![](\"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fsci\/assets\/uploads\/2017\/04\/1477647375461.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n- \n
- Name
\nBESUCHET Nicolas<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/li>\n- Country\/ Region of Citizenship
\nSwiss Confederation
\n<\/strong><\/li>\n- Graduated from
\nSwiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne<\/strong><\/li>\n- Department
\nDepartment of Modern Mechanical Engineering (Master\u2019s)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Privately-financed student (\u201cReserved Scholarship for Successful International Examinees\u201d recipient)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
How did you find out about Waseda University? <\/strong><\/h3>\n
The main reason for me to go to Japan was that I noticed that there was much more lab work in master\u2019s curriculum than in my previous Swiss university where I did my bachelor degree.\u00a0 And to be honest, if in my Swiss university, the master\u2019s level, there is no lab work but there is almost a project.\u00a0 I believe it\u2019s like this in the whole Europe.\u00a0 So this is why I discovered Japan.\u00a0 Master\u2019s program had much more lab work, much more hands-on practice which I found it\u2019s very valuable for education.\u00a0 So this explains why I was interested in Japan.\u00a0 Then there was the next question \u201cwhich university could accept me\u201d and as I didn\u2019t know well Japanese, I had to avoid the curriculum in Japanese.\u00a0 Then the rest of universities got smaller.\u00a0 I think there were maybe 5 universities and I looked at each professor and finally I found the professor who is now my supervisor doing really interesting research which is why I came to Waseda.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Why did you choose Waseda University?<\/h3>\n
I really would say it\u2019s due to my professor.\u00a0 What we do in engineer research is you have a problem which has been well explored and there is already a solution.\u00a0 But basically most research does just taking this problem and inclemently increases the efficiency of the problem.\u00a0 It\u2019s not radical new design.\u00a0 What my professor proposed is to explore much radically more different design and he proposes philosophy as a background.\u00a0 And having philosophy in engineering such as \u201cwhy are we doing this?\u201d and \u201cwhy is this important for society?\u201d is missing.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s make it\u201d, because he is cool, that is the basic argument.\u00a0 When we were talking on the skype, he was giving me fantastic books to read.\u00a0 It was fantastic to have a teacher talking about design what we should create etc.<\/p>\n
And I think that\u2019s also the great reason to come to Japan due to the selection process.\u00a0 You first discuss with your professor.\u00a0 Basically you select what you are going to research and then you apply.\u00a0 But other universities such as my Swiss university for PhD, they go to the university and they say they would like to do a PhD and then they apply to a lab which is much more restrictive.\u00a0 There is much more chance of not doing something that we would like to do in the end.\u00a0 Doing the opposite way as it is done in Japan is really interesting.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How did you get information for our program?<\/h3>\n
Of course I did it via internet and the MEXT website.\u00a0 They have a list of graduate courses in English.\u00a0 Then I went to Waseda website and found the list of professors.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Did you have any concerns before coming to Japan?
![](\"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fsci\/assets\/uploads\/2017\/04\/1477647259802-e1491210605842-610x788.jpg\")
<\/a><\/h3>\nYes, obviously the language.\u00a0 Surprisingly this is not a social problem that I would have thought it would be.\u00a0 The language and culture would be also concerned.\u00a0 At the beginning I was afraid to have Japanese courses to take, but I am taking them because it\u2019s more interesting and fun.<\/p>\n
Basically what I\u2019m trying to do is maximizing my Japanese skills, not going for courses.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think the courses are the good way of learning language.\u00a0 I have never studied languages via classroom.\u00a0 Now I am focusing on oral and listening skills and just want to be able to speak with people.\u00a0 So I\u2019m trying to learn by myself.\u00a0 A few months ago, I went to Fukushima to do some volunteering for 2 and a half months.\u00a0 After the first month, I didn\u2019t notice a lot of progress, but after the second month, I was starting to understand what they were saying.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Have you had any difficulties when you started a new life here?<\/h3>\n
I guess I was well prepared extensively and I came here one week before the course began.\u00a0 I already had everything prepared before a week and was ready to go and set after 3 days.\u00a0 The difficulty was probably administration in Japanese.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How is your life in Japan and Waseda?<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fsci\/assets\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Nicolas-photo-3-610x458.jpg\")
