Yi Zheng (Alumni Master student (October 2018 - September 2020), Department of Geophysics, Division of Earth and Planetary Sciences)

Date of Interview: May, 2022

Before Coming to Kyoto University
I had graduated from China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) in 2018 with my Bachelor’s degree. I was planning to be a research student for half a year, but because I passed the master entrance examination, I was admitted directly as a Master student in the field of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

Life at Kyoto University

-What did you enjoy most during your time at Kyoto University?
Living in a foreign country for the first time, everything was so new to me. I had chances to experience so many new things. There was one special experience when I went to Aso Mountain as a class tutor. That was my first time in Japan to go deep into the mountains and get to see the volcanic crater up close. I also went to the observation station of Kyoto University on Aso Mountain, where devices are installed deep under the ground.

-What were the biggest challenges you met?
The biggest challenge for me was to fit into the Japanese culture and make Japanese friends. Although Japanese and Chinese cultures are similar, there are still many things that need to pay attention, such as the way of speaking and the way of interacting with people.

-What did you work on to overcome the challenges?
I tried to make friends with people from the same laboratory in the first place. They were all easy-going and took me to many different activities. Thanks to them, I made more friends and learned more about the Japanese culture.

-How smooth was your experience adjusting to life in Kyoto?
I have always been a person who adapts well to a new environment, so there was not much trouble in adjusting to live in Kyoto. Although at the beginning I realized some of the procedures were different from those in China, I was able to quickly solve them by asking people around me.

Life during COVID-19

-What were the beneficial/challenging aspects of life during COVID-19?
The beneficial aspect of life during Covid-19 is that all the classes or seminars can be held online, eliminating the time and cost of going to the University. But at the meantime, this can be also considered the negative part of life during Covid-19, since you need to find other opportunities to communicate and socialize with people.

Research at Kyoto University
I was a lucky person to have Prof. Bogdan Enescu as my supervisor during the Master program. He is gentle and considerate, did not give me any pressure and it was easy to discuss with him. At the time I was preparing my final thesis about data replenishment of five moderate earthquake sequences in Japan, he gave me a lot of help. I also benefited from the support of professors and colleagues in the department; they gave lots of useful comments and suggestions for my research. I am also glad that my research during the Master program has been published in a peer-reviewed international journal.

-What did you do after graduating from Kyoto University?
I am now working in an IT consulting company in Tokyo. Although it is not very related with my major, I am always grateful for the opportunity to study at Kyoto University and the time I spent there.

Message for Future International Students
Enjoy your study-abroad life to the fullest, it will be a very valuable experience in your life. And Kyoto University is a great place to both get education, do research and enjoy the school life.