Messages From Alumni (1)
Regarding the reasons behind entering the Chemical Process Engineering Course.
"Through the courses I took in my second year, I became more interested in chemical engineering, which is the study of efficient production systems (development of equipment) than organic chemistry and other studies that pursue the methods of synthesis (creating 'recipes')."
Impressions of the Chemical Process Engineering Course that have remained the same or have differed after being placed in the course
"The studies were very interesting as the faculty members have enthusiastically explained. However, after I was placed in a course and actually attended lectures, I was surprised at how diverse the areas that chemical engineering covered were."
Regarding after being placed in the Chemical Process Engineering Course
"In the third year, students in the other two Courses are often busy with experiments or writing reports for their experiments, but the Chemical Process Engineering Course seems to have more lectures than experiments. There are reports to write after almost every class, but I am not as busy and thus have more time to myself."
Things that had a lasting impression or were useful from the Chemical Process Engineering Course classes
a. Lasting impressions from the classes:
"I was a little surprised that, contrary to my earlier expectation, there was a necessity to study even those subjects belonging to physics such as fluid mechanics and statistical physics in addition to the subjects belonging to chemistry."
b. What was useful:
"Having actually seen and operated continuous distillation columns and chemical reactors in my chemical process engineering experiments, I now have a much deeper understanding of the phenomena taking place in those equipment as compared to what I had only learned from textbooks."
Positive aspects of entering the Chemical Process Engineering Course
"I have learned to be able to perceive things from both the macro and micro perspectives."
Regarding after placement in a research laboratory in the fourth year
"After being placed in a research laboratory, the first big event is none other than the "Process Design" project. We worked on the project that we selected ourselves by utilizing all of the knowledge that we had learned. Through this process, we acquired the proper attitude towards research (of course, we learned frustration as well). The graduation research is done in the five months between October and February and may be more rushed than other Courses. However, since this will be research that no one else has done before, you will experience both the difficulty of being at the forefront and the great sense of accomplishment when you have successfully finished the research."
Regarding campus life outside of studies
"The Chemical Process Engineering Course generally allows for more free time than the other Courses. You are encouraged to make the most out of your free time and challenge yourself in various ways to expand your horizon."
Message and advice to new students
"Those of you who have entered the Undergraduate Department of Industrial Chemistry most likely aspire to master "chemistry", but we encourage you to not only study chemistry but try various other studies as well. In this regard, Kyoto University has many faculty members who conduct leading research in the world. Within these areas, please find something that you would like to learn most."
Message to high school students
Advice: "Please select a university not only because of its name, but with a vision of what you would like to study or anything else, even if it is still hazy."