Contact
Dr. Shanthanu Rajasekharan
- From
- Tamil Nadu
- Degree
- Graduated from doctoral studies at Meguro Laboratory in the Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Tokyo in 2015
Message
Please give a short introduction about yourself.
My name is Shanthanu Rajasekharan from Chennai, India. I finished my Masters from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and then came to the University of Tokyo on October 2012. I pursued my doctoral studies at Meguro Laboratory in the Department of Civil Engineering. After graduating on September 2015, I am currently working as a researcher with Prof. Numada for a Tokyo Metro project.
What is your favorite thing about Tokyo?
Tokyo is a perfect blend of modern technology and traditional culture. It is a convenient place to stay for students. My most favourite thing about Tokyo, would be the fact that life in Tokyo can be very exciting, if you are adventurous. Tokyo has never failed to surprise me.
In what way has your impression of Tokyo or Japan changed since coming here?
I had very limited knowledge about Japan. After coming, I have got to understand much better the Japanese way of life. I am highly impressed by Japan, through the various experiences I have had here.
What attracted you to choose the University of Tokyo as a place to study?
The major reason would be that the University of Tokyo is among the top universities world-wide for the research area, where I wanted to pursue my doctoral studies; researching on earthquake engineering and earthquake disaster mitigation.
In what way did you adjust yourself to Japanese culture?
Initially, I had to study the basics of Japanese language. Once I got the hang of basic conversation, it was very easy to understand the various aspects of the Japanese way of life, through everyday conversations with Japanese people.
Please give a message to students or researchers in your home country who may be thinking about studying in Japan?
Fellow aspiring research students, if you are looking at pursuing higher studies at a world class institute, with state of the art research facilities and opportunities to interact with experts in various fields of research, look no further than the University of Tokyo. It is a once in a lifetime experience, to understand the Japanese way of life. I strongly suggest everyone to be adventurous and enjoy the various experiences that Japan has to offer. Studying at the University of Tokyo opens up various avenues in life, which leads you to the upper echelon of whichever career you want to pursue.