February 21, 2017, by Lisa Chin
Study Experience at RIKEN
This post is contributed by Jason Chin, a PhD candidate at The University of Science, Malaysia [Universiti Sains Malaysia, USM].
I joined the International Programme Associate (IPA) in October 2015 for the fully funded short term programme (six months) to study at RIKEN in Japan. There are different durations of studying under this programme, from six months to three years. It is possible to complete an entire PhD candidature over there. The IPA is open to all and you can check its website on how to apply.
Studying in RIKEN under this programme has been very rewarding to me. I was accepted under the tutelage of Dr Todd Taylor to learn bioinformatics from his team. Not only was I able to socialise with researchers from Japan, as the programme is open worldwide, I was also able to meet with researchers from Canada, France and various other countries as well. It provided me with the opportunity to learn various other topics and share my own work on an informal and open platform. The team I joined was a completely international team consisted of an American team leader, two post-doctorates from France and South Korea, an Indian lab officer and a Japanese secretary. Learning from them and also from the other researchers at RIKEN was an eye opener where they introduced me to different styles of teaching.
Although the work culture in Japan is very strict (serious crazy hardworking people), I was allowed free time on weekends to travel around Tokyo. As my programme was fully funded, I was paid in Japanese Yen so I did not have to worry about the conversion rates which made it easier for me to travel around without much financial worries. As a big fan of Japanese culture and anime, it was a dream come true, visiting the Japanese shrines and Akihabara which is famously known as the otaku heaven. Otaku: noun, Japanese term for people with obsessive interests, commonly with anime and manga.
Overall, the programme was a great experience for me. Not only did I pick up a new research skill that is benefitting me tremendously at my current PhD, I was also able to learn a new language as RIKEN provides free Japanese language classes for international members.
Featured Image: Jason (second from right), is currently a PhD candidate at USM. He completed his Master in Science at International Medical University where he developed a battery powdered miniaturised buffer-less agarose gel electrophoresis system.
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