[No. 224] Yoshie Morimoto

I am truly honored to have this opportunity to contribute to this column for Keio University alumni.

After completing my master's degree at Keio University, I joined a railway company. However, I reconsidered my future while working there and decided to leave. I then re-enrolled in the Doctoral Programs at Keio University, earned my PhD, and am now working in a research and development position as a corporate researcher.

I hope that my somewhat unusual experience of leaving a company I had joined, returning to student life, and eventually earning a PhD will be of some help to you all.

I have always been the type of person who couldn't quite picture what I wanted to do in the future, and for that very reason, I would put my all into whatever was right in front of me.

As I enjoyed science subjects in high school, I chose the Faculty of Science and Technology without much hesitation. The reason I chose the Department of Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics within it was because it seemed I could study a variety of subjects, including both physics and information science. I remember thinking optimistically that since I didn't know what I wanted to do in the future, if I dedicated myself to my studies in a faculty where I could learn about many fields, a path to my future would surely open up someday.

From my fourth year of undergraduate studies, I joined the laboratory of Professor Takaaki Ishigure in the Department of Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics. It was a lab that researched polymer optical waveguides for optical communication applications. My reasons for choosing it were not so much a strong commitment to a specific research field, but rather because I found Professor Ishigure's optics class in my second year interesting, I had a vague interest in optical phenomena, and the lab had a good atmosphere when I visited.

In reality, the students in the lab got along well, and Professor Ishigure himself was very cheerful and approachable, so I was always able to spend my time there in high spirits. For someone like me, who had not yet clearly defined a future path, I believe this comfortable environment was the greatest help in maintaining my motivation.

I approached my research activities with sincerity. Although I didn't know at the time if it would be useful in the future, I enjoyed putting in my best effort, because if I worked hard and got results, I could attend academic conferences, publish papers, and win awards at presentations both on and off campus.

At that time, I had no idea that the achievements from this period would later help me when I re-enrolled in the Doctoral Programs.

For my job search, I vaguely thought I wanted to do something outside of research that was closer to daily life, and through an internship connection, I took a general engineering position at a railway company.

Working in an industry completely different from research, I was able to learn about the atmosphere and mindset of the "field" where technology is actually used. No matter how advanced a technology may be, whether it is actually implemented is a separate issue. In the railway industry, for example, safety is paramount, and any technology that could compromise safety by even 1% cannot be introduced. I am grateful to have learned this way of thinking by working in this industry.

However, as I continued to work, I gradually began to feel a sense of unease.

Is this what I really want to do? Didn't I actually want to do something closer to research and development...?

Having chosen my path based on "vague feelings" until then, this was the first time I felt a strong desire regarding what I wanted to do. I considered changing jobs, but it didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped.

It was then that I consulted with my former mentor, Professor Ishigure, which opened up the path to "re-enroll in the Doctoral Programs as a student, resume my research, and in the meantime, re-evaluate my career and find a new job that I could be satisfied with."

For me, having already experienced life as a working professional, there was significant resistance and conflict in quitting my job, having no income, and "returning" to being a student. What helped me make this decision was the Research Fellowship for Young Scientists program by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). This is a system that allows young researchers in Japan to devote themselves to research while receiving a research fellowship grant. My research achievements from my undergraduate and master's degree days were instrumental in being selected for this fellowship. I was truly glad that I had put my all into what was in front of me back then.

And so, with the encouragement of many people—my mentor, family, friends, and my own past efforts—I embarked on the path to the Doctoral Programs.

I re-enrolled in Professor Ishigure's lab at Keio University as a doctoral student and once again engaged in research on polymer optical waveguides for communications.

Because this was a path I had chosen with my own clear intention, each and every experience felt even more meaningful.

As I was able to conduct my research as a JSPS Research Fellow, my financial worries were minimized, and I could also use the funds for activities such as actively participating in international conferences.

A particularly invaluable experience was being able to stay for a month at a collaborating research institute in Germany. I was able to directly experience cutting-edge research technology and advance my research while discussing it with researchers from overseas, which led to significant personal growth.

Through these research activities, I realized that I was genuinely enjoying my experience in the Doctoral Programs, and I decided that I wanted a profession where I could fully utilize this experience in the future. This led me to choose a research position with conviction.

And now, I am working in a research and development position at Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, in the field of optical waveguide devices for communication applications.

The knowledge and experience I gained in the Doctoral Programs are extensively utilized in my current work. While my technical knowledge is applicable because the research fields are similar, I also feel that I acquired skills and abilities applicable to my work in general, such as research execution skills (theme conception, planning, data analysis, etc.), overseas experience, and English proficiency. I believe this is also a benefit of having always put my full effort into the task at hand.

Above all, the sense of satisfaction that I chose my own path based on my own thoughts is what supports me now.

• There is meaning in putting your all into the task at hand.

• There is much to be gained even on a path that seems like a detour.

• The important thing is to make your own decisions each time.

These are the lessons I have learned from my own experiences. For all of you who have read this far, I hope you will cherish each of your experiences as you search for what you want to do.