How did Sakura Science Plan play a role in your study / research in Japan?

I participated in Sakura Science Plan (SSP) through the invitation from Prof. Nobuo Funabiki of Okayama University. During my stay in Okayama for ten days, I had a chance to visit the Funabiki Lab, and to attend Prof. Funabiki's lecture and listen to the research presentations from the students in his lab. I was impressed by the researches conducted in his lab, especially the Java Programming Learning Assistant System (JPLAS). It inspired me deeply that I wanted to participate in this research. So, I did my master thesis under this topic in Myanmar and decided to continue studying in this field at Funabiki lab under his supervision. Through SSP, I was able to find my research interest and I can continue studying on this topic at Okayama University.

Please describe your comments freely related to your life in Japan.

I am a first year PhD candidate under the Funabiki Lab at Okayama University. Although now is my first month studying in Japan, I found some differences in research environment compared to my school in Myanmar. Researches are conducting in groups and I think it is brilliant. I am greatly impressed with the professor's depth of knowledge and perfect suggestions for each student. Here, I can make continuous improvement and I became more cooperative through this very good study environment.

Please describe your message to people who are going to participate in this program.

I would like to encourage juniors to study in Japan because Japan has a lot of cultural heritage and Japan is advanced in technology. We can find a very good study environment in Japan. Teachers are very kind and have many research experiences. We can feel the warmth from the people although we are far from home studying alone here. The respect that Japanese people show, and their behavior are exemplary. While studying in Japan, we can make global connections with Japanese people and others from many other countries. From the behavior of Japanese people, we can eventually be a better person who is considerate to others, not only considering the good for oneself.