Deepening learning by taking on challenges and experiencing them firsthand. Broadening interests in multiple directions and taking a step into a yet unseen world.

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From Tokyo, graduate of Keio Senior High School

His active high school years were spent tackling various challenges, from track and field and studying abroad in the UK to his hobby, the clarinet. Under his personal belief of "not wanting to narrow his options," he constantly sought a wider world and went on to university. We asked him for insights into university life, including how he has balanced his busy student life of study and research with the path he wants to pursue since enrolling, and from what perspective he has discovered enjoyment and learning.

[*] Academic year at the time of the interview (August 2022).

Looking back, I feel like I followed my curiosity in high school and tried my hand at all sorts of things. In my track and field club, I practiced the 800-meter run five times a week, while also continuing to practice the clarinet, which I started in elementary school, on my own. I even performed in my high school's wind ensemble's regular concert. In my second year of high school, I also went to the UK for a year on a school program. With the encouragement of my teachers and parents, I became interested and thought it sounded fun. The high school I attended was one of the oldest in the UK, like something out of a movie. The dormitory life, sharing time from morning to night, was very new to me, and I was impressed by the well-balanced schedule of classes, extracurricular activities, and leisure time. Since my father is from the US, I had no trouble with English conversation, but I think my ability to produce output in English was strengthened through experiences like writing essays.

Since I attended one of the affiliated schools, I was admitted through an internal recommendation. I had liked picture books since I was little and was particularly interested in science, but the major turning point was a chemistry class I took at my school abroad. Unlike the classes I had taken before, where lectures and experiments were separate, this one was based on experiments in a small class, so being able to experience firsthand the phenomena I had seen in textbooks helped me decide on my future path.

Within the Faculty of Science and Technology, I hadn't clearly decided what I wanted to do yet, so I ultimately chose School 4 (now School D)[*], which offered the widest range of options.

[*] School 4... A "School" from which students could advance to one of four departments: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of System Design Engineering, Department of Applied Chemistry, or Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. The names and composition of each school have been changed for students entering in the 2020 academic year.

Since I spent my second year of high school abroad, I partly wanted to settle down in Japan for a while. Also, I have a mindset of not wanting to narrow my future options too early in anything I do, so I was attracted by the fact that the "Gakumon" school system[*] and the extensive study abroad programs from undergraduate to graduate school would increase my future choices. People tend to think of studying abroad as a chance given only to a select few, but before enrolling, I heard the current President say, "Excellent students should go abroad," which gave me a good impression that Keio University is an open environment where you can take on challenges. [*] "Gakumon" school system... A unique system of the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology where students choose one of five "Schools" at the time of the entrance examination, gradually narrow down their desired field of study according to their interests after enrollment, and decide on their department when advancing to the second year. Note that the "Gakumon" school system was changed for students entering the Faculty of Science and Technology in the 2020 academic year, and some of the departments students can advance to from each school have changed. Please refer to the link below for details on the "Gakumon" school system.

One is the extremely wide range of research fields. Even within mechanical engineering, there are fields like robotics and engines, as well as research pursuing optimal design, and even applied mathematics labs. Furthermore, the research methods are also broad, including theory, simulation, and experiments. There are also many classes where you get hands-on experience, such as "Creative Practice," where you conduct experiments and measurements on themes related to everyday issues; "Factory Tours," where you visit sites in Japan and abroad; and the "Monozukuri Project," where students present solutions to corporate challenges from their unique perspectives. There is a rich variety of classes that offer valuable experiences, such as planning and executing projects independently and visiting real-world sites beyond the university. The Department of Mechanical Engineering has a relatively large number of students within the Faculty of Science and Technology, so the student body is diverse, and many research topics are connected to the real world. In a sense, it might be the most "non-science-like department." The days spent with faculty and peers with a wide variety of expertise were stimulating.

My research theme is "Dynamics of Laser-Induced Bubbles in Gelatin Gel." This is research that applies a technology used in "laser lithotripsy," a treatment for kidney stones. The goal is to elucidate the behavior of bubbles, such as how they are generated near the stone by a focused laser and how they break up or move the stone with a jet. Although the technology itself already exists, many aspects of bubble behavior are not yet understood, and I believe it has potential for future use in medical settings. This is because if the intensity is too strong, there is a risk of damaging healthy tissue. If the dynamics of the bubbles can be applied, it will be possible to treat patients more precisely using a laser of appropriate intensity without damaging surrounding tissues. In my research, I conduct experiments where I irradiate a gelatin gel that mimics human tissue with a laser and capture the bubble oscillations with a high-speed camera. These are phenomena on the microsecond and micrometer scale, far removed from daily life, so I'm experiencing the fun of seeing a world I didn't know with my own eyes.

The main reason was that it was a lab where I could conduct experiments in the field of fluid dynamics. I found it interesting when I took the class as an undergraduate, and I was also drawn to the fact that there seemed to be many things that had not yet been elucidated. The Ando Laboratory was also attractive because it focuses on hands-on experiments where you can experience phenomena happening right before your eyes, rather than mainly on simulations.

The classes taught by Associate Professor Keita Ando during my undergraduate years were very easy to understand. Even in my third year, when online classes suddenly started due to the COVID-19 pandemic and there was a lot of confusion, his fluid dynamics class, where he explained mathematical formulas in a blackboard style, was memorable. Associate Professor Ando also has extensive overseas experience, so I chose his lab with the expectation that he could help me, as I had been considering studying abroad for some time.

Since enrolling, I have been dedicated to track and field, specializing in the 800-meter run in the Keio University Athletic Association's Track and Field Club. The appeal of middle-distance running is that you can't let your guard down for a moment, and it requires a variety of skills, including strategy, physical strength, and mental fortitude. During my fourth year as an undergraduate, I suffered repeated injuries and spent most of the year in rehabilitation, but I managed to continue while serving as the middle-distance block leader, and I recently placed third in Division 3 (Graduate Student Division) at the Kanto Intercollegiate Championships. I still practice 5-6 times a week, and people in my lab look at me in disbelief. On the other hand, when I talk about my lab activities and research with my teammates, they also give me incredulous looks (laughs). When I was advancing to the master's program, I hesitated about whether to continue competing, but I feel there are perspectives and experiences that can only be gained by being in both environments, so I am balancing both activities.

Starting this fall, I plan to study abroad for a year and a half at a university in Munich, Germany, using the university's "double degree program." This program allows you to obtain a master's degree, which normally takes two years, over three years, and there is also a system for undergraduate students.

After I go to Germany, I think my main focus will be on research, while also taking classes. I will mainly be studying a biomedical engineering program. I hope to do something somewhat close to my current research, but I will temporarily stop my current research while studying abroad and plan to resume work on my Japanese master's thesis after returning. It seems like it will be busy, but I think it's an environment that suits me, as I want to challenge myself in various ways.

My current research is interesting and fascinating, but for now, I am thinking of finding a job rather than advancing to the Doctoral Programs. The reason is that, based on my experience of challenging various things since childhood, I have a personality of delving deeper into things after becoming interested in multiple areas, so I imagine I will probably want to see the world outside of research. Of course, I want to utilize what I have learned so far in some way, even if indirectly, but I haven't decided on a direction yet. I think I will continue to change through encounters and experiences at my study abroad destination, so I want to move forward keeping my options wide, including the possibility of working overseas.