Host institution/organization in Japan:
Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences
The University of Tsukuba
May-August 2016

The internship at the research lab of Prof. Adachi at University of Tsukuba is an amazing experience for me because this is the first time that I have ever worked in a research lab in Japan. Before the internship, I had mixed feelings. I was nervous because I did not know how the life in Japan and how I can overcome the language barrier while I felt excited because I would have a chance to work with excellent professors in the famous university in Japan. However, after a week, I felt more comfortable and happy in the lab as well as in the daily life. Professors and students in the lab helped me a lot and they were my professional interpreters any time I needed help. In research, my project was the study of electrokinetic potential of nanomaterials and I enjoyed experiments a lot. I did learn a lot of knowledge as well as skills which are useful for my scientific career. In fact, I personally prefer doing research in Japan to in US because I can saw the strong connection between professors and students scientifically and socially, which is not what I observed in my lab in US. In daily life, I have a lot of friends in Tsukuba and they showed me how to explore Tsukuba. It was a memorable experience in Tsukuba that I will never forget. I had a great internship in Japan and I am honor to be sponsored by Honda Foundation. I couldn’t have such a successful internship in Japan without the huge support from Honda Foundation and the staff.