Masaki Kuribayashi | 2nd year doctor’s student, School of Advanced Science and Engineering
- Visiting period: Jan. 2024 to May 2024
- Visiting university: Boston University
- Visiting country and region: Massachusetts, USA
I learned about a professor who works in both my previous research area (accessibility) and the research area I want to pursue (AI) when I attended the CVPR conference in June 2023. I wanted to study under this professor for my career advancement, and with the support from SGU, I had the opportunity to travel abroad.
Boston University is well integrated into the city, and it is very large. There were dedicated buses for traveling to distant parts of the campus, making the commute comfortable. Additionally, facilities like gyms and cloud computing services were available, allowing me to lead a fulfilling life both academically and personally. The professor provided me with a spacious desk and a powerful GPU server, ensuring I had no issues with the environment or computational resources after my arrival.
Boston University campus.
View of Boston University blended into the city
International Exchange
The lab was primarily composed of international students. Top students from various countries such as India, South Korea, China, and Japan came to study there. Even students from countries geographically close to Japan had work and communication methods that were completely different from Japanese people, providing a highly valuable experience.
Residential Environment
Housing in Boston is very expensive. Therefore, students generally live in shared houses. I stayed in a room in a house shared with Russian family. It is common in Boston to find accommodations through the Facebook rental community, and I found my place via Facebook. By posting information about my stay period, desired location, and a brief profile on a Facebook page, I received various offers. One thing to note is that sometimes people offer unbelievably good deals at very low prices, but those significantly below the market price are usually suspicious and should be avoided. The typical range for places 30-60 minutes from the university is $800-$1200 per month, which is what I aimed for.
Surrounding Environment
While Boston is a very famous and vibrant city, the area where I lived was a serene and nature-rich environment. I was particularly pleased that there was an Asian supermarket near the university. Additionally, Boston’s convenient tram system made commuting very easy. The area was safe, making it a good place to live. With Harvard University nearby, I often visited the Harvard Museum on weekends for sightseeing.
Entrance of the Harvard University Museum
Boston is also renowned for its seafood, and on weekends, lab members and I would go out to eat lobster and clam chowder.
Clam chowder and lobster roll
Whole grilled lobster
Future Goals After Overseas Experience and Conclusion
Thanks to the SGU program, I was able to go to the United States, step out of my comfort zone, and challenge myself in a new field. I had the valuable experience of immersing myself in research while discussing it daily with international researchers. Moving forward, I aim to advance my research in Japan by integrating my expertise in accessibility with AI. I encourage everyone to utilize the SGU program to advance their research.
