Contact
Mr. Amit Kumar Pandey
- From
- Uttar Pradesh
- Degree
- Ph.D. student, Department of Biobased Materials Science, International Graduate Program for Interdisciplinary Study in Science and Technology (HDMI), Kyoto Institute of Technology
Message
Please give a short introduction of yourself.
My Name is Amit Kumar Pandey. I belong to Fatehpur (near Kanpur), Uttar Pradesh. I finished my Masters (M.Tech) in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), Assam. Currently I am pursuing my PhD under Prof. Shinichi Sakurai in the Department of Biobased Materials Science at Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT), Kyoto.
What is your favorite thing about Kyoto?
Kyoto is really a user friendly place. People are very kind and helpful. Kyoto is a city surrounded by hills with abundant natural beauty. It is the cultural center of Japan and the symbol of Japanese traditions. It has the best combination of modern and traditional Japan within. I love to experience this multi-cultural society which gives me a chance to connect with people from throughout the world. The pollution free atmosphere, the comfortable climate, transport system makes Kyoto very convenient place to stay. Safe place and pure drinking water.
In what way has your impression of Kyoto or Japan changed since coming here?
I had always heard about Japan for its impressive technology and hard-working people but after coming here I realized that they are not only hard-working but also fun loving and adventurous. My professors, colleagues, friends and the Japanese people around, have made me feel welcomed here. The people are very kind and friendly. They are always ready to help you even if they have to go out of their way.
In what way did you adjust yourself to Japanese culture?
Japanese culture may be slightly different from Indian culture, but adjusting to this culture is not very hard for Indians. The only concern I had was food because I am a vegetarian. However, with the time I was able to find vegetarian food at Japanese restaurants. Also, I was able to find few Indian/Nepali restaurants in Kyoto. Sometimes I order grocery online from Tokyo stores and cook at home.
Please give a message to students or researchers in your home country who may be thinking about studying in Japan?
Japan is a very promising destination for higher education. There are lot of good opportunities in terms of education and research. Since the research studies are completely in English, Japanese language is not required inside the campus, but it will be helpful for daily life outside. Japan provides excellent opportunities for foreign students in terms of facilities, education quality and financial support. It is good platform for cultural exchange. If you are a vegetarian, I suggest you prepare accordingly in advance. And lastly, try to get to know more about Japan as it will be very useful.