Badhulika
Term: From 4/28/2018 to 7/16/2018
Supervisor: Professor Kong Chang Yi
Associate Professor Sushmee Badhulika is from IITH who studied at Shizuoka University under a research grant from the Suzuki Foundation, won the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI)-Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Awards 2018.
This time, We visited her laboratory to interviewed about the words of the award and study abroad in Japan.
1. Congratulations on winning the NASI-Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Awards! We would like to hear from you
NASI is the oldest award in India. I am very honored to receive this award as a young researcher. In 2018, I received this award for “Research on flexible and wearable sensors”. I believe that this theme will be widely applied to medical diagnosis. I was examined for the award during my stay in Japan. I would like to say thank you Shizuoka University and many Japanese people for their support.
2. How was your study abroad?
This stay was so lucky for me. Because my stay in Japan has been two weeks at the longest, I had been able to make plans to complete the project in the last three months. Our joint research ” Flexible and wearable sensors ” with Professor Kong of Shizuoka University was very valuable. Besides research, it was a valuable experience to visit Suzuki Kosai Plant. I was also able to see various facilities at Shizuoka University.
3. How was your life in Hamamatsu? And What did you do on your days off?
The 15 minutes bike ride between the dormitory and the university was good exercise. There were no problems with meals, and I had a very enjoyable time with more Indian students on campus. I have two postdocs, five graduate students, and four undergraduates in my laboratory. I often communicated with them not only on campus but on my days off by skype.
4. Did you have any problems with the cultural differences between India and Japan?
I had no trouble. It was easy for me to accept cultural differences. Japanese are good workers and punctual, so it fit my lifestyle. When I arrived in Japan, Prof. Kong showed me round the kite festival. And I felt that the local traditional culture like the Hamamatsu kite festival is in common with India.
5, How will you develop the results of research conducted in Japan for the future? What is your next research target?
I have been preparing the thesis of the results of this research in a paper, but the joint research with Prof. Kong is continuing. When I visit to Japan in December, I will also visit Shizuoka University to discuss the next project.
（日本語訳）
スズキ財団の研究助成で今年度IITHから静岡大学に研究留学したシュシミー・バドリカ（Sushmee Badhulika）准教授が、インドのナショナルサイエンスアカデミー（NASI）の若手研究者の賞を受賞いたしました。今回、先生の研究室を訪問いたしましたので、受賞の言葉や研究留学についてインタビューしました。
Q. NASI受賞おめでとうございます。受賞の言葉を一言お願いいたします。
NASIは、最も権威あるインドの賞です。若手研究者としてぜひとも取りたい賞でしたので、大変光栄です。今年度、「フレキシブル、ウェアラブルセンサーの研究」でこの賞をいただきました。このテーマは医療診断等に広く応用されるテーマと考えております。審査に当たっては日本に留学中であったため、静岡大学や多くの日本の皆さんにお世話になり、ありがとうございました。
Q. 日本への研究留学はいかがでしたか？
私にとって今回の滞在は大変ラッキーなものでした。なぜなら今までの日本の滞在は長くても２週間でしたので、この３か月間でプロジェクトを完全なものにするために計画を練ることができました。静岡大学の孔教授とのフレキシブル高感度電気化学センサーの共同研究は大変価値あるものでした。また研究以外では、スズキの湖西工場を見学したのは貴重な経験でした。また静岡大学でも様々な設備を見ることができました。
Q. 浜松での暮らしは如何でしたか？お休みはどのように過ごされていましたか？
国際交流会館（留学生寮）から大学まで、自転車で１５分の距離は、ちょうどよいエクササイズでした。食事の問題もなく、学内のインドの留学生の友人も増え、大変楽しいひと時でした。私は、研究室に、２人のポスドクと５人の大学院生、そして４人の学部生がいます。学内だけでなく、休みの日は彼らとスカイプで交流してしました。
Q. 日本との文化の違いについて苦労されたことはありませんか？
苦労は全くありませんでした。文化の違いは、私にとってはより受け入れやすいものでした。日本は皆ハードに働くし、時間に厳しく私の生活習慣によくあっています。来日して、すぐに凧揚げ祭りに連れて行ってもらいましたが、浜松祭りのような地域の精神文化はインドと共通のものを感じます。
Q. 将来に向けて、日本において行われた研究の成果をどのように発展させて行かれるのでしょうか？ 次の研究目標は何でしょうか？
今回の研究成果は、論文にまとめていますが、孔先生との共同研究は継続しており、１２月に来日した際、静岡大学にも立ち寄り、次のプロジェクトについて打ち合わせする予定です。