Interviews with UTokyo students from all over the world
Uttam Paudel
Second-year Doctoral degree student, Department of Natural Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences
From Nepal. He speaks passionately about how important his family is to him, and he loves photography and playing cricket. He overcomes challenges and difficulties with his cheery disposition and can-do attitude, making him the very image of a “tough” UTokyo international student.
Q. Why did you come to Japan/UTokyo?
My fiancée was going to be coming to UTokyo on the MEXT scholarship, so we got married and I decided to come to Japan with her. I wrote to many professors asking if I could study with them, and I realized that UTokyo would be best for me. Also, the reason I chose the laboratory that I’m in now is because the professor and the laboratory had websites in English.
Q. What are you currently researching?
I’m researching how to predict rainfall-induced landslides. I analyze images and other data collected from satellites and aerial scans to make more accurate predictions of where landslides will occur. I plan to return to Nepal after I graduate and become a university professor. After all, my mother keeps saying “why haven’t you come back yet?” (laughs)
Q. What have you found the most difficult in Japan/UTokyo?
The Japanese language is difficult for me. Also, I was bewildered at first when I found out that there are required documents that have to be turned in for various procedures, and that the deadlines here must be strictly kept. Before I came to Japan, I thought it was a country full of robots, but when I arrived at Narita, I was surprised to see that there were regular houses around there. (laughs)
Q. What do you like about Japan/UTokyo?
I like how Japanese people are polite. I can understand now why Japanese people are so particular and organized with their documents. I think the facilities on Kashiwa Campus are new and very nice. Also, it helps that we speak in English in my laboratory.
Q. Please tell us something about Nepal!
Kumari, the living goddess of Nepal
Jungle safari on elephants at Chitwan National Park
Patan Durbar Square
Bageshwori Temple
Nepal isn’t just about Buddha and Mt. Everest! Nepalgunj, the city in western Nepal where I was born, is on a plain, for example. (laughs) You can even ride elephants and go on safaris here.
* The content of this page was translated from the Ryuugakusei-san Irasshai! article printed in Gakunai Kouhou No. 1467. (Japanese language only)
