The experience of disciplining oneself, deepening learning, and training the mind and body becomes the power to step into a new world.

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Department of Applied Chemistry (School of Engineering and Design, Master's Program Year 2 [*])

Graduate of Kichijo Joshi High School, Tokyo

During high school, she realized the joy of hands-on work through classroom experiments. She chose a science path to broaden her future options. She also strove to master Kyudo (Japanese archery), which she had practiced for many years, even at the university level. As the captain of the Keio University Athletic Association Kyudo Club, she led the team and continued to work hard toward their goals—an experience she says influenced her subsequent views on her career. Currently, she is working on high-profile research in her laboratory that was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. We spoke with her about her days of balancing research and club activities, driven by her desire not to give up on anything she wanted to do.

I belonged to the Kyudo club from my first year of junior high school until the end of my second year of high school, practicing four days a week. On my days off, I spent fulfilling days singing karaoke or shopping with friends, or going to the municipal Kyudo range for independent practice.

Regarding academics, since it was a school strong in the sciences with many students aspiring to enter the School of Medicine, it was an environment where experiments like frog dissections were actively conducted, which is rare for a general high school. I was interested in these activities myself, and when I thought about my career path, I naturally developed an interest in science, thinking that going into a science field would broaden my future options. I didn't attend a Juku; I prepared for entrance exams using only school classes. The teachers provided strong support, so I actively asked questions about things I didn't understand, and they dedicated a lot of time to me. I stayed motivated by staying after school with classmates to teach each other and competing over periodic test scores.

The fact that I was aiming for a science field, plus Kyudo, were the major deciding factors.

I considered stepping away from Kyudo once upon graduating high school, but when I came for a university visit, the Kyudo range was so beautiful that it gave me the push I needed, making me want to do Kyudo here again! So, I aimed to enroll in the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology.

Broadly speaking, the path of science and technology was visible to me, but since I hadn't clearly decided on a specific career path at the time of enrollment, the Gakumon system [*], which allows a grace period until the second year to decide on a department, was also very attractive to me.

I joined the Athletic Association Kyudo Club in my first year, and until my retirement in my fourth year, every day was literally immersed in Kyudo. In the Keio University Kyudo Club, there were national-level athletes among both seniors and peers, and I received a lot of good stimulation. I deepened my understanding of Kyudo more than in my junior and senior high school days, was strict with myself, and secured an overwhelming amount of practice. While somehow managing to balance it with my studies, I practiced seven days a week, which resulted in winning second place in the team competition at the Kanto Tournament. I served as captain in my fourth year, and I believe I was able to balance it with my research thanks to the support of my peers and energetic juniors. Leading an organization like a "club" was difficult but rewarding, and I am certain that the experience in the Athletic Association Kyudo Club, where I disciplined myself to work toward a goal, will be a lifelong asset for me.

The Department of Applied Chemistry is a department with many experiments. I think it is very attractive for people who like hands-on work and those who want to directly see reactions that they could only see as chemical formulas in high school textbooks. The amount of experiments and reports is by no means "small," but that doesn't mean you have to give up other things you want to do outside of studying. There are other students besides me who belong to Athletic Association clubs, and it is possible to balance studies in the Department of Applied Chemistry with club activities. I think it hones the skill of handling everything efficiently. Regarding the characteristics of the students, I have the impression that there are many bright and proactive people rather than those who just study silently. The male-to-female ratio is about 6:4. Since chemistry-related departments allow you to learn knowledge that leads to cosmetics development, a characteristic environment is that the ratio of women is higher compared to other departments.

The schedule varied by day, but as an example, I would have morning practice at the Hiyoshi Campus range from 7:00 to 9:00 AM, then attend classes, and return to the range for independent practice during free periods. The range was open until 10:00 PM, so I would practice in the evening before going home. In my fourth year, I was assigned to a laboratory, so I would practice at the Hiyoshi Campus range in the morning, go to the laboratory at the Yagami Campus from 1:00 to 5:00 PM, and then move to the range at the Hiyoshi Campus or Mita Campus to practice.

Because there are many experiments and reports, I made full use of gap time to balance them with club activities. I would do other tasks while waiting for experiment results or reduce the time spent aimlessly looking at my smartphone. On the train during my commute, I would write down observations of experiments in my smartphone's notes so that I could quickly compile them into reports. I think I trained skills that will be useful even as a working professional, such as reducing waste and handling various tasks.

I remember going to a factory of a major chemical manufacturer for research and development during a field trip in my third year. Seeing places that are rarely seen and hearing stories from employees who are alumni deepened my thoughts on my future career. Many people in my family are teachers, and I hadn't had the chance to talk to people working for manufacturers until then, so it was a very valuable opportunity.

It is research on quantum dots, which won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2023. Quantum dots are nano-sized semiconductor particles, and specifically, the ones I handle emit various colors when exposed to UV light. In terms of things around us, it's a technology that can be used for displays. They are characterized by vivid light emission and the ability to switch images more smoothly because afterimages are less likely to remain. However, conventional high-performance quantum dots use harmful substances such as cadmium and lead, so they may be subject to usage restrictions and impose an environmental burden when disposed of. To solve that problem, I am working on research to synthesize quantum dots using environmentally friendly materials. It's research I took over from a senior in the laboratory, and I am currently examining synthesis conditions in detail with the goal of precise control of emission wavelengths and improvement of emission efficiency.

It's because I felt surprise and excitement that I could do the same research on quantum dots that won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in a university laboratory! Also, I found the fact that research results are visible to be attractive. Even if you synthesize an organic compound, even if you understand the chemical formula or structural formula, it's hard to immediately feel if it's really been made. In that respect, my research is a binary choice of whether it glows or not, and by changing the synthesis conditions, the color changes, so the results and achievements are easy to understand visually.

Also, the fact that it was easy to balance club activities and research was a deciding factor. Depending on the laboratory, there is something called "core time" where students must stay in the laboratory and conduct research or experimental activities. In the case of the Photofunctional Material Design Laboratory, we are left with relatively free use of our time. I thought the fact that I could concentrate on research in a short time suited my personality. If I make a proper schedule, report, and produce results, I can decide on activities other than research at my own discretion.

I plan to work in sales for a beverage manufacturer. I considered taking a science-related job, but through alumni visits and job hunting, I decided on a humanities-related job. My strengths are collaboration in a team and interpersonal communication skills. I reached the conclusion that I would find it more rewarding to think with everyone about how to sell a product rather than silently doing research and development. I think this is influenced by my experience in the club. Kyudo is not a team sport, but the victories you achieve lead to the team's victory, and it's a sport where teaching each other and cooperating in practice eventually comes back to benefit you. I think chasing a big goal with everyone suits me.