Student Voices: Explore, dream and discover
Tue, Sep 6, 2016-
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From Republic of Indonesia
- Name:SAKTI Aditya Wibawa
- Graduated from: Institut Teknologi Bandung
- Affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Doctoral)
- Awards: Yoshida Scholarship Foundation YKK Leaders 21 Scholarship
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How did you find out about Waseda University?
I have always studied papers by Professor Hiromi Nakai, who is now my supervisor and well known in my field of specialization, and found that he is at Waseda University.
Why did you choose Waseda University?
I wrote a research plan in which ideas came from Professor Nakai’s paper and contacted him by email. Then, he encouraged me to join his laboratory. I felt this would be a very exciting opportunity for me because I thought that studying abroad would be very nice. I have been to Kanazawa University in Japan in 2012 as a short-stay research student, but that was not long enough. So, I searched for information on how to get scholarships from universities or how to study longer in Japan. My wife, who helped me collect information on Waseda, told me that Waseda University is a really good choice to study because Professor Hiromi Nakai is really well-known, so it would be good if I studied from him.
How did you get information on your program?
I got information from the Waseda University website. I also got a lot of information from friends who were interested in coming to Waseda or those who were actually already studying at Waseda as well.
Did you have any concerns before coming to Japan?
I was concerned about the language. I studied some Japanese with a friend before I came here, but I got busy with many tasks from my supervisor, so now I am mainly studying with my wife who takes Japanese classes at the City Hall. I was a little bit worried about earthquakes too. There were actually a couple of earthquakes in June, and it was a little scary.
Did you have any difficulties getting started here?
Apartment hunting. It was very difficult to find an agent who could speak English, but fortunately I found one with a help from a friend. I live in Ichikawa City now, where there is an Indonesian community. There are so many Indonesian people, and there is a mosque for praying also. It is great for me because being in a Muslim community is really important for me. With the language, I try to communicate with people using some translation applications. If I cannot translate, I use simple English, and usually, they understand. So, there aren’t actually any major problems.
How is your life in Japan and at Waseda now?
Everything is going well. For students, the usual schedule is from 8AM to5PM. For me, however, that is not enough because I have a lot of assigned tasks from my supervisor. I really enjoy the tasks that my supervisor gives me. So, my schedule now is from 7:30AM to 8PM every day, and I have the weekend off. It is fine with me because I used to have long hours teaching at a high school in Indonesia.
What do you do in your free time?
I have been out to Hanami and played baseball with lab members and supervisor. I go out every weekend to explore in and around Tokyo with my wife. I even found a Halal ramen place in Asakusa. It is good for me that I can find Halal food easily in Japan.
How are the relationships with your supervisor and lab members?
My supervisor is very busy. He travels abroad almost every week, but he always comes to see me and observes my research progress. He is very kind, never angry, and very encouraging. My laboratory is divided into 6 groups, and there are several skillful senpais (seniors) in each group. They always help me. I also send emails to my supervisor if I have any questions, and he gets back to me quickly. I could even ask lab friends for help with personal matters such as electricity bills.
What is your research about?
My research topic is the “Application of Divide and Conquer based of Density Functional Tight Binding-Molecular Dynamics Method (DC-DFTB-MD): The Mechanism of Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) Formation in Li-ion Battery and the Mechanism of Proton Transfer in Bulk Phase of Water.” Nowadays, Large molecular systems have become an interesting and challenging object for every chemist in the world, such as the SEI formation in Li-ion battery and proton transfer mechanism in bulk phase of water. However, one of the challenges is the computational cost that will be required for the large system. The existence of Divide and Conquer method (DC) as a linear scaling method that created by Professor Hiromi Nakai and his colleagues could increase the speed of calculation and therefore significantly reduce the computational cost. In my research, I am trying to predict the mechanism of SEI formation from the decomposition products of organic electrolyte solvents at the electrode interphase. I use the DC-DFTB-MD calculation method that combines DC, density functional tight binding (DFTB) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. On the other hand, I also do a research on bulk water system and protonated water system to understand proton transfer mechanism.
What are your plans after you finish your degree?
I am considering post-doctoral study here or in another country, or going back to my country to share the knowledge I have gained here. I am thinking about maybe becoming a teacher again at some university.
Do you have any advice for prospective students?
in English
Hi everyone. My name is Aditya Wibawa Sakti from Indonesia. I am a PhD student majoring in computational chemistry under the guidance of Professor Hiromi Nakai at Waseda University. Before studying abroad, I did not realize how much of the world I was going to see, how much I would learn and how much the positive, life-changing experiences would affect my life. I think everyone should take advance of that. Explore, Dream, Discover.
in Bahasa Indonesia
Halo teman-teman di Indonesia dan seluruh dunia. Nama saya Aditya Wibawa Sakti dari Indonesia. Saya mahasiswa doktor di bidang kimia komputasi (Grup Profesor Hiromi Nakai) di Universitas Waseda. Sebelum belajar di luar negeri, saya tidak membayangkan seberapa luas dunia yang akan saya lihat, seberapa banyak yang akan saya pelajari dan seberapa banyak perubahan positif yang akan mempengaruhi hidup saya. Siapapun pasti bisa memiliki kesempatan itu asalkan punya tekad yang kuat. Terus bermimpi dan berusaha mewujudkannya.
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