By Patricia McNeil
From what I see, the future of science is the push for diversity and interdisciplinary work. Yet it is still rare for a program to offer the opportunities that push a young graduate student outside their comfort zone. A lot of the work we do is meeting project goals and funding requirements, often restricting us from the bigger picture and limiting our ability to communicate to a specialized setting. But the INFEWS program does something unique by incorporating an industry internship.
Image 1. Pamphlet a colleague gave me on Himeji Castle. My coworkers at NSG were excited to share potential travel locations with me, giving me advice on the best places for interactive cultural experiences.
I was fortunate enough to experience a six-month internship abroad in January 2020 with Nippon Sheet Glass (NSG) in Japan. I traveled there after living in Southern California my whole life. Add to that the fact that I’ve been in school 80% of that time, and between the culture of industry and the culture of a new country, it is safe to say I was well outside my comfort zone. Yet, I never felt uncomfortable or overwhelmed, as I was genuinely welcomed into my new environment. Often in graduate school, especially in the sciences where grant funding is so competitive, there can be a Darwinian attitude. My performance must be better than yours so that I can keep working. But at NSG, the attitude that I experienced had much stronger overtones of cooperation. Let’s work together so we can all do our best.
Image 2. . My visit to Kinkaku-ji (Buddhist Temple in Kyoto).
Although I speak very little Japanese, I soon experienced an eagerness between my coworkers and myself to build effective forms of communication. Very often they would translate written documents for me in advance and used English in group meetings to help me feel comfortable. Personally, I strove to provide weekly updates that were clear, emphasizing graphical representation and precise language, whenever possible. For questions or clarifications, I would often compose slides with the appropriate graphics or references. I am always delighted in being able to answer a question to the best of my ability. And during my time at NSG,this feeling was heightened as I learned to communicate in a more precise manner.
Working abroad pushes you out of your comfort zone, helping you see things from the bigger picture. It inspires collaboration in a foreign environment and adaptability in order to cultivate effective communication. In the spirit of NSG, let’s work together!
Patricia is part of the 2018-2019 INFEWS program cohort and a PhD Student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA. Her research focuses on creating an insulating silica ambigel with the optical transparency required for application onto a window. See more about this research in our Blog.