[Part 3] Hiroyuki Miyamoto

Although there are many "good universities" in the world, I am once again reminded of the importance of entering a university that is the right fit for you. This is because the true value of a university is often understood not before you enroll, but after you graduate. I enrolled as a student in the Faculty of Engineering (now the Faculty of Science and Technology), and after two years of foundational education at the Hiyoshi Campus, we were assigned to our respective departments. Thanks to this, I was able to get exposure to a wide range of engineering fields, which allowed me to build a foundation for tackling problems in any area later on. At the same time, once we were divided into departments, I was blessed with many classmates with whom I have maintained relationships to this day, even after entering the workforce.

In my case, besides my interest in electrical engineering, I had a dream of going abroad before I turned 30 to have various experiences. The French language, which I chose to study after entering university, would have a major impact on my future path. Keio has traditionally focused on language education, and no one would doubt its growing importance in the fields of science and technology. During my fourth year at university, I did an internship at a factory in France, which made me want to study abroad there. More than anything, it was because I saw in the engineer who looked after me a sense of pride that science and technology support the nation. Afterward, with the advice of professors from the Juku's Faculty of Engineering, I took the French Government Scholarship examination and earned the opportunity to study abroad. This scholarship program is offered by the French government to young people from all over the world, and it has been open to Japan since 1931. In exchange for the French government covering all tuition and living expenses, there is a strict review every six months. In the world of research, however, there is no distinction between French and foreign nationals; it is a world where only those who work hard can survive. Even with a language handicap, you receive criticism without mercy, but in return, when you produce results, you are properly recognized. Unless you assert your own opinions, you cannot obtain the research environment you desire. This may seem obvious, but you will get nothing unless you actually communicate it with words.

However, it became clear that the initially planned two-year study period was not enough time to complete my doctoral dissertation. It is said that even for French students, it takes at least three years. I took the plunge and wrote a letter to the government requesting an extension of my scholarship, which was approved, and I entered my third year. At that time, my research theme was part of the Spartacus Project, a robot development initiative to assist people with physical disabilities that was being carried out in a decentralized manner throughout France.

With an absolute lack of time, I repeated experiments late into the night, while my days consisted of going to the lab first thing in the morning, getting some work done, and then having breakfast at a café near the university as the eastern sky began to brighten. I would confirm the day's experiment plan while drinking a large cup of café au lait. Before going home, I made it a habit to keep a research journal in French. My daily sphere of activity was essentially a triangle connecting the laboratory, the student dormitory, and the university cafeteria. Occasionally, I also participated in events for international students, giving me the chance to interact with students from all over the world. One time, I went on a three-day, two-night trip on a chartered bus. With about 50 participants, it was a super-international experience with 26 different nationalities. That was when I felt the importance of people with different languages, religions, and customs exchanging opinions. There were international students from Central and South America and the Maghreb countries (North Africa), young people from the Middle East, and a researcher from Poland. At that time, when the Berlin Wall still existed, Eastern Europe felt very far away. The belief that news from all over the world was reaching Japan was an illusion; it was a different dimension I was hearing about for the first time. Even if our social systems were different, the goals of researchers were the same. That same Poland joined the EU in May of this year.

One day, as my return to Japan approached, my supervising professor confided in me. "When you were hesitating about whether to continue your research, I made up my mind. It's easy for a mentor to say no, but it is also a mentor's duty to take risks alongside their student. I was not mistaken in my judgment." My three years of studying abroad were by no means smooth, but these words solidified my decision to later guide the next generation at a university.

Twenty-five years have passed since I returned to Japan, and now I have regular opportunities to go to France. For academic conferences, meetings for joint research and student exchanges, and this time, at the request of the French government, to discuss France's science and technology policy leading up to 2020. I see it as a "small and pleasant duty" in return for the three years of support I received. The "nostalgia and freshness" I always feel when I land at Charles de Gaulle Airport. The United States accepts the largest number of international students in the world, but France surpasses it in terms of the percentage of foreigners in the student population. It was at Keio University that I found the key not just to a simple foreign experience, but to seeing the world through the country of France and deepening my interactions with people from around the globe. And now, the Keio Faculty of Science and Technology is promoting exchanges with some of France's leading engineering universities, and many students are designing their own careers.

A university is not a place where you wait to be given things, but a place where you explore and create for yourself. To carve out a world different from others.