Nine Ateneans intern in prestigious Japanese University
Nine Ateneo de Manila University students from the School of Science and Engineering flew to Japan for a two-week internship in various laboratories in the fields of information science (IS), biological sciences (BS), and material sciences (MS), at Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST). The NAIST Project for Interns (NAPI) accepts candidates who have a strong desire to pursue graduate studies.
NAIST is a school for graduate studies situated in the advanced technology research area of Osaka-Nara-Kyoto. A graduate-only-school, NAIST is an institution of higher learning that ranks among the best in Japan, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, autonomy, and independent thinking.
The said internship commenced from October 19 to November 2, 2014, specifically scheduled to coincide with the supposed semestral break of Ateneo de Manila University students. The organizers were Ateneo alumni now pursing graduate studies in NAIST. Lorlynn Asuncion Mateo (BS ECE 2009, now PhD student in Intelligent System Control Laboratory, NAIST), NAPI 2014 coordinator puts it this way: “Not only does the internship offer exposure to the research culture in NAIST, it can also serve as a bridge to full academic scholarships if you are interested in pursuing graduate studies in Japan. I believe that my experience as an intern significantly increased my chance of getting the research scholarship I am now enjoying.”
The following is a listing of internship students, courses and their respective laboratories:
| Graduate School of Information Science | ||
| Victor Andrew Antonio | MS Mathematics 2015 | Computational Systems Biology |
| Camille Ruiz | BS Computer Science 2015 | Software Design and Analysis |
| Benjz Gerard Sevilla | MS Electronics Engineering 2016 | Interactive Media Design |
| Dominic Joseph Enriquez | BS Computer Engineering 2015 | Ubiquitous Computing Systems |
| Graduate School of Material Science | ||
| Giancarlo O. Uygongco | MS Chemistry 2015 | Biocompatible Materials |
| Hani Louie Francisco | BS Physics with MSE 2015 | Quantum Materials |
| Graduate School of Biological Science | ||
| Nikita Bacalzo | MS Chemistry 2015 | Microbial Molecular Genetics |
| Katreena Sarmiento | MSc Biology 2015 | Neuronal Cell Morphogenesis |
| Paolo Bareng | MSc Biology 2014 | Medical Cell Biology |
Hani Louie Francisco recalls his experience in NAIST: “The laboratory is fully equipped with all that is needed by the students for their experiments. Very conducive to do research.”
There’s no semestral break for these students, this is their “working” break. The internship figures in a project to be worked on, concluding with a workshop wherein the interns shared their research outputs. NAPI covered the airfare and in campus accommodation, as well as the admission in NAIST’s world class laboratories. Interns were also immersed in Japanese culture, history and cuisine.
“Outgrow your limits.” Applications for the NAIST Project for Interns (NAPI) will once again open next year, 2015. Visit the NAPI website at http://www.go-napi.com/ for updates regarding the next internship cycle. For more information about NAIST, please visit the website at http://www.naist.jp/en/.
