In-House Symposium for BDR Graduate StudentsAn opportunity for sharing research and building connections

On June 2, 2023, the 3rd BDR Student Symposium, a one-day in-house meeting organized and hosted by graduate students at BDR, took place at the Kobe Campus. This symposium serves as an opportunity for students conducting research at BDR to present or introduce their work to date, engage in scientific discussions, as well as interact and build connections with other students outside of their own laboratories. Approximately 30 students from BDR's Kobe, Osaka, and Yokohama Campuses attended the event in person in Kobe, while an additional five participants joined the symposium virtually. The symposium was organized by graduate students, Kasane Yaguchi of the Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics (Team leader Kazunari Miyamichi), Ayano Oi of the Laboratory for Nutritional Biology (Team leader Fumiaki Obata), and Aleksandr Popov of the Laboratory for Advanced Biomolecular Engineering (Team leader Shunsuke Tagami).

The morning session began with an icebreaker with each participant giving a short self-introduction, which included what lab they belonged to, where they were from, their hobbies and interests, as well as their current research topic. This was followed by six oral presentations in the afternoon. There was also a poster session , which allowed the students to actively exchange ideas about their respective research projects.  At the end of the day, awards were given out for the best presentation and best poster.

The symposium wrapped up with remarks by Oi, made on behalf of all of the organizers. She expressed appreciation to the participants who braved the inclement weather to attend the meeting and made the symposium enjoyable. She also extended her appreciation to the administrative staff and laboratory heads who provided support with the planning of the event. Oi concluded by emphasizing the importance of cherishing the connections made with newfound friends and to enjoy student life at BDR.

Despite the heavy rain on that day caused by a passing typhoon in the Kobe area, many of the attendees stayed to take part in  a post-symposium reception to further deepen their ties.

Yaguchi commented, "The past two Student Symposiums were held during the pandemic, making this year's symposium our first in-person gathering. Even within the Kobe Campus, labs are scattered in different buildings, limiting opportunities for graduate students to interact. However, through this symposium, we were able to foster connections and learn about each other's research, which I thought was highly beneficial. There were also a few undergraduate students participating in the meeting, which was likely a stimulating and valuable experience for them."

For Popov, who is based at the Yokohama Campus, this was his first time visiting Kobe. He said, "Since there are fewer BDR labs at the Yokohama Campus, I haven't had many opportunities to interact with a large number of students before. Participating in this symposium as an organizer and having the chance to engage in conversations with many students was an excellent experience for me."