13th APEC Policy Partnership on Science, Technology & Innovation (PPSTI) Meeting
July 26, 2019
A Summer in CERN – Muhammad Zubair Asyraf Bin Jalal, UKM
August 30, 2019
The winners of National Science Challenge 2018 was invited to participate in the Sakura Science High School Programme (SSHP). The week-long programme was organised by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and featured students from Malaysia, Singapore, China and South Korea. SSHP aims to raise the interest of aspiring youth in science and technology.
16 June 2019
We gathered at KLIA at 4:00 am for a short briefing before we departed for Japan. After eight hours of flight time, we landed at Narita International Airport in Tokyo.
Upon arrival, the coordinators from Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) welcomed us with open arms. We attended the orientation session soon after arrival, and participated in a self-introduction programme that requires us to get to know each other within 50 seconds.
For dinner, we were given a simple steamed box meal. Despite its simplicity, we were very impressed by the use of an exothermic agent to heat up the food just by pulling a string, which seems quite common in Japan.
17 June 2019
We visited Rikkyo University for a campus tour. This was followed by a lecture by Nobel Laureate Professor Hideki Shirakawa on conductive polymers.
Following that, a hands-on chemistry experiment under his guidance was carried out. We had the honour of applying the study on conductive polymers in creating our own electroluminescent device. At the end of the class, we had a Q&A and photography session with Professor Shirakawa. He is a humble scientist and he was willing to give clear explanations for every questions we asked.
18 June 2019
We were warmly welcomed to Omiya Kita High School, a full-time and co-educational Super Science High School.
The highlight of the day was the car racing competition. We learnt to communicate, interact and cooperate with the Japanese students during workshops and games.
Later, we visited Tokyo Tower, which is a landmark of the city and the symbol of ingenuity and triumph.
19 June 2019
We visited the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), which means ‘The Future’. It is a science museum encompassing future science, technology and innovations of all kinds.
We attended a lecture by Dr Mamoru Mohri, an astronaut and a Japanese scientist. He shared with us his experiences in his career and the stories behind his choice in becoming an astronaut, which truly inspired us. Besides that, we looked at how ASIMO (a humanoid robot) functioned.
After lunch, we travelled to Edo-Tokyo Museum where we learnt about the culture and history of Tokyo. Later, we went to Asakusa to visit its main attraction, the Senso-ji Temple, and walked around the Nakamise Street. Senso-ji Temple gave us insight into the religious side of Japanese people.
20 June 2019
We had the pleasure of visiting the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). We visited their research center and saw their research facilities such as SHINKAI 6500, URASHIMA, and the Earth Simulator. We got to learn about many aspects of marine science, particularly the discovery of new species.
After lunch, we travelled to Kamakura City and visited the Great Buddha in Kamakura. It is truly amazing how 800 years ago, people were able to manually cast bronze to create such an enormous and well-designed statue.
21 June 2019
We visited the University of Tokyo, also known as UTokyo. UTokyo has three campuses, but due to the limited of time and the packed schedule, we only got to visit the main campus which was the Hongo campus.
Following this, we visited the Japan Science and Technology Agency for the closing ceremony and farewell party. We put on our traditional attire for a cultural performance. Then, we had our buffet dinner in a upscale restaurant with a picturesque night view in Odaiba.
22 June 2019
We spent our time in Aeon Shopping Mall located nearby Narita International Airport before our flight back to Malaysia.
Throughout this programme, we have gained knowledge and learnt more about Japan. The technology and STEM excellence we have witnessed during the trip truly inspired us to contribute to the promotion of innovation and development in the future. We sincerely appreciate this golden opportunity given to us to widen our horizon.
We are grateful for JST’s invitation to this meaningful programme. Our thanks also extends to the Academy of Science Malaysia for nominating us and giving us the unique opportunity to join this programme. We would also like to express our gratitude to everyone who have kindly supported us and helped us in many ways for this trip.
Thank you to the NSC Winners from Kolej Yayasan Saad for providing the report and pictures. Report has been edited for brevity and clarity.