International Office Medical Faculty & Student / Taiwan Internship 2012

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Date

August 19 - 31, 2012

Schedule

1st week : Lab rotation
2nd week : Animal Biotechnology Laboratory Practice Course
        

Lab rotation list

Lab of Chien-Kuo Lee 李建國 Graduate Institute of Immunology
Lab of Han-Yi E. Chou 周涵怡 Graduate Institute of Oral biology
Lab of Hsinyu Lee 李心予 Institute of Zoology
Lab of Li-Ying Sung 宋麗英 Institute of Biotechnology
Lab of Shi-Chuen Miaw 缪希椿 Graduate Institute of Immunology
Lab of Shih-Shun Lin 林詩舜 Institute of Biotechnology
Lab of Shih-Torng Ding 丁詩同 Department of Animal Science and Technology
Lab of Tang-Long Shen 沈湯龍 Department of Plant Patology and Microbiology
Lab of Tsai-Kun Li 李財坤 Graduate Institute of Microbiology

Yukitsukugu Asabe

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M1 Yukitsugu Asabe

  I have two reasons which I applied to join Summer School in NTU. First, I want to get a opportunity to attend the wonderful phase “A new discovery by a new research method” by getting the new methods. I analyze using several methods, Western blot analysis and so on, in order to see DNA, RNA and protein. I learned that it is very important to learn the basic experimental methods.
Second, I think I can obtain the opportunity to participate in the network among researcers by going abroad. But it is also important to learn experimental techniques, I believe future benefits can be obtained in the study by creating a foreign acquaintance.
I was able to achieve the above two objectives of this Summer School. I experienced new experimental techniques, such as confocal and TIRF. I think I would like to take advantage of future experiments. And I was able to get acquainted with many NTU students.
I worried about whether I was able to communicate in English properly before visiting Taiwan. Actually, my English is not so good, but Taiwanese students have been trying to understand my English. It is said that Japanese people don’t speak too much to worry about the grammar, I learned that it is important to talk more and more.
I was able to learn so much only two weeks. I want to join such as the opportunity to study abroad.

Yu Ishikawa

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M1 Yu Ishikawa

I participated in the Summer School in National Taiwan University from 19th August to 1st September in 2012. There I encountered many unexpected things which gave me wonderful experiences and opened my mind up to new ideas. The wonderful experiences I had were unforgettable and I want to share them with others.
Before going to Taiwan I had already decided what my primary goals would be. First, I wanted to expand my view because I can get a new perspective from another laboratory, especially in foreign countries. This means it is good for me to keep my motivation. Second, I needed the English communication skill for my future because I want to be a researcher and go abroad for work. English is common language among researchers and I think it is important way to be able to use English for discussions amongst each other. Third, through the cultural exchange between Taiwan and Japan, I wanted to learn their great attitude toward study, research and learning new things.
In this Summer school course, we had two kinds of programs. We went to each laboratory to do own experiments in the first week and we had the Biotechnology seminar in the second week.
I went to Hsinyu Lee laboratory for laboratory rotation. His laboratory is “Laboratory of endothelial cell molecular biology” and focuses on the angiogenesis of cancer growth. This research was different from my research so it took long time to understand its concept and strategy. It was so hard for me but I tried to ask some questions for TA to understand this research deeply. In this case, I had the opportunity to give presentation so I must understand not only the concepts of my research but also the laboratory’s. My TA always told me that the most important thing was to understand these concepts. Through this experience, I can see what you say but I realize that the most important thing is to tell other people easily what I want to tell. According to prepare for my presentation, I learned the skill of telling own idea and strategy. On the other hand, I think I need more scientific communication skills, especially words and sentences. It was first time to present my research in English so I had some problems when I had to answer questions from the audience during my presentation. One question I was asked was “What do you think?” I had some ideas but I could not translate in English. I managed to summarize my opinions and realized that there were few answers which we could say “Yes” or “No” and we always had to tell our own opinions. This presentation taught me a lot of things and I want to use this skill in Japan.
I was a TA of Summer school in Tsukuba in this summer so we have known each other before I went to Taiwan. NTU students have interesting talent and they are so kindly for us. They wanted to learn Japanese culture and so I taught them some Japanese, ideas and spirits, they could use the next time. From this I noticed they have ability to absorb new information quickly. I think that their attitude toward study and learning other things is amazing because they think we know a lot of information and skills which they do not know. Through this communication, there are many things to learn from them. I want to keep in touch to them and work hard together in the future.
In my conclusion for this report, I want to acknowledge for all people who support and help me during this program. I realized what the purpose of the research was, how to communication with each other, and the friendship between Taiwan and Japan. Thank you for giving me wonderful experiences.

