Japanese Government (MEXT) Alumni Personal Experiences

Name: Ívar Baldvinsson
Scholarship program: MEXT Graduate (PhD) program
University in Japan: Tohoku University (東北大学)
Duration of the study: 2011 - 2015
Current occupation: Engineer at Landsvirkjun

Please give a brief self-introduction, including reference to your duties as a Japanese Government Scholarship recipient and to your current occupation.

After finishing my masters in energy systems and policies I was fortunate enough to be granted the MEXT scholarship to carry on my PhD studies in Japan. I was part of the Energy For the Future laboratory at Tohoku University for 4 years, where my research focus was on new generation of district heating systems and its potential in Japan. After finishing my thesis I took a job at the Centre for Energy at the Austrian Institute of Technology based in Vienna. After being abroad for total of 6 years I decided it was time to come back home to Iceland and was hired by Landsvirkjun where I’m currently employed as an operations engineer at the Production planning division.
 

Why did you apply to join the Japanese Government Scholarship Program?

After my masters I soon decided I wanted to conduct PhD research in energy modelling somewhere abroad. I came across advertisement of the MEXT scholarship and the application deadline was coming up soon. I had been fascinated by Japanese history and their strong cultural roots, so the idea of studying there caught my interest. I started investigating the country better, living standard, economy, universities, etc.. This made me more and more curious about the country and some of the universities proved to be top class in science and engineering. When I had found a university laboratory suited to my field of interest then it was decided. 

Please describe one of the most memorable experiences from your time in Japan.

I arrived in Japan about 2 months after the big earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Tohoku University is located in Sendai, which is among the cities that had suffered great deal from the earthquake and Tsunami. Several month after my arrival I participated in a tour visiting part of the area that had been devoured by the tsunami. I remember how amazing I thought how quickly the society had been able to restore to normal life, rebuilding infrastructure, buildings and the local economy, but in a organised and calm way. This was when I really learned about the resiliency and collective power of the nation of Japan. 
 

What did you learn from your stay in Japan and your participation in the Government Scholarship program?

There is so much I learned by living and studying in a cultural environment so unique and different from what I was used to in western Europe, that it is impossible to pick just one thing. But what I can say is that throughout my experience in the program I got to know my self better, and was in better harmony with myself, my values and beliefs.

What would you say to someone who was considering applying to join the Japanese Government Scholarship Program?

Having joined the program is one of the most growing and meaningful decision I have ever made. There is so much to learn from the Japanese social system and people, and living there was very pleasant. The program was super supportive throughout the whole time, the university and research of top class, and Japanese people were nothing but helpful to enrich my experience.