NanoJapan

Only three days after final exams last spring, Aanchal Raj was on a flight headed for Houston. There she would have an orientation session for a summer research program in her ultimate destination: Japan. Raj, a sophomore majoring in electrical and computer engineering, was traveling as part of the NanoJapan Summer Nanotechnology Study Program, a Rice University program funded by the National Science Foundation that enables first- and second-year college students to gain valuable cross-cultural scientific experience.

NanoJapan is an intensive 12-week program that includes Japanese language and culture classes, as well as a strong focus on nanotechnology research at top Japanese universities. Raj joined 15 other students from across the United States for the program that, "went above and beyond all my expectations," she said.

The first three weeks of the program were spent in Tokyo and included three-hour Japanese language classes in the morning followed by nanotechnology or culture classes in the afternoon. When the students weren't in class, they traveled around the city and the country seeing sites and getting to know each other. 

After the three weeks in Tokyo the students were split up between various locations and universities throughout Japan. Raj was placed in Sendai, a small city four hours north of Tokyo, at Tohoku University in the Institute of Materials Research (IMR) under Professor Hiroyuki Nojiri.

"My research involved studying quantum tunneling in nanomagnets using magnetic fields," said Raj. "I learned how to conduct various time-pulsed magnetization measurements, as well as Electron Spin Resonance. Most amazing of all was getting to work directly with my lab professor who built the entire highly specialized low-temperature, high magnetic field testing cryostat and capacitor bank apparatus. It was a wonderful opportunity to gain a new perspective of how research and collaboration is conducted in Japanese labs."

Raj spent eight weeks in Sendai, eating Japanese food and biking for transportation. "I even assimilated to the culture of biking with three-inch heels and an umbrella in one hand."

She says that her time in Japan "was filled with non-stop excitement." The excitement even included climbing Mt. Fuji and watching the sun rise from the mountain's summit.

Raj's experience with NanoJapan has lit a spark for her. "An understanding and appreciation between various cultures is essential for international research. To be a leader in science requires much more than just a technical expertise; it requires entrepreneurship and skills in leadership, communication, and most of all cultural awareness with the ever increasing global collaboration. I cannot wait to pursue further international opportunities such as this!"