Testimonial: Mr. Rikuo Takahashi

Mr. Rikuo Takahashi shares his experience as a research intern at Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit led by Dr. Nicholas M. Luscombe.

１．How and why did you decide to apply for this program?

I was basically self-taught in bioinformatics in the laboratory at Keio University and conducted research using bioinformatics. At the time, I was looking for a laboratory where I could study bioinformatics and OIST was a candidate for graduate school.  Therefore I applied for this program.

２．Please tell us what you expected from the program before participating in it and how you feel about your experience. (Please also include what you like about the program and areas for improvement if any.)

Before participating in the program, I was anxious because I had many uncertainties about what kind of life I would have. In particular, I could not get in touch with my lab members in advance, so I was not able to do much preparation for my research. I also had no idea how and where to eat nor any means of transportation, until I actually arrived at OIST. However, after I started my internship, I had enough time to discuss with my supervisor about my research activities during my internship period and I was able to spend fulfilling time. With the help of my roommates, I was able to go through my days at OIST without any problems.
　One area that could be improved is that the explanation about the program was somewhat insufficient beforehand. I was able to find information about the general OIST research internship program on the Internet but there was no information about this OIST-KEIO internship program. It would have been helpful for interns to have more specific information about this OIST-KEIO internship program and other students’ lives, in order to prepare in advance.

３．What was your typical day like as an OIST research intern? 

8:30 Wake up, breakfast
9:00 Start working (mainly programming)
12:00 Lunch with lab members
13:00 Work (meeting with supervisor once or twice a week)
17:30 Go home (sometimes go to the gym or shopping before going home)
18:00 Dinner
21:00 Study (English or something related to my research field)
23:00 Bedtime

４．How did  you spend your weekends?

I spent time with my unit members or roommates most of the time. Specifically, we went snorkeling and played sports at the gymnasium in Ishikawa. We even rented a car and went for a drive. Other than that, I spent time doing household chores such as cleaning, laundry, shopping and I also spent time preparing presentations.
　I also attended parties held at Grand Line (a bar near OIST) and in the common kitchen of The Gardens. There I was able to meet other interns and PhD students. It was a great opportunity to make acquaintances.

５．Other (Free comments)

In general, this internship provided me with a very enriching experience in both research and student life. The natural surroundings and well-equipped campus allowed me to devote myself to my research without stress. The guidance system of the unit I belonged to was also very solid and I feel that I was able to achieve more than I had imagined despite the short internship period of two months. At OIST, students interacted with each other actively across research units and experiencing that, by talking with them on weekends and during lunch time, was quite a culture shock for me, compared to the closed environment of Keio University's research facilities.
  Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the unit members and OIST staff for providing me with such a valuable opportunity. We hope that this internship program will be even better in the future.