Akane UMEDA | 2nd year master’s student, School of Fundamental Science and Engineering
- Visiting period: Sep. 2024 to Nov 2024
- Visiting university: Jade University of Applied Sciences
- Visiting country and region: Germany, Wilhelmshaven
I have been working on the research about space applications of self-healing metal interconnect (metal interconnect that can automatically heal itself if it is broken), and I wanted to try my hand at research under Professor Philip Born, who has experiences of conducting microgravity experiments in Germany. I was attracted to the opportunity to receive support from SGU, so I decided to study in Germany.
Jade University of Applied Sciences is located in a small town in northern Germany called Wilhelmshaven. There is a vast amount of land near the university where cows, horses, sheep, etc. are raised, and it is a very peaceful place. There is an International Office (a contact point for international students) and a student organization called Asta, and I was very grateful that I could ask about any problems I had during my life as an international student.
The campus of Jade university of applied sciences in Wilhelmshaven
International Exchange
Since the university was mainly composed of undergraduates and did not have a laboratory assignment system, I did not have the experience of interacting with student lab mates, but I learned a lot from the lab technicians in English about the use of equipment and research topics. In addition to my research activities in the lab, I took German language classes, and I made a lot of friends in those classes. I enjoyed going to parties, amusement parks, Christmas markets, and other typical German places with my friends on holidays.
The picture that I took at an amusement park with my Indonesian friend
Residential Environment
I moved once during my stay and lived in two houses, both of which I found through Airbnb, a private accommodation service. The first house was a 10-minute bike ride to the university and I lived with a host. There was no kitchen, but there was a bedroom as well as a separate bathroom, which was not shared. The second house was a 13-minute walk to the university and was one completely independent house, which made it comfortable for me to use the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom by myself.
Kitchen of the second apartment
Surrounding Environment
The neighborhood where I lived was basically a residential area with a small supermarket and a bakery, but few stores. If I go out to the train station, I could find a shopping area and a small shopping mall, and I sometimes spent my holidays there. It took 30 minutes by bus from my house to the train station, which was inconvenient, so I recommend that you consider transportation when choosing a place to live.
Wilhelmshaven is known as a harbor town, with beaches like the one in the photo, and at the end of September there is an event called the Sailing Cup, which attracts a large number of ships with big sails that look like they are in a movie.
The beach in Wilhelmshaven
Sailing Cup
Future Goals After Overseas Experience and Conclusion
Through this stay in Germany, I learned the importance of explaining things in my own words, even if I am in poor English. I was not confident in my English ability, but I was in an environment of research and study where there were almost no Japanese people, and I experienced many situations where I had to speak in English in my own words. I tried my best to speak my words, even though it was not very good, and the professor, technical staff, and friends I made in German class tried to understand me, and I was able to convey my intentions to them. I feel that my English and explanation skills have also improved.
I am going to start working as an engineer next year, and I am sure that I will have opportunities to communicate with people from other countries, as there will be foreigners in my workplace and we have overseas projects. I would like to make use of my experience from this study abroad program and become someone who can take the initiative in such situations.
I would like to express my gratitude to all those who were involved in my study abroad this time.
