Giuseppe Antoniazzi - JP
What made you decide to apply for a grant at the Leading House Asia?
I heard for the first time about the Young Researchers’ Exchange Programme with Japan at the very beginning of my PhD at ETH. Considering my life-long attraction for Japanese culture, I thought it could have been a great opportunity for me to experience living in Japan while expanding my skill set and knowledge during my doctorate studies. I therefore set this exchange as a personal goal, and I decided to apply after completing my third year of my PhD. This was very motivating for me to obtain good results for my thesis before the exchange, and at the same time to challenge myself to settle into a different reality, with the opportunity to learn something new. Additionally, I was excited about connecting with researchers and colleagues in Japan, creating a new network for me and perhaps my group here in Switzerland.
How did you secure a host professor?
I had a clear idea regarding the hosting group I wanted to join in Japan. Since the first time I got in touch with his research, I have considered the work of Prof. Hamachi very inspiring and exciting. His group also works in chemical biology, but with a different focus and a more biological experimental work, which was fitting my desire to gain more expertise in the field. I found support from my supervisor, which also agree it would have been a great group to join. I then got in contact with Prof. Hamachi, to discuss my proposal and how to better integrate it in the research. He was also very supportive in order to get the best out of this research stay and allowing me to also run experiments completely new to me.
How would you describe your experience of the programme?
I had a great experience during my time in Kyoto. Since the very beginning I felt very lucky having the possibility of being there, and excited about integrating in a new context and working atmosphere. I felt welcomed in the lab, even if sometimes we faced some language barriers, there was always the reciprocal interest of understanding each other and sharing idea and information. I always find interesting to see how research is performed in a different lab, and this was the first time for me outside Europe. It was fun to find differences and similarities in our working routines, and it also gave the possibility to start deeper discussions from the cultural point of view and habits in Japan and Switzerland. Considering my strong interest in Japanese culture, I found extremely valuable all these moments and thoughts we shared on daily basis.
What role did the Leading House Asia play in the programme?
The Leading House Asia had an important role in facilitation the exchange in all its stages. I could rely on quick and helpful responses, with clarifications on the application process and the documents to provide. In my case, I had a very short period between the communication of the being awarded with the fellowship and the departure. For this reason, I had to ask for further assistance to get the documents on time and applying for the flight tickets. Their responsiveness and care showed in this context are surely remarkable and made the process very smooth.
What were the impacts you made through the project/partners/individual?
In research, three months are a rather short period of time, but we could anyway obtain very satisfactory results. This has been possible because of the great effort of all the people involved. We had some unsuccessful attempts firstly, which nonetheless were important to better understand the chemistry involved in the project. We could anyway reach the point to perform some biological ex-periments, to evaluate the newly developed reagents, which showed to be very promising. The project is therefore still ongoing and will lead to a publication. During the whole period, I was fully supported and helped every time it was necessary. I think I integrated very well in the group, and the exchange was profitable for both sides. I made some close connections with some members of the group, I will for sure go back to visit them, and I hope they will also have the possibility to visit me in Switzerland.
Testimonial: what were your personal experiences/thoughts on the bilateral cooperation experience?
Living in Kyoto was amazing. Being very interested in the cultural aspect of Japanese society, the city offers a plethora of opportunity to immerge yourself in many culturally rich and beautiful places. The size of the city allows to walk around a lot, with the possibility to discover little and peaceful temples and shrines everywhere. For me, even if it was winter, it was always tempting to go out also in the evening to explore the city, with its charming wooden houses and warm lights. I also had the possibility to visit many other cities in the Kansai area and further away. I could therefor also appreciate the differences in cultural aspects and in the amazing cuisine of different prefectures. Japanese people were always welcoming with me, and we could communicate somehow even if I don’t speak Japanese. The passion they show for their country and respect of traditions have always fascinated me. I could also challenge myself with new activities, such as iaido, tea ceremony and blacksmithing. This experience was incredibly enriching for me, from the scientific, personal, and cultural point of view. I am already looking forward to going back to Japan!