Hao Li

Graduate School of Life Science, Master’s Course
Nitobe College Honors Program 2nd batch student

When I refresh my story at Nitobe College, I have a vivid mental image of the first class. The introverted guy with a little unconfident standing overwhelmed in the classroom. When he heard the next part is a free social time to know each other and make friends, as if the whole world had collapsed, he just stood in place while awkwardly drinking tea. However, during this year, he got intimate friends, he organized cooperative teams, he engaged in many meaningful projects closed to both global issues and daily life, he successfully got the scholarship and reached the goals written in the application at the beginning, and he was informed he became the best graduate at the end. He is just a normal student enjoying intense research in genetics. But he wants to be the architect of his future. Fitly, Nitobe College provided a wonderful place and offered a lot of chances.

This is a place harboring diversity and inclusiveness. You will work with people from various research divisions and various cultural backgrounds in the world. During the teamwork, many bright and beautiful sparks will collide. It must be a valuable experience for work or research in the future. For inclusiveness, I would like to show you more details. When I felt overwhelmed in the first class, it was the friendly business cards from others that encouraged me. When I felt confused to work with different styles of teammates, it was the feedback and suggestion from sensei and friends without any query or despise that guided me. I could feel the free or in other words is motivated to question any points and discuss any issues from any perspective. Following it, more and more confidence came to equip me.

This is a place offering you chances to get into society. In the foundation program, you could learn and practice a lot about thinking ways, leadership, communication skills, project management and etc. It seems like a stock period. In the Honors program, it will be more exciting and much closer to our true life. This year, the COVID-19 influenced us a lot. The first project is to define a specific problem brought by it and solve this problem. Then we were trained to find problems. And during this period, you have the highest authority to manage everything (I should not disclose more information…). It is a rare opportunity and precious experience to truly go into our society to discover and solve problems. Besides, this year, we conducted everything online due to the pandemic. You will find it is more intriguing and learn a lot of skills to efficiently work together online. I never realized we could address such lots of issues using ZOOM, Miro, and Nitobe Portfolio.

This is a treasured place to improve your research. Actually, what you learned there will be very useful for your research, like brainstorming, critical thinking, presentation skills, problem finding and etc. In addition, I miss the feeling very much that refreshed my brain from intense research in each Wednesday or Thursday evening. Both of them did really help me a lot.

I am grateful to join there and appreciate meeting all of sensei and teammates. The boost-year in Nitobe must be my cherished memory in Japan. Be the architect of your competencies. Be the ambitious architect of your future. You must not miss Nitobe College at Hokkaido University.