Neuro Global International Joint Graduate Program,
Tohoku University

D2 Kazuo KAKINUMA
Graduate School of Medicine

I participated in the NGP Online Gathering on April 26. Like the other lectures last year, this event was held online.

At this event, I listened to flash talks by other NGP students and pre-program students on a variety of research topics. Graduate students from various laboratories applied for the NGP, and their research topics and approaches were very diverse. Though some talks were unfamiliar and difficult for me, as a whole they were all stimulating. Among them, I also gave a one-minute flash talk to introduce my research. My research focuses on the clinical estimation of the functional localization of the human brain. I usually work as a medical doctor in a university hospital, practicing clinical medicine as well as studying human brain function with the cooperation of patients with brain disease.

In addition to the opportunity to know about a variety of brain researches, the NGP also provides an opportunity to train me to explain my research topic clearly in English.

D4 Teppei KANAYA
Graduate School of Medicine

Although under this difficult time, I am happy to be able to attend the NGP Online Gathering and welcome the new students. In this social event, we introduced our own research in one minute as a flash talk, and then interacted freely. This year, the first graduates of the Neuro Global Program, Dr. Onodera and Dr. Honda gave a message for the NGP students. As the first graduates, they mentioned how tough studying abroad in an unprecedented situation could be. Including such things, they learned a lot from studying abroad and motivated us a lot.

In this unprecedented situation due to Covid-19, we feel anxious about studying abroad. Face-to-face exchanges are limited, and some NGP students may be held back from studying abroad. However, a lot is being accomplished online, including this social event, and it seems that opportunities for social interactions are more open than ever. I would like to make the most of these opportunities to improve each other and prepare for the upcoming opportunities to study abroad.

D1 Sara EbrahimiAzar
Graduate School of Medicine

Due to the pandemic, it has been more than a year since the NGP gatherings are held online. I think everyone is quite used to this style of presentation now and can see the importance of developing their abilities of using such different means of discussion. In this “Flash Talk” gathering, we introduced our research project to other students in about one minute. I believe that NGP provides nice opportunities for students to practice presenting their projects in a clear and concise manner, and in a friendly environment where they can polish their presentation skills. In my case, I realized that I need to work on conveying the concept of my study in a limited time and stick to essential data that represent my work more comprehensively.

In addition, this was a great occasion for students from different neuroscientific backgrounds to get to know about other research perspectives in this area, and possibly create chances for future collaborations. This was further provided by the casual gathering after the main meeting, where we could break up in smaller groups and talk more directly to each other. We were also introduced to some of the first NGP students who graduated recently and received encouraging messages from them.

M2 Yuhang JIA
Graduate School of Life Sciences

Because of the COVID-19, the gathering was held online. We did two minutes flash talk and introduced our study briefly to other students. It’s very interesting to know others working, and it’s also helpful to broaden my horizons. Besides, knowing better others works could provide possible collaborations in future. Although we cannot talk face to face under the current serious situation, we could still connect with each other online. Do what we could do, do what we have to do, I believe that is the best response that can be made under the current circumstances.