New ISAA Alumni Coordinators Came Together

On the day of the 2nd Alumni Meeting in India, February 15, ISAA (India Sakura Science Alumni Association headed by main coordinator IISER Pune Asst.Prof. Jeetender Chugh) volunteer coordinators had the opportunity to meet up and discuss ideas about future events and about Sakura Science Plan (SSP) in general. Prior to the alumni meeting, a call for coordinators was sent to SSC members in India. Members who came up with outstanding activity plans and proposals were chosen as new alumni coordinators.

One researcher expressed that “this is the first time I learned how JST has many international research programs. As the next step, JST can promote details of such programs so that we can take part in them after our participation in SSP.” Another researcher suggested holding a hackathon involving student-programmers from India and Japan─an eye-opening suggestion which has never been proposed before.

ISAA coordinator Ms. Antara Puranik, who has committed herself to organize the 2nd meet commented that “it has not only been a great meeting platform for future aspirants of higher learning in Japan, but for me it has been a great experience to develop administrative skills. It was also a great pleasure to meet my other alumni friends. I aspire to take up Botany as a major and do some research in use of medicinal plants for mankind. So, if I get an opportunity to study in Japan, I will definitely pursue it.”