JICE International Exchange Program

Mr. Thomas Gonda, who visited Japan through the MIRAI program in 2018, is working as a Research Intern at the RCA-IIS Tokyo Design Lab which is a design project jointly established by The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science and Technology and Royal College of Art in London.

―Why did you participate in the MIRAI program 2018?

I decided to participate to the MIRAI program 2018 because Japan has always fascinated me, and this was a unique opportunity to get a deeper understanding of its culture but also the role Japan is playing in the global economy. Having lived in different countries, I am very conscious of the fact that being exposed to different environments, cultures and people is always an enriching experience.

―What is the most impressive part in the MIRAI?

I think the MIRAI programme was a unique opportunity to be exposed to a wide variety of topics and industries in a condensed one week. That kind of experience is very rare and precious especially for young students like me. With that, I was able to get a good picture of the Japanese ecosystem of Science & Technology – how the government, industries, research bodies and ultimately Japanese people interact with each other. That local understanding also enabled me to understand the role that Japan plays in a wider international context.

On another note, I think the testimony of a “Hibakusha” – an atomic bomb survivor – in Hiroshima was a very memorable moment. It really moved me and provided me a more profound understanding on how it affected the Japanese collective memory and their relationship with technology.

―How was the support from JICE staff and coordinator through the project? If there is more to improve, please kindly advise.

JICE’s organization was very precise. When arriving we received a timetable that detailed our activities to the nearest 10 minutes which I was really impressed by. This made our experience seamless and very comfortable. To me, that was a perfect example of how the Japanese’s coordination ability and how they strive for high quality service delivery.

―What do you study at university in Japan? And also why do you study it?

I am currently working as a Research Intern at the Tokyo Design Lab which is based within the Institute of Industrial Sciences at the University of Tokyo. The Lab’s mission is to ‘use Design to turn Science into deployable innovations’ and aims at increasing collaborations between Industry and Academia as well as spreading knowledge about Design Thinking across Japan. As a student in Design Engineering at Imperial College London, this is a unique opportunity for me to discuss and exchange ideas with people who have a very different perspective on the world. Precisely because Japan is at a similar level of industrial and technological development with France, where I live, and the United-Kingdom, where I study; I was able to witness the big extent to which culture shapes the way we employ technology, and how development takes a different face in different cultures.

In fact, I am convinced that my skills as a multidisciplinary Design Engineer and my values as a European will be very valuable to Japan in the future and allow me to spread Japanese thinking abroad. In an increasingly evolving world, Japan will change, and in the context of globalisation this change needs to be led by people who have a deep understanding of the Japanese society, culture and values. I am confident that the continuous entanglement of knowledge we currently see between engineering, science, design and art will push Design Engineers like me to be forward thinkers.

―How is your life in Japan?

I am really enjoying my life in Japan. I live in Sasazuka which is just 20min from Shinjuku and it is amazing how calm and tranquil life can be even though it’s so close to the center of Tokyo! I spend all my weekends exploring the city and doing little trips across Japan, slowly discovering all of the amazing things this country has to offer. The longer I stay here, the more I love it.

Although I am staying here for 6 months, I already have a feeling that I’d like to come back and live here for 3 or 4 years – there is so much to see! But also, I would really like to experience all the seasons as I have mostly been in Japan during late Spring and Summer.

―Do you have any advice for future participants of JICE exchange programs?

Go for it, try, experiment. These programmes are unique opportunities for you to experience something new and truly unique without too much commitment on the long term. Once you’re there, be curious, ask questions and really try to make the most of the people that are there with you. Memories are nice, but it is really the relationships that you will be developing and cultivate over time that will be the key take away from these programmes. You never know what will come out of these encounters so expose yourself to as much as you can!