Activity Report of Open Application Course vol.50
The front lines of Materials Science and Nanotechnology: From learning experience to research collaboration
Report from Academic Collaboration Office, National Institute for Materials Science
From February 13th to 21st, 2018, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) invited 10 graduate students (8 PhD students and 2 Master students) and one faculty supervisor from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand with support from the SAKURA Exchange Program in Science. It was our first try to apply for this program to invite graduate students. Taking into a consideration of research collaboration and student exchange program with the university in the future, Academic Collaboration Office planned the invitation program.
The program participants were selected from excellent students belonging to The Petroleum and Petrochemical College, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The invitation program was prepared for them to have experience of cutting-edge science and technology in Japan so that they would come back to conduct collaborative research at NIMS.
On the first day of the program, Vice President of Chulalongkorn University Prof. Kiat Ruxrungtham and Dean of The Petroleum and Petrochemical College Prof. Suwabun Chirachanchai took part in the orientation. After that they paid a visit to President of NIMS Prof. Kazuhito Hashimoto with the students together and discussed about future collaboration.
In the 9-day stay, the program participants had joined lab tours at Global Research Center for Environment and Energy based on Nanomaterials Science (GREEN), International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonic (MANA), Research Center for Structural Materials, and Research Center for Functional Materials, and had discussed with NIMS researchers who were active in the front lines of Materials Science. They had also observed facilities and equipment that nanotechnology Innovation Station and Microstructural Characterization Platform possesses at Research Network and Facility Services Division. They seemed highly impressed by these well-equipped research environment settings with more than 40 transmission electron microscopies and technical support by experienced engineers.
They also had a chance to visit the Nano Tech 2018 International Nanotechnology Exhibition and Conference and National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation so called Miraikan to have experience of advanced science and technology on February 16th. They also took part in the Tsukuba Science Bus Tour to learn about Tsukuba Science City and how the science city was established as the highest level research and education hub in Japan by visiting several kinds of research institutes in Tsukuba City.
Visiting the nano tech 2018 (left) and Miraikan (right) in Odaiba
On the last day, we held a research presentation session by the program participants and a closing ceremony of the program. Each participant received insightful questions and comments from NIMS researchers in research contents, prospects, presentation skill and so on. The top three best presenters received plaques made of glass as “Shimadzu Award” from Shimadzu Corporation in surprise and rapture.
The participants had joined this program in a polite and sincere manner from the beginning to the end of the program that made us impressed. We also confirmed that they had a fluent communication skill in English that would allow them to stay at NIMS for long-term research. They became more interested in research activities at NIMS as a result of the program. We strongly anticipate that continuous research collaboration between NIMS and Chulalongkorn University would launch soon.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the JST program officers who gave us the great opportunity of this invitation program, the NIMS researchers, and NIMS administrative staffs who supported this program to be successfully executed.