The second-year student Chanon Pornrungroj has a dream—to do satisfying
desk study as well as experiments. Tohoku
University is committed to the “Research First” principle, and when Chanon heard
about this, and about the existence of the English degree course, he felt ready
to apply. After acceptance by the
university, however, his family members and friends were concerned about his
departure because of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the
radioactivity. Nevertheless, he decided
not to waste this opportunity, and his ardent professors and kind senpai (older
students) made his study environment perfect.
“Now I feel very comfortable being here from every aspect,” he
says. Behind this remark is the fact that
he tried to meet more people by joining the Tohoku University Foreign Students
Association. Through it he met many people, from international to Japanese
students.Asked about the AMC course, Chanon immediately mentioned his experience with the laboratories. Usually, students can start making use of laboratories as a part of their curriculum from the Master course. Tohoku University, however, allows AMC students to do so from the third year of their undergraduate course, and in Chanon’s case, he was allowed from his second year.
He also referred to the size of each class: there are only around
three to five students at most. Compared
to his high school days when he asked his friends to keep from falling behind
in classes, now professors are the ones that he asks. Their level is excellent: “all of my lecturers
are either experienced professors or assistant professors,” he said.
Integrity
and a high sense of responsibility—according to Chanon, his father
characterized these as the Japanese that way.
He said with clear feeling that he is happy to be in Sendai surrounded
by such people. The fruits of his efforts
in research here will create results that cross boundaries.