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1. What prompted you decide to participate in the “JSPS Science Dialogue” program?
I felt it was a great opportunity to share my experiences in electrical and microwave engineering with the younger generation here in Japan. In particular, I thought it would be very meaningful to show them ways in which microwaves (and new technology in general) can be used in the medical field.
2. To what did you give greatest attention in preparing and giving the lecture?
I wanted to keep the presentation simple so the students could understand. So I worked with my host mentor, Takenaka-Sensei, to translate all of the slides into Japanese. Also, during the presentation Takenaka-sensei translated everything I was saying into Japanese so that the students could understand. I also tried to keep the slides very basic, filling it with simple with pictures and diagrams to make easier for high-schoolers to understand.
3. Did you find it difficult to give a lecture in English to Japanese students? Could you give some advice to future lecturers on how to facilitate communication with Japanese students?
Using English was no problem for me since my host mentor translated for me. However, I still found it helpful to try to describe things as basically and simply as possible. Also, it really helped to provide the school with my slides before hand. Actually, I sent one of the teachers at the school my slides, as well as a list of technical terms (in English and Japanese). The teacher distributed a copy of the slides to the students so they could read it before hand.
4. Could you give your impression with regard to participating in this program?
I had a good time participating in this program. It was a little daunting to present in front of 700 students, but it turned out to be very relaxed and enjoyable.
5. Was it meaningful in terms of your fellowship activities?
I think it was meaningful in the sense that I was able to (hopefully) inspire some students about engineering
and using new technologies to benefit the lives of people suffering from medical problems. I didn't expect to have such a large, or young, audience to present such information to.
6. In what ways do you think the students benefited from the program?
Hopefully it will get some of them thinking about going into fields where they can apply their research and hard work towards the medical field, or other fields which greatly benefit society.
7. Could you give some overall advice or comments to future participants in the program?
Number one is to keep it simple and get a translator if you don't speak Japanese. At least in my case this was crucial. Number two is that I highly recommend participating in this program, it was fun and fulfilling. It was also interesting to get a glimpse of what a Japanese high-school is like.
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