Host institution/organization in Japan:
Yokohama National University
Graduate School of Urban Innovation
March-May 2013

I would like to show my gratitude to Honda Foundation, which has offered me a good opportunity to complete my short-term research internship in Japan. This was really a great chance for me to enlarge my academic knowledge and understand Japanese working styles. My first impression on the University of Yokohama is the professional working style and hard work of both professors and students at structural laboratory. The internship was a good opportunity for me to study and work with them. Besides that, I was very happy to receive their help so that I could quickly adapt to Japanese life and working style. Therefore, I have equipped myself with a fundamental amount of knowledge and skills for my future research. In addition, the three-month period in Japan also brought me chances to discover Japanese culture. I had travelled to many places in Tokyo and I was very impressed with the service styles of Japanese people, from a sales staff to bus or taxi drivers. Their politeness, their friendliness as well as their hard work deeply impressed in my mind. Besides that, I found it really convenient to live in the modern society with a lot of most advanced technologies in daily life. Last but not least, the most important thing that I got from this short-term research internship that is the support of Honda Foundation. They gave me a first impression about Japanese working style on which, after this internship, I could be able to develop my own research working style and research skills. I hope to contribute to the development of human resources and ensure the sustainable development in my country.