Taiki Iwabuchi

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M1 Taiki Iwabuchi

 The stay in National Taiwan University gave me so wonderful experience and valuable opportunities to learn about the culture and people in Taiwan. I went to Taiwan to study in National Taiwan University for two weeks.
The first week, I worked in Tsai Kun-Li laboratory and did some experiments, comet assay and Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with the students. However, it was difficult for me to understand the background and some technical terms during the research. I couldn’t understand them sometimes. I thought that it was so hard to discuss the research in English. But the students in this lab were so kind and proficient in the experiments, and taught me the background of research and how to use cells and instruments again and again. When I could make myself understood in English, I was deeply moved.
The second week, I took the some lessons to learn the methods of some experiments, including immunofluorescence, real-time PCR, western blotting, DGGE. I had never done some of these experiments, so it was really meaningful time for me. The lectures done by teachers and teaching assistants were so clear that it was easy to understand the principles and the meaning of the experiments.
In the last of the summer school, I had the opportunity to give a presentation in English. It was first time for me to present my research in English. It was difficult for me to make presentation slides and explain my research in English. But the students in the Tsai Kun-Li laboratory helped me very much to make presentation, so I really appreciate them very much. Thanks to them, it was a good presentation for me, but I couldn’t answer very well to the final questions after presentation. I thought I need an ability to discuss a research in English.
After school, my Taiwanese friends took me to restaurants and famous places so I had really wonderful time and precious experiences. Every day I was very happy thanks to my friends. I had so great days in Taiwan.
I had no foreign friends until I went to Taiwan. I changed my mind to make friends with someone in Taiwan. I found out that there are differences in culture and sensitivity between foreign people and Japanese. I think that it is important for us to learn from and respect differences. I think that we should show understanding to other cultures. Then, we will improve international relations. After I came back to Japan, I’m more interested in studying abroad and in the international situation than I was before. I would like to go all over the world in the future. I hope to try studying abroad, go in international internships and to be an international person.

Kana Kitabayashi

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M1 Kana Kitabayashi

I got new vision for not only my lab life but also my future by this short visit. Before visiting Taiwan, I was not make sure in myself, and thought everything negatively. But after this, I can be confident in my abilities. Of course, sometimes I felt frustrated because I could not understand TA’s words and also I could not be understood myself. Those problems almost solved thanks to TAs. Effect of my effort, my English speaking skills was level up step by step.
What I feel importance is communication between Japanese and Taiwanese. Generally it is said that Japanese people can read English, but they cannot speak. I think too and just I was one of those people. So, this short visit program is very hard training for me. I feared the condition that everyone cannot understand Japanese. However, such worries proved to be groundless. I could communicate with everyone! But, I was frustrating to say my opinions correctly when we discussed about results of experiments. In future, I’m going to get the opportunities to talk with foreigners. Saying my opinion definitely is important thing. My thinking about learning foreign languages are changing.
For 1 week during this program was lab rotation. I joined microbiology lab (Pro. TK-Li) and did experiments about new theme for me using by new techniques for me. First, I couldn’t understand the backgrounds, techniques. My TAs helped me until midnight one by one. I felt strongly the Taiwanese student’s approach bout study. They study with vivacity. They have many experiments and discussions. On the other hands, they also think playing is important. They have tea time and sometimes they go home early and play in somewhere. I think it is one reason of their good achievements. I should check my schedules in an efficient fashion.
I got English speaking skills and experiments technique during this short visit. In the end of this document, I want to say thank you for who collaborate between University of Tsukuba and National Taiwan University, especially my TAs.

