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Attended by 114 young pre- and postdoctoral researchers from the US, UK, France, Germany and Canada, the JSPS Summer Program, cosponsored by the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Sokendai), was held over a 2-month period from 15 June to 25 August. Featuring a research internship for the participants at a Japanese host institution, the program began with a one-week orientation held at the Shonan Village Center in the seaside resort town of Hayama. At it, the fellows received special lectures, gave poster presentations, attended classes in Japanese language learning, engaged in Japanese culture activities, and were given a taste of Japanese living through a homestay experience with a Japanese family. After the orientation, the young researchers went their separate ways to their respective host universities and research institutions. Their summer internships afforded them an experience upon which to consider coming back to Japan to do research at future junctures in their careers. On the day before the program ended, the participants reassembled to present reports on their summer research activities. For more detailed information on the JSPS Summer Program, please see our website: http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-summer/ - Overseas Fellowship Division The centerpiece of the JSPS Summer Program is the fellows’ internship at a host research institution, where they take part in research activities with frontline Japanese researchers in their respective fields. The following are comments offered by two of the fellows on their experiences in the program.
Ms. Sandra Annett
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 Mr. Downing with his supervisors |
“In only the first five weeks of the JSPS Summer Program I have sea kayaked, climbed Mt. Fuji, seen many of Kyoto’s beautiful temples and shrines, walked side-by-side with snow monkeys, and introduced four transcription factors into human skin cells in order to reprogram them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. I think it goes without saying, but this summer has been an AMAZING experience thus far. The preparedness and hospitality of the JSPS staff made me feel very welcomed in my arrival to Japan, and my host family exposed me to much of Japan’s wonderful sites, culture and cuisines, which were totemo oishii! My experience in working in Dr. Shinya Yamanaka’s laboratory at the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) at Kyoto University has been phenomenal. I have learned so much from Dr. Masato Nakagawa and many other members of CiRA. Working in this environment has definitely made me a better scientist. In all, this summer experience has been perfect, and I definitely intend to apply for the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship Program!”
On 11-13 April, the JSPS Washington Office assisted the National Science Foundation (NSF) in holding an orientation for its “2010 East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes” program. Sixty-five of the attendees would participate in the JSPS Summer Program. For them, Washington Office director Dr. Hirotaka Sugawara and his staff prepared specially tailored sessions.
Following an overview of the entire program and a panel discussion, two sessions, led by JSPS representatives, were held on the theme “Living and Doing Research in Japan.” Talks were given by Dr. Machi Dilworth, director, NSF Tokyo Regional Office, and Ms. Naoko Yamaoka and Ms. Yu Yonehara from JSPS’s Overseas Fellowship Division. They provided basic information on the JSPS Summer Program including financial support, logistics, schedules, and passport/visa requirements. Then, Dr. Sugawara talked about research conditions in Japan and host researcher expectations.
In addition to these informative lectures, Washington Office deputy director Mr. Kotaro Kodera gave the Japan-bound fellows a lesson in Japanese language fundamentals, including some basic phrases useful in daily living.
Overall, the 3-day event proved to be very meaningful in orienting the new fellows to residing and doing research in Japan while dispelling any anxiety they may have had about the experience that lay ahead.
- JSPS Washington Office
On 7 May, a pre-departure orientation meeting was held by the JSPS Bonn Office for young German researchers going to Japan to participate in the Summer Program. Every year this meeting is held to get the young researchers off to a good start with their research in Japan, while deepening friendship and collegiality among themselves and with past fellows.
The meeting began with remarks from JSPS Bonn Office director Prof. Dr. Keiichi Kodaira, followed by an introduction of the German-Japanese exchange programs by Ms. Karin Möller of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and by JSPS Bonn Office deputy director Mr. Hirohisa Miyamoto. After a break, German JSPS Club executive Ms. Sabine Ganter-Richter offered an introduction to the German alumni association. She was followed by two fellows from last year’s Summer Program, Mr. Daniel Schütze and Ms. Sarah Schlachetzki, who commented on their experiences and answered questions.
In speaking about their stays in Japan, the former fellows touched upon the research they had conducted with Japanese colleagues and their outside-the-lab experiences, such as the interesting places they visited while in Japan. The vivid images they portrayed of the Summer Program drew volley of questions, sparking animated conversations that continued through the evening’s dinner party. The meeting proved to be successful in not only orienting the young fellows to the Summer Program, but also in exciting them about living and doing research in Japan.
- JSPS Bonn Office
On 27 May, the JSPS London Office held a pre-departure seminar for UK researchers who would be going to Japan to participate in JSPS’s Summer Program and other fellowship programs—both the Postdoctoral Fellowship for Foreign Researchers and the Postdoctoral Fellowship (Short-term) for North American and European Researchers, followed by an Alumni Evening.
The seminar was kicked off with opening remarks by London Office director Prof. Kozo Hiramatsu, after which members of the Office staff introduced JSPS and described its various programs. Next, Mr. Antonio Caraballo-Ortiz and Dr. Mark Tame gave presentations on their experiences in Japan as JSPS fellows. Their remarks were tuned to easing any anxiety that the outbound researchers might have had about living in Japan. The wealth of advice they offered evoked cascades of questions. Then, representatives of the Royal Society and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation offered briefings on their organization’s various programs and provided information on career-building opportunities available to the researchers upon their return to the UK.
After the seminar, the Alumni Evening was held. At it, Dr. Martyn Kingsbury, chair of the UK JSPS Alumni Association, described the group’s activities. As many of the alumni members were in attendance, the event gave the Japan-bound researchers an ideal opportunity to interact with them and other fellowship participants.
- JSPS London Office
