Contact
Mr. Anirban Ray
- From
- Kolkata
- Degree
- Graduated from Nagoya Institute of Technology (NITech) with his Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree in information engineering in the field of Media and Human-Computer Interaction, with specialization in computer vision.
Researcher, Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
Message
Please give a short introduction about yourself.
Hello, I am Anirban from the city of Kolkata in West Bengal. Currently, I am working as a researcher in the Research and Development Group of Hitachi, Ltd. in Tokyo. My research interest can be broadly classified as Artificial Intelligence (AI). My primary work, as a researcher, involves the application of a special class of AI technology called Deep Learning in computer vision problems. Prior to joining Hitachi, I was a Master’s student at Nagoya Institute of Technology (NITech), under the supervision of Prof. Jun Sato and Prof. Fumihiko Sakaue, and my research topic was in the field of computer vision. My studies in Nagoya for 2.5 years was funded by the Aichi Prefectural Government under the Aichi Monozukuri Scholarship Program. I completed my Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science from Veltech University, in Chennai. I was born and brought up in Kolkata where I completed my Secondary and Higher-Secondary education.
What is your favorite thing about Nagoya.
Before coming to Japan, I have never been to a foreign country, and honestly speaking, the decision to study in Japan was not at all pre-planned but was purely driven by the circumstances at that time. During the final year of my undergrad, I was preparing for grad school in the US. However, due to the circumstances, it didn’t go well. But as I was determined to continue to grad school, I ended up in NITech, thanks to the generous funding which I received from the Aichi Prefectural Government, and my PI, Prof. Jun Sato for accepting me in his lab. I have always loved challenges, and discovering uncharted territory was kind of adventurous for me. However, this time I was heavily skeptical of how my life is going to be in Japan, as I have no idea about the country that also happens to speak a language foreign to me. But surprisingly, I had little to no problem in adapting to the culture and the society. The thing about Japan is that people are nice and they are willing to go to any length, bend any rules as much as possible to help you. So it turned out to be an exceptional experience for me.
Nagoya was the place through which I got to know Japan for the first time, and I can easily say that I had the best 2.5 years of my life in Nagoya. The city was very calm and quiet with every modern amenities you can think of in a developed country of the 21st Century. I loved the atmosphere, the food, and especially the friends I made there. These experiences will now be etched in my heart throughout my life.
Nagoya was the place through which I got to know Japan for the first time, and I can easily say that I had the best 2.5 years of my life in Nagoya. The city was very calm and quiet with every modern amenities you can think of in a developed country of the 21st Century. I loved the atmosphere, the food, and especially the friends I made there. These experiences will now be etched in my heart throughout my life.
An academic reception in Nagoya
-- 2016 [Me: the rightmost one]
-- 2016 [Me: the rightmost one]
Enjoying Indian cuisine with Japanese and other non-Japanese friends at an Indian restaurant in Nagoya
-- 2017 [Me: in Center back]
-- 2017 [Me: in Center back]
In what ways has your impression of Nagoya or Japan changed since coming here?
I honestly had no idea about Japanese society or culture. Like any other Indian, my knowledge about Japan was limited to the stories of a technologically advanced society. After arriving here, I really got to know more about how the society is. I didn’t believe how convenient life was here. You just have to care about what you do, that is, your work, and all another aspect of your life will be taken care of by the amazing public administration system that is in place. I want to appeal to every Indian, especially the youth, to visit Japan at least once in their lifetime, and stay here briefly to know how civilized and convenient the human society can be.
What attracted you to choose Nagoya Institute of Technology as a place to study?
I considered NITech for two main reasons. First, my Supervisor. Prof. Jun Sato was a graduate of the University of Cambridge, and after looking up the research in his lab, I was convinced to take up computer vision as a topic in my Masters. I loved his supervision so much that I eventually chose computer vision research as a profession. The second reason was the generous funding I received from the Aichi Prefectural Government under the Aichi Monozukuri Scholarship Program. I was lucky to be chosen among the other 10 (now reduced to 5) students across Asia to get this scholarship to study in the Aichi Prefecture. For me, the NITech experience was very fulfilling and meaningful. I had a lot of freedom to take my research at my own pace and when you have that kind of freedom, you get the inner urge to excel in whatever that you are doing.
Summer camp with my labmates and professors
-- 2017 [Me: the leftmost one]
-- 2017 [Me: the leftmost one]
Enjoying Japanese cuisine with colleagues
from Hitachi in Tokyo-- 2018 [Me: in black]
from Hitachi in Tokyo-- 2018 [Me: in black]
In what ways did you adjust to Japanese culture?
I didn’t find it very hard to adjust to the Japanese culture. In fact, being a foreigner, you are not expected to completely fit into the culture. I have observed that the essential things which are necessary to fit into the culture are dedication, honesty, accountability, and punctuality. These four things aren’t very demanding of an adult human I suppose. If you just follow these four things heartily, everything else will fall in place, and life will become very smooth.
Please write a message to students or researchers in your home country who may be thinking about studying in Japan.
If you have already done enough research about the Japanese education, then I guess you have a fair bit of idea of what to expect. My message will be mainly to those who are in a similar situation as I was, that is, not so sure about what to expect. Please search for the school that you want to apply in and try to find out more about the professors and the research that they are involved in. I think that is very important. You want to have the right fit in your research for everything else to fall in place.
When not sure about things, you can always email the professors you are interested in, to find out more about what they are involved in. I strongly advise to a meaningful email conversation and even skype conversation if you have the chance. Also, if you have the chance to visit Japan before applying, please do not hesitate to visit the schools you are planning to apply.
There is one last thing that I would like to say. English is not the main language spoken here in Japan. Therefore, if you have a chance to study Japanese before coming here, please actively participate in it. But if that’s not the case, you needn’t worry. But once you are here, please actively learn Japanese (this was me). You don’t need to study long hours to learn Japanese. But practicing what you are studying in the real world, by talking with Japanese people, will sharpen your Japanese conversational skills greatly in very less time.
This ends my part of being a productive facilitator between Japanese Universities and prospective Indian students. Now it is up to you to decide what you want to do with your life. The current situation demands more bright and talented Indians to come to Japan as we -- India and Japan, are going to define the most exemplary partnership of the 21st century in Asia, the world has ever seen. So best of luck!
When not sure about things, you can always email the professors you are interested in, to find out more about what they are involved in. I strongly advise to a meaningful email conversation and even skype conversation if you have the chance. Also, if you have the chance to visit Japan before applying, please do not hesitate to visit the schools you are planning to apply.
There is one last thing that I would like to say. English is not the main language spoken here in Japan. Therefore, if you have a chance to study Japanese before coming here, please actively participate in it. But if that’s not the case, you needn’t worry. But once you are here, please actively learn Japanese (this was me). You don’t need to study long hours to learn Japanese. But practicing what you are studying in the real world, by talking with Japanese people, will sharpen your Japanese conversational skills greatly in very less time.
This ends my part of being a productive facilitator between Japanese Universities and prospective Indian students. Now it is up to you to decide what you want to do with your life. The current situation demands more bright and talented Indians to come to Japan as we -- India and Japan, are going to define the most exemplary partnership of the 21st century in Asia, the world has ever seen. So best of luck!