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From February 16 – March 24, 2019 ten female STEM undergraduates from Japan had the opportunity to come to Rice University in Houston, Texas to conduct a hands-on science and engineering research internship as part of the 2019 TOMODACHI STEM @ Rice University Program.  The program provides students the opportunity to gain real world experience with science & engineering research, provides an introduction to U.S. higher education, and provides opportunities for cultural engagement with U.S. students and US-Japan Council members and events.  Long-term, we hope the program will encourage and inspire female Japanese students to pursue graduate degrees in STEM fields, either in Japan or abroad. The ten participants in the 2019 program represented a wide range of fields of study including biosciences, chemistry, computer science and robotics, earth sciences, and physics.   This year’s participants represent eight different universities in Japan including  Kyushu University, Nagoya University, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka University, Shinshu University, the Tokyo Institute of Technology, the University of Tokyo (2), and Waseda University (2).

STEM Research Experience at Rice University: Over the course of four weeks, students conducted individual research projects in a Rice University laboratory and gave a final poster presentation on their research, in English.  While in Houston, students also attended a range of seminars on higher education and graduate study in the U.S., intercultural communication and presentation skills, and other STEM-related events including an evening panel on U.S.-Japan-Israel Advancements in Artificial Intelligence for Aging and Healthcare that was co-sponsored by the U.S.-Japan Council and held at the Texas Asia Society Center.   The 2019 students also had the opportunity visit Dow Chemical in Lake Jackson, Texas and learn more about career opportunities in industry for STEM students.  And no visit to Houston would be complete without a trip to NASA Space Center Houston and Rodeo Houston!

Final Week on the East Coast: During their final week in the U.S., the students traveled to the East Coast for a one-week science, technology, and global leadership seminar.  The week began with a two-day Global Leadership Seminar for Women in STEM at hosted by Lehigh University’s Office of International Affairs. Students had the opportunity to network with female STEM faculty members and students at Lehigh and participate in sessions on professional development and entrepreneurship.

We then traveled to Washington, DC where our students had the opportunity to meet with US-Japan Council Executive VP and COO, Laura Winthrop Abbot and discuss the role of women in STEM in Japanese society. Mya Fisher also shared details on the Toshizo Watanabe Study Abroad Scholarship Program for students interested in further study abroad opportunities in the U.S.  Our students also had the opportunity to have dinner with eleven participants of the TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership program who are also STEM majors.  Our stay in DC also included visits to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, JAXA DC, and a guided tour of the Library of Congress. And no visit to Washington, DC would be complete without sight-seeing along the National Mall and a visit to Albert Einstein!

Student Impact: The true impact of the program is best conveyed through the words of our participants themselves.

Research Skills: “Before I joined this program, I knew that I was interested in Data Science, yet, I was not 100 percent sure if I had enough interests and competence to conduct data science research on the international stage. However, having had hands-on research experience at Rice University, now I can say with confidence that I am eager to study Data Science and use these skills to solve real word problems. Although there were some hard times when I got stuck or could not get the results I expected, I truly enjoyed learning new data analysis techniques and discussing the results I got with my mentor and host professor. I still need to learn more to be a Data Scientist in the future; however, I am so glad that I was able to confirm my interests in Data Science through this program. In that sense, I think this program is a perfect opportunity for undergraduate students to figure out their interests and what they want to do in the future.” ~ Mariko Mizogami, Waseda University

Networking: “In Japan, there are not so many opportunities to meet female students in different fields. Through this program, I met nine Japanese students studying STEM and we spent five weeks together. I was impressed that everyone really loved their own fields and was passionate about their studies. At the same time, they were very respectful for other’s research. I was inspired by all of the other participants to study more, not only about my own field but about other academic fields. I really appreciated the nine best friends who joined together, my host professor and lab members, the program sponsors, and everyone providing me such an wonderful chance to study abroad.” ~ Ayaka Kasamatsu, The University of Tokyo

Professional Development: “Internships like the TOMODACHI STEM @ Rice University program are important for students because they help them make better and more informed choices for their future. When we visited Dow Chemical in the U.S., I asked the employees I met there why she or he got this job. Many people shared that when they were a university student they did an internship at a company or in a field where they wanted to work. Having finished their internship, they recognized that this job was not what they want to become. After that internship, they applies for another internship and they finally found the job/field that they wanted to work in. Like this story, there is sometimes a big gap between our dreams and reality. In order to know that gap, taking up the challenge of doing an internship (like TOMODACHI STEM) will enable students to rethink about their future career goals… Through this program, I had the opportunity to meet many people and it enabled me to broaden my perspective. Someday I want to be a bridge between Japan and foreign countries through what I have learned in this program. ~ Kyoko Ikeda, Kyushu University

Intercultural Skills: When speaking to a future employer, I would say that I learned the importance of discussions with other people and understanding the differences in our sense of value, culture and so on. Through the program, I faced cultural differences between Japan and the U.S. Those differences gave me the opportunity to think about our customs and ways of thinking…Thus, I got to accept various sense of values and I think this sense of acceptance is essential to communicate with each other when working. ~ Yurina Nakazato, The University of Tokyo

Conclusion: After a very productive five weeks in the U.S., our 2019 TOMODACHI STEM students returned to Japan.  We look forward to seeing what the future will hold for these students and hope they will be an inspiration to future generations of women in STEM Japan.  To learn more about these student’s research projects see http://tomodachistem.rice.edu/participants/2019-participants/ or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TomodachiSTEMRice.

 The 2016 – 2019 TOMODACHI STEM Program is directed by Prof. Junichiro Kono and Sarah Phillips in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Rice University. Funding for this program is generously provided by a grant from the U.S.-Japan Council’s TOMODACHI Initiative with support from Dow Japan.  For more information on international STEM programs managed by the Kono Group at see http://kono.rice.edu/intl-pgms/. [:]