10:03 AM - 10:18 AM
[O04-03] How does a girl from Finland end up studying earthquake formation mechanisms in Japan?
★Invited Papers
My name is Ilona Sakaguchi. I was born and raised in Helsinki, Finland but now I’m living in Nagoya, Japan. I graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Science from Nagoya University last year. The main part of my doctoral research, as well as my current research, is focused on studying the structure and composition of water-bearing minerals in the subduction zone. This topic is of great interest to many researchers since water-rich fluids released from these types of minerals is believed to be related to seismicity inducing hydrofracturing in the subduction zone.
You might ask: “How does a girl from Finland end up studying earthquake formation mechanisms in Japan?” My path to Japan has been long and filled with many unexpected turns. Following my curiosity led me from studying geography at the University of Helsinki in Finland, to doing a language exchange program at Doshisha University in Kyoto to finally working on a PhD in geology at Nagoya University.
Whilst somewhat serendipitous, working on a PhD in geology was one of the best experiences in my life. The work of a geologist is one of an adventurer, a lab scientist and a detective. Studying geology has taken me on an incredible array of adventures, including hiking up and down an active volcano, traversing though Death Valley and Grand Canyon in United States, spending 10 days in the middle of Pacific Ocean on a research cruise and conducting intensive field work in the subtropical rainforests of Taiwan. Of course, research can be stressful and especially hard as a foreigner in Japan. During my time in Japan, I needed to learn fast how to overcome various kinds of difficulties and I’d like to share with you some of the ways I’ve learned to deal with different types of challenges.
In my presentation, I would like to offer you a small glimpse into the world of an international researcher working in Japan. Maybe it might spark a curiosity in you too and instead of taking the safe straight and narrow road, you might take an unknown path and see where it leads you?
You might ask: “How does a girl from Finland end up studying earthquake formation mechanisms in Japan?” My path to Japan has been long and filled with many unexpected turns. Following my curiosity led me from studying geography at the University of Helsinki in Finland, to doing a language exchange program at Doshisha University in Kyoto to finally working on a PhD in geology at Nagoya University.
Whilst somewhat serendipitous, working on a PhD in geology was one of the best experiences in my life. The work of a geologist is one of an adventurer, a lab scientist and a detective. Studying geology has taken me on an incredible array of adventures, including hiking up and down an active volcano, traversing though Death Valley and Grand Canyon in United States, spending 10 days in the middle of Pacific Ocean on a research cruise and conducting intensive field work in the subtropical rainforests of Taiwan. Of course, research can be stressful and especially hard as a foreigner in Japan. During my time in Japan, I needed to learn fast how to overcome various kinds of difficulties and I’d like to share with you some of the ways I’ve learned to deal with different types of challenges.
In my presentation, I would like to offer you a small glimpse into the world of an international researcher working in Japan. Maybe it might spark a curiosity in you too and instead of taking the safe straight and narrow road, you might take an unknown path and see where it leads you?