Yuya Sato

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M1 Yuya Sato

I had a precious time in Taiwan summer school program. Originally I am not good at speaking English because I always hesitate to speak English. So, I think I can improve my English speaking skill by studying in Taiwan, because Japanese can’t get across little in Taiwan.
First week, we belonged to each laboratory and we learned various experiments. In Taiwan laboratory control of reagent is much severe than that in Japan. Of course most Taiwanese students couldn’t understand and had different experiments of my experiments, so I must talk with them in English. I felt tensed.
Second week, we did experiments with Taiwanese students like PCR, western blotting and RT-PCR. Different from laboratory members, most students were under graduated, so we taught them experimental methods. I thought it was very difficult to explain about experiments in English to students.
After I attended this program, I thought I improve my speaking English skill. I had a great experiences which I couldn’t go through in Japan.
Thank you very much for giving me such a great experience.

Yuka Sugiyama

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M1 Yuka Sugiyma

In this summer, August 19th ~September 1st, I attended the short-term visit program in National Taiwan University (NTU). It was so interesting and wonderful experience for me.
In the first week of NTU, I had laboratory experience. I belonged to laboratory of plant molecular biology and virology, Dr. Shih-Shun Lin’s laboratory. My subject was “Construction of viral vector TuGK for analysis of SAP54AY function.” It was first time for me to use “plants” as experimental materials because I use mammalian cells and mice for my study in Japan. So I was worried that I could not understand what I should do and think about my results. However, I found that there were not many differences between plants and mammalians in the biological system, for example, both of them have central dogma and we can express target gene with viral vector. They were so fresh and interesting experience for me. Although I could not get many positive data, I had so many chances to discuss my opinion with the professor and my TA in English. I hardly discuss in English in Japan, so I had difficulty to give my thinking and listen to what they said first. But I could express my opinion more than the first day in laboratory. I think it is because of my environment I could use only English to talk with them.
In the second week, I attended animal biotechnology laboratory practice course, CBT summer course in NTU. In this course, I had lectures and experiments and I had a partner of NTU student. I learned and made some new experiments, including immunofluorescence staining, PCR-DGGE. I explained how to do experiments and principles to my partner and we discussed our data. I felt that it was difficult to express the principles well in English. But when we understood our opinions, I realized communication skill in English is important.
And I had the opportunity to make a presentation about my research. I could not satisfy myself of my presentation. To improve my skill of discussion in English, I want to have opportunities to use English for laboratory works in Japan.
Through this program, I got not only scientific knowledge but also many friends in Taiwan. I am so glad meet good friends and teachers. I am deeply grateful to them. And I also want to express thanks to my laboratory members, they gave many advice and encouraged me.

