スポーツ科学研究科・博士課程のコウ テイウさんが、2023年5月から2023年7月までイギリス・バーミンガム大学に留学をしました。このプログラムは、スーパーグローバル大学創成支援事業による支援を受けて実施されたもので、現地ではコウさんの研究テーマに基づき、調査活動を行い、同大学の教員から研究指導を受けました。
以下、英文によるコウさんのレポートです。
Ⅰ. About the travel support
From May 1st, 2023, to July 31st, 2023, I had the privilege of being a student visitor at Dr.Shushu Chen’s lab at the University of Birmingham. This travel was supported by Waseda University’s Top Global University (TGU) AY2023 Travel Grant Program. This program covered my round-trip airfare and accommodation expenses, mostly relieving my financial burden during the UK study. The purpose of this overseas travel was to receive guidance from Dr. Shushu on my doctoral research plan and conduct academic exchange with this excellent group. I truly experienced an extraordinary and meaningful three-month period, and I would love to share my experiences with you now.
Ⅱ. About University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham, established in 1990, is a world-leading public research university located in Birmingham, UK. It is spread across 276 acres and beautifully landscaped with green spaces, gardens, canal, art museum, historic and modern buildings in red. The Old Joe tower on campus is a symbol of the entire Birmingham city. Moreover, the university has easy access to the city centre, with just a 10-minute train ride. The School of Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Sciences (SportExR) locates in the main campus and belongs to the College of Life and Environmental Sciences. This school has garnered remarkable academic accomplishments in the field of sport, ranking 6th in the QS World University Rankings for sports-related subjects in 2023. Additionally, the SportExR has the largest customized sports, exercise, and rehabilitation science facilities in the UK. These include teaching and research laboratories for physiology, biochemistry, psychophysiology, biomechanics, sport psychology, motor skills, immunology, muscle mechanics, and exercise neurophysiology.
The Old Joe Tower and School’s environment
Sakura in Birmingham Van Gogh’s painting in university’s museum
Ⅲ. About studying at University of Birmingham
The SportExR offers a comfortable environment with rest area, tea room, and printing room. Each doctoral student can choose their fixed position in the PGR room. During the three-month period, I was under the guidance of Dr. Shushu, who is currently the sole mentor specializing in sport management in this school. She is an expert in sport policy analysis and evaluation, and Olympics studies, with a strong expertise in qualitative method. She is a very diligent and responsible teacher. She held regular lab meetings and personal meetings so that students could maintain academic state well. When we first met in the office, she helped me to devise an academic plan for the upcoming three months. At the group seminars, I gained a deeper understanding of qualitative method in sport science and the techniques of conducting research. And at the personal meetings, I have been gradually gaining clarity about my genuine interests, those that I find intriguing and could persistently explore in the long run.
My home was conveniently close to the college, just a 5-minute walk away, so I could go to office for studying frequently. I enjoyed my time studying in the PGR room. Whenever I encountered challenges in my research, I could discuss them with my fellow student Duan nearby, and this often led to a wealth of inspiration and ideas. This was a very useful and valuable process for me while I was still determining my research topic. Because our research direction was same, we also assisted each other in our studies and shared useful academic articles and tools, which further motivated and drove our research endeavors. Moreover, I learnt a lot about fieldwork techniques from my lab senpai Xiao when she took me to communities to collect the data. Not only did it greatly improve my speaking skills, but it also allowed me to experience the joy of academia.
My position in PGR room
With my co-supervisor Shushu With all of my lab members in Manchester
Ⅳ. Life in Birmingham
Birmingham is a lively and cool city with industrial elements. It served as a filming location for the movie ‘Peaky Blinders,’ so you can see huge movie graffiti walls when you came out of the downtown station. Located in the heart of England, Birmingham enjoys superb transportation connections. You could take a train in city centre station to anywhere. At weekend, I usually engage in one-day trip to explore neighboring cities, which allows me to broaden my horizons and immerse myself in diverse cultures.
Birmingham city held 2022 Commonwealth Games last year, so you could experience a strong sports atmosphere in Birmingham. I regularly participated in the parkrun at Cannon Hill Park every Saturday with my lab senpai Kanang. Participants of all ages and fitness levels come together at this park. Families, friends, and even pets often join in the fun, making parkrun events an inclusive and welcoming experience for everyone. Interestingly, many dads and moms can be seen running at a fast pace while pushing baby strollers.
Admittedly, the UK can be considered somewhat of a “food desert” with a limited variety of dishes, often revolving around fish and chips. Therefore, I usually cooked for myself and explored many new recipes. Speaking of food, it reminds me of the contrast between Chinese and British barbecue. During this period, I participated in two barbecue gatherings. One was a barbecue at home with Chinese friends, and the other was a campus barbecue organized by the SportExR. Chinese barbecue features a wide variety of ingredients, including skewered meats like lamb, pork, and chicken, vegetables, and seafood, with various seasoning and marinades like soy sauce, garlic, and various spices. British barbecue revolves around sausages, burgers, and steak and emphasize smoky flavors from grilling over charcoal. They each have their distinct flavors, and I thoroughly enjoy both styles.
City centre in Birmingham Parkrun in UK
Barbecue on campus British Barbecue style Chinese barbecue style
Ⅴ. To conclude
In conclusion, during these three months, I not only gained valuable academic experience but also enjoyed entirely new life moments, and formed profound friendships. This experience was like a shining star illuminating my path through doctoral studies, and I will cherish this treasured memory. I would like to acknowledge my co-supervisor Dr.Shushu for her supervision and for taking good care of me during the past three months at University of Birmingham, and I appreciate my supervisor Professor Matsuoka, for introducing Dr.Shushu to me at EASM conference last year and giving me this precious oversea opportunity. I’m also thankful to all the friends in Birmingham for bringing me joy and companionship. Lastly, I want to thank all the support from our Tokorozawa office.
