No. 50: Ms. GUO Jiajia (Tohoku University, completed AELC in September, 2022)
I do think I learned a lot through the classes at AELC. In particular, I was able to learn a lot of knowledge in areas that I am not usually exposed to in my research, so I think it was a really valuable opportunity for me.
In both China and Japan, it seems that we tend to study for exams, to get higher grades, and I strongly feel that I have been studying for exams all the way in the first 2 decades in my life, even in college. Because of this, I think there is a part of me that does not have a high motivation to study other than for research or to earn credits.
However, what I strongly felt through AELC this time is the importance of having knowledge in various fields. In other words, interdisciplinary study is very important. In particular, I learned quantitative research methods at AELC, and I was also able to study the fundamentals of science fields such as robotics and psychology. For the first time, I found these fields interesting, and I do hope to have the opportunity to study more about them in the future.
Also, I think it is a great opportunity to interact with students from different countries and to make friends with them. Last year, I participated in AELC entirely online because of Covid-19, but this time I was able to take it on-site at Tohoku University. I am also very lucky to have some very interesting field trip activities this time. When I interacted with my group members online, it is sometimes difficult to hear each other clearly due to the internet situation, which makes discussion a little inefficient, but seeing how hard everyone works to participate in the classes and discussions makes me feel like to work harder as well.
I also think that my English skills and my ability to cooperate and work as a team have been improved a lot through the group work and GD sessions, which I believe will also benefit me a lot in my career in the future. So I do hope all of you can participate in AELC and thus getting motivation to explore the world more through it.