Every year, several students from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines take the opportunity to come in Nara to take a grasp of research at NAIST in particular, and life in Japan in general. This experience helps them to decide if they want to enter NAIST in the future, after their undergraduate or master’s course. We interviewed one of the interns (who prefers to remain anonymous) to know more about how the Filipino interns spend their time at NAIST.
What were the contents of the internship this year?
“The internship period lasted for 2 weeks, from January 4 to January 18, 2017. Each intern was assigned to a laboratory, and they worked on their respective projects. During the weekends, the interns travelled to Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, and Osaka, together with the NAIST Filipino organizers. The internship concluded with a workshop wherein all interns presented their outputs.”
I see. Which NAIST laboratory did you enter, and what is your research topic about?
“In entered the Dependable System Laboratory, in the Graduate School of Information Science. The research assigned to me was entitled “Self-stabilizing energy-aware data collection in wireless networks with renewable energy sources”. I was tasked to do a simulation program for a distributed network wherein all of its nodes are supplied with a renewable energy source. The goal was to develop and identify the most efficient cost function that would make the data transmission within the distributed network at least 80% successful for all iterations.”
Wow, interesting! It sounds like a top-notch research topic. Actually, what did you like the most about your internship?
“Learning about Japanese culture and research practices, and student life in NAIST made the internship experience worthwhile. During our free days, the organizers took us to trips to immerse us with Japanese culture. During weekdays, we worked in our respective laboratories for our project, shared stories with some NAIST students, and learned about other research projects in our laboratories. It is also worth mentioning that this internship opened my eyes to more possibilities and ideas, as I learned a lot from the professors, NAIST students, and from my fellow interns.”
It seems this experience has been fulfilling for you guys. So, what did you learn at NAIST?
“After our 2-week stay, I learned how vast the field of science and engineering can be. I’ve seen how these technologies, can emerge from basic structures to great and innovative solutions to life problems. It showed me how much I still have to learn, and it motivated me to do more than simply what I know. The internship helped me align myself with both my capacity and my goals.”
Any message for interns that will enter NAIST in the future?
“Outgrow your limits!”