<\/a>Research-wise, it\u2019s a dream.\u00a0 And academic-wise, it\u2019s absolutely fantastic.\u00a0 I have the subject which really makes me wake up every morning even I dreamed of it at night.<\/p>\nSo I think it\u2019s really interesting in the research-wise and the course-wise.<\/p>\n
Friendship-wise, there is still progress to be made.\u00a0 I have been joining circles and the lab itself.\u00a0 I\u2019m basically really satisfied.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
What do you do in your free time?<\/h3>\n
My hobby is engineering, so it is my free time.\u00a0 I join a whistling circle and a theater comedy club at Waseda University.\u00a0 Otherwise I basically go sightseeing in Tokyo with my girlfriend during the weekend.\u00a0 I really like cooking and do every day.\u00a0 I like creating stuff and cooking is also the same.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How are the relationships with your supervisor and lab members?<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fsci\/assets\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Nicolas-photo-2-610x407.jpg\")
<\/a>I think they are really good.\u00a0 All the lab members speak Japanese and sometimes I have difficulties in joining their conversations.\u00a0 Now I\u2019m starting to slowly be able to join the conversation to have jokes.\u00a0 With my supervisor, I think it\u2019s really great and interesting.\u00a0 For the first time, I have somebody who I can speak about design and engineering problems and he would like to suggest me to read books and having this feedback.\u00a0 I think all the lab members really enjoy my professor.\u00a0 We are doing a joint seminar next month in another prefecture.\u00a0 Also we have sometimes an OB-kai (a party with previous graduate students) and a welcome party which is very heartwarming.\u00a0 And there is also normally a special activity made by the lab every year.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Outline of the research<\/h3>\n
My research relates to various projects conducted simultaneously\u00a0in\u00a0relation to electric motorisation.\u00a0 This is in order to democratize the engineering of mechanical\u00a0machines such as robots.<\/p>\n
Imagine yourself a modern humanoid robot -in other words the pinnacle of mechanical complexity.\u00a0 For a large degree, the complexity of that robot\u00a0lies in the transmissions.\u00a0 Indeed, the gears, levers, pulleys\u00a0that constitute\u00a0a transmission occupies a far greater\u00a0volume than its driving motor.\u00a0 And so, imagine that you possessed an extremely compact servomotor.\u00a0 That servomotor -by its shear compactness yet hi-torque- could enable you to drive any given robotic articulation by having the servomotor directly imbedded\u00a0within the\u00a0articulation.\u00a0 Hence no more need of complex levers, cables and so forth.\u00a0 Thus greatly simplifying the robot’s design.<\/p>\n
Yet again, imagine that this highly compact servomotor (as compact and performant\u00a0as hardened steel\u00a0harmonic driving servomotors) that\u00a0can\u00a0have its gears\u00a03d printed cheaply\u00a0in plastic\u00a0-from as small as\u00a020mm in diameter up\u00a0to 120mm in diameter.\u00a0 By its cheapness, hi-strength & small size, it results in\u00a0far more simple, accessible, cheap\u00a0designs.\u00a0 In such a way\u00a0that engineers -as well as non-engineers-\u00a0increase their chances to make their\u00a0ideas come to life.\u00a0 And this is\u00a0what\u00a0we\u00a0mean by “democratizing engineering”.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
What is your career goal after your degree completion?<\/h3>\n
I don\u2019t know yet.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if I want to do PhD or if I want to join a company.\u00a0 Basically my main aim is having the interesting meaning for work not just for me but for others as well.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to be stuck in a company.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Short message to the prospective students<\/h3>\n
in English<\/h4>\n
Hi there!<\/p>\n
I’ve been at Waseda for 1 semester and it has turned out to be a blast!\u00a0 To be honest, I was tired of the Swiss\u00a0technical universities\u00a0with\u00a0mostly courses or interesting yet useless short term projects.\u00a0 On the contrary,\u00a0at Waseda\u00a0master courses are scarce\u00a0enabling full participation in our very own projects who’s topic are\u00a0chosen by ourselves.\u00a0 Hence if you like projects as I do, you’ll love Waseda.<\/p>\n
To my surprise,\u00a0Japanese isn’t such a problem… Even if you can’t utter\u00a0a single grammatical sentence as I do!\u00a0 In fact,\u00a04 out of 5 courses\u00a0were entirely\u00a0in Japanese last semester!\u00a0 As most teachers allow reports as well as presentations to be\u00a0written in English, it’s fairly easy to follow along.<\/p>\n
Finally Waseda has tons of student “societies”.\u00a0 There’s even a\u00a0group that’s building a human powered airplane!!\u00a0 Impressive.<\/p>\n
- Country\/ Region of Citizenship