[No. 201] Masumi Suzuki

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to Jukuin Raio (Alumni Connections). A long time has passed since I enrolled in the Faculty of Science and Technology, but I am grateful that these occasional interactions continue to give me the chance to self-reflect, think, and learn.

Influenced by my father, I have loved science since I was a child. Even before starting elementary school, I was thrilled to learn about and experience various technologies, from entering programs on a personal computer—a rarity at the time—to building electronic kits together. In a junior high school chemistry class, I learned that the phenomena around me were composed of invisible things called atoms. This inspired me to study chemistry more deeply, and I decided to enter the Faculty of Science and Technology. I found chemistry even more fascinating once I was in university, when I discovered that the formulas I had memorized could be derived from theory and that phenomena yet to be explained might one day be understood. From that moment, for the first time in my life, I truly enjoyed studying.

The classes at the Faculty of Science and Technology were vast in both scope and volume, which was challenging. However, as I had more opportunities to speak directly with professors who had mastered their respective fields, I learned not only knowledge but also various attitudes toward scholarship, research, and education. My student life was completely immersed in research. Looking back, I may have overdone it, but I also feel a sense of satisfaction from having given it my all.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to teach at the Department of Chemistry at Hiyoshi starting in my third year of the Doctoral Programs. Having spent my time within the Faculty of Science and Technology, teaching students from all the liberal arts faculties—the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Economics, and the Faculty of Business and Commerce—was an opportunity to learn about their different goals and ways of thinking, even among humanities students, and it became a learning experience for me as well. I also had the chance to teach international students and students in the correspondence course program, which I believe prompted me to consider how chemistry can be useful in a diverse society.

The catalyst for my transition from a research path to my current field of intellectual property rights was my involvement in establishing the university's TLO (Technology Licensing Organization, as it was then called). I wanted to know how the results of our research could be useful to society, and by engaging with intellectual property rights as a means of conveying that to society, I wanted to build that bridge between research and society myself. My research was going well, and I had received several offers for my next position, so my sudden decision to change careers prompted various comments from my professors. When I reported that I had passed the patent attorney examination in the same year I made the switch, I saw the profound relief on their faces. I remember feeling both apologetic for having caused them so much worry and grateful for their watchful support.

Since then, I have continued on the path of intellectual property and now serve as the head of intellectual property rights for Japan and Korea at a healthcare company. As I am responsible for all group companies, the technical fields I cover are broad, ranging from pharmaceuticals to medical devices. Furthermore, the content is constantly changing as we are always pursuing cutting-edge technology. Therefore, every day is a new challenge, but my foundation in a wide range of technical fields from university and the mindset I cultivated of tackling the unknown and building things myself have been invaluable. In addition, due to the nature of my work—connecting research to society—the people I work with are not just researchers but come from multiple departments such as marketing and business strategy, and they have diverse backgrounds, both internal and external to the company, domestic and international. Here, too, the skills I acquired at university—explaining the specialized field of science and technology to people with various backgrounds, including not only fellow specialists but also liberal arts students and people from outside the university, during experiments, lectures, and events like open campus—have proven to be steadily useful in my work.

My current company is also proactive in social contribution, and as part of our volunteer activities, I regularly visit facilities for people with disabilities. This year, as part of our DE&I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, I am discussing with people from the US and Europe how to provide education to people from various backgrounds and expand their future career possibilities. Even after graduating from university, I have been given opportunities to give lectures and talks every few years, and I have continued to receive fresh inspiration from professors and students. I feel that it is because of these experiences that I can offer my opinion as a representative of Asia, backed by my own experience.

Although I have moved away from direct research activities, nothing I learned at university or experienced as a teacher has been a waste. It has all become the foundation for me to utilize my abilities and thrive in a changing world. I hope to continue contributing to the advancement of science and to the next generation of scientists by connecting the fruits of research with society.