Yuichi Takahashi

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M1 Yuichi Takahashi

From Aug.19th to Sep. 1st I joined “Summer Program +4 Biotechnology” in National Taiwan University.
My dream is to be a world-class researcher in the future. Bur I can’t speak English frequently. So I thought I must be in the situation needed to speak English. I hoped to talk about research with abroad researchers in English.
The first week I belonged to a laboratory of Dr. Shi-Chuen Miaw and tested it on a theme about "The possibility of the physical interaction between c-Maf and Th-POK".
C-Maf is one of the transcription factors known to be important for the regulation of cytokine production from the immune cells and for developing the cell of the whole body widely.
On the other hand, Th-POK is known as a master transcription factor for the development and the functional differentiation in the thymus of the CD4+T cell and the development of the NKT cell.
So I made vectors for the ectopic expression of Th-POK to test the physical interaction between 2 proteins.
All the students who participated in summer school as the last summary performed presentation in English. I was so nerves in front of many teachers and TA. It was difficult to finish the presentation within limited time. I realized the difficulty of explanation in English and to answer the question.
In the second week I attended a class called "Animal Biotechnology course" with a student of NTU. I took lectures about basic experiment technique of Biotechnology in English and it was to one set of pair with a student of NTU friends for two people and performed some experiments together. For example, real-time PCR, immunostaining, . However, it was fresh and it was stimulating to test together while talking in English with a student of NTU. Furthermore, there was an introduction of a new machine and the new experiment technique by some companies and was only a thing interesting all.
I received a lot of explanations by English for 2-weeks. I was able to have a first experience that I gave a presentation in English in my life. The ability "to talk" in English, honesty is still unpolished. However, I take an English class after coming back to Japan and realize the ability "to hear" English improved.
Furthermore I made many friends in Taiwan. Everyone is so kind to me and take care of me so well. Now I am keeping a touch with some of them.
My speaking skill in English is still poor. If I got the chance like this time I want to join the program and to make my English skill better.
I want to keep the effort for my dream with Taiwan’s memory.

Yuko Tashiro


Kentaro Honda

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M1 Kentaro Honda

Before I participated in this program, I have a little hesitation in English communication because I thought it is difficult for me to express jokes or ironies as I often use in Japanese although I have some chances to talk with foreign people in Japan. But actually, that was not true. Most of the people who I met there were same ages to me so it’s not so difficult to make not only academic discussion, but also funny conversations and laugh each other and it helped us to know each other and each culture well. I realized it’s not critical to understand our personality, character, or our countries whether I can use grammatically correct expression or not. I learned that the most important, or value thing is our own curiosity to everything I see, feel, eat, smell or meet there. It would help to make our friendship stronger, valuable, or irreplaceable. And it’s also not a surprising but actual feeling for me that people who I talk to might be a mirror of mine. Hence, people would hesitate to talk with the person who is under hesitation and vice versa. I also become a mirror of someone. I want to tell and help to see many things for the man who wants to see or learn something I like with curious. I think this feeling is not only for me, it’s world wide. Thus, I learned the most important thing is my own motivation from bottom of my heart to try to know new one. Having previous experiences, I became I don’t be afraid of anything new for me because it’s so fun.

Miki Matsuo

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M1 Miki Matsuo

In this program, I had two purposes. First, I want to get communication skills in English. Second, I want to get basic experiments. When I got lecture in university of Tsukuba, I felt gap that English skills, and motivation for learning between foreign students and Japanese students. So, I thought that I need to be motivation for learning, and to increase the willingness to learning. Furthermore, I hadn’t abroad. I want to see what is another country, what is different between foreign and Japan. I heard that Taiwan is good for beginner of foreign travel, and I decided to join. When I departed, I got nervous, because I hadn’t travel by plane. I didn’t have confidence whether I can speak correct English, and I can get through two weeks. When I arrived Taiwan, TA welcomed warmly. So, I was relieved a little. At the same time, I want to deepen exchange with Taiwan student. When I saw dormitory, what was surprising wans building was geater than dormitory in Tsukuba university. I thought that all of dormitory in tsukuba university should be make change. But, there is not TV, radio and so on inside the room. It is not same space of customary lifestyle in Japan. However, we cheer up each other and I could make the switch that we spend good tome in Taiwan. TA taught us about Taiwan’s lifestyle carefully. So, I thought I have to see this program go to waste storongly.
In laboratory rotation, professor arranged plan to experiment along with subject of my study, and I got into experiment technology that is needed for me in future. I was taught about experiments detail by TA. I could learn many things that I haven’t known detail. I did experiment with TA, I had a chance to think about a sense of enthusiasm for doing experiment and attitude towards experiment. So, I thought I want to do experiment by using these techniques I learned. In addition, I learned how to make resentation in English. I haven’t do that, it is difficult for me. But, I could make slides in English thanks to TA’s guidance. So, I understood what is most important to do presentation, and I learned what it takes to get good presentation skills in English.
In second week, I paired with Taiwan student, and I learned method of typical experiment. It was difficult for me to listening lecture in English, but Taiwan student paired with me and TA explained me about experiment, I could understand. I had to communicate with Taiwan student to help each other in experiment. It was good training for me to get speaking in English. Therefore, I understood why are these experiments needed for, and what is purpose doing experiments. At the same time, I could share culture, difference in value and motivation of study with Taiwan student.
TA took any notice of us always, and supported us. They introduced a lot of Taiwan, and guide us around Taiwan. I could know about Taiwan. In addition, during talking with Taiwan student in English, I have started to think it is most important that how to communicate easily to understand, not only thinking correct grammar. Therefore, I have a good conversation and could get information that I want to know. As a result, I understood that having a relationship to foreign is big factor to grow myself. This program changed me because I can have confidence that face experiment in my study and communicate with foreigner. So, I think that I have to study English more to do that. At the same time, I felt that communication with foreigner is necessary from now. So, I want to continue relationship with Taiwan student, and compete with their. In doing so, I can expand my horizon further. I want to try a bunch of different things having activeness like Taiwan students.

