Graduation 2026 Fall

Reflecting on my Ph.D journey

For four years, I studied a practice that was vanishing from sight without vanishing from life. Fieldwork in Ghana taught me that the truths matter most rarely announce themselves; they live in what people lower their voices to say, in the question politely left unanswered, in the silence that follows a laugh. Statistics could show me what a law had changed on paper; only patient listening could show me what it had changed inside a household. So I learned to hear every number as the beginning of a question, and to see the people who trusted me not as informants but as the true authors of what I came to understand. 

This autumn, I leave my doctoral programme with a dissertation, but also with a debt I cannot fully repay to those who opened their doors to an outsider with generosity and trust. Research, I now believe, is not the act of taking knowledge from a place but the act of becoming answerable to it.

A message for prospective student

Begin with humility, and let it deepen rather than fade. A PhD is a long conversation with your data, with the literature, with your supervisor, and most of all, with yourself. Let that conversation be honest. Ask the question that makes you look naive, because it is usually the one everyone else is wondering about. Write before you feel ready, since clarity tends to arrive in the act of writing rather than before it. Keep a record of your failures as carefully as your successes; one day they will be the most instructive pages you own. Above all, do not measure your pace against the person at the next desk. A field left fallow is not abandoned, only preparing to yield.

Reflecting on My PhD Journey

After completing my master’s degree, I decided to pursue a PhD in order to further develop my own expertise.

During my PhD, I conducted experimental research on new electrode materials for fuel cells. Since my research topic was quite different from those of many other students in the department, explaining my research to professors and students from different academic backgrounds was sometimes challenging. In particular, when writing my dissertation, I had to reconsider not only what I was researching, but also why the research was necessary and what significance it had in a broader academic and social context. Through this experience, I learned to step back and look at my research from a broader perspective, a skill that I believe will be valuable in my future work.

I am deeply grateful to my supervisor, Professor Misawa, as well as to all the professors in the department and my collaborators who supported me throughout my doctoral research.

My JDPSR Experience

Being part of JDPSR exposed me to perspectives from fellow students and professors with very different backgrounds. Coming from a science and engineering background, I used to approach problems mostly through a technical lens. The coursework and discussions broadened my view, and my research on environmental radiation monitoring grew from a purely technical study into one that also considers social impact and policy implications. The mandatory internship was another highlight: working directly with experts in my field changed the direction of my research in a meaningful way.

For Those Considering a PhD
JDPSR is a great fit if you want to learn to appreciate many different kinds of research, not only your own. It also addresses the real issues the world is facing today, which makes the work feel genuinely relevant.