Veronica Teresa Medrano Romero

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M1 Veronica Teresa Medrano Romero

We spent 2 weeks in the Summer Program +4 for Biotechnology at Taiwan University. During this program we performed a small research project the first week and took a practical course the second week. I had the opportunity to participate in the Molecular Biology Laboratory at the Department of Animal Science and Technology. Here, I was able to expand my knowledge to a field that I had never been, I succeed in generating transgenic quail embryos. All the lab members were really kind and cooperative. I must say a special thank you to my TAs Pippy and Yun also to professor Stone. Through the second week I was also able to have a quick view on how to perform several techniques useful mainly in Animal Biotechnology and applicable in other fields. In this practical course we mixed with Taiwanese students, so I was able to make new friendships. Besides all the new knowledge this opportunity also gave me the opportunity to experience how’s the laboratory work and student life in a different Asian country, Taiwan.

I really enjoyed the two weeks in Taipei. Although it was really hot and humid, all the TAs were really nice with us and made a huge effort for us to have a great time. Besides the lab rotation and practical course we were also able to visit some interesting and beautiful places, like the night market, the National Palace Museum and Jiufen. I’ll never forget this experience, nor the people I met.

Yancheng Liu

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M1 Yancheng Liu

During 8.19 to 9.1, I have participated in the Taiwan summer school program in National Taiwan University (NTU).
In the first week, we went to our applied laboratories separately. I was in Professor Lee’ laboratory. Professor Lee works on immune, especially focus on STAT3, a signal transducer for innate immune. He is a very serious man on scientific researches. In the laboratory meeting, he will pause the presentation time after time to point out all the misses made by the presenter or question the presenter to see whether he or she understand their projects deeply. Thanks to his serious spirit, I learned a lot in the meeting and understand the importance to be meticulous in scientific working. Furthermore, I have learned many techniques in there. I have done the study of interferon response in vivo. I have learned how to retrieve total mRNA from tissue and utilize those samples to do qRT-PCR and also have grasped the tail vein injection technique after practicing it again and again. I am sure things happened in this week is a valuable and rare experience for my study life.
In the second week, we got together and had lectures for some fundamental biology techniques or the latest information about new techniques and performed some basic experiments with NTU students. In the Thursday evening, we had a presentation in English. It was a good chance for me to enhance my English communication and presentation ability. In this week I gained not only knowledge but also the friendship with NTU students. This will be a treasure in my whole life.
Thanks to this short visit, I have learned many new techniques and got the insight about the Taiwanese culture and the Japanese culture deeper and founded the friendship with many NTU students and Tsukuba University students. At last I really want to thank the professors who made this program, the kind international officers in Tsukuba University and the TAs of NTU, who helped us a lot. Thank you very much.