JoJones’ Bizarre Adventure
About a month ago, I had the privilege of continuing my Phileas Fogg impression by travelling to Kobe, Japan for the Asia-Pacific Rim Conference on Rheology (A-PRCR). With all my conferences being in the UK up to this point, this was an ideal opportunity to present my work to a completely new audience, so naturally I signed up.
For those unfamiliar with my field, rheology is the study of the deformation and flow of matter, and spans many aspects of science and engineering. About every three years, rheological societies from the Pacific Rim countries — with India a recent addition — join forces and host A-PRCR: a week-long event consisting of contributed talks and poster presentations, covering topics such as polymer science and computational fluid dynamics. My role in this was to present a poster on my PhD work so far, more on that later!
In order to present my poster though, I had to make it through the 16-hour journey to Kobe first. Having already done a trip to the States in June, you’d think I would have been prepared for the outbound flights. And for the most part, I was.... but I didn’t count on China Eastern’s in-flight entertainment being so sparse! Nevertheless, after an 11-hour flight to Shanghai, a quick transfer, and a day-long pit-stop in Tokyo to fight the jet lag, I was more than ready to reach my intended destination.
Kobe is Japan’s seventh largest city, nestled on the southern coast near to Osaka. And whilst not a massive tourist destination, it still has a lot to offer! In the weekend before the conference, I aimed to do as much of it as possible. Despite the heat, I think I managed it! Particular highlights included the Nunobiki Herb Garden, Ikuta Jinja and Sorakuen. By Sunday evening, it was time to head to the Kobe International Conference Center to collect my name badge, and head to the welcome reception to meet my fellow delegates.
Go With the Flow
On Monday, A-PRCR started properly. There was a range of interesting talks: some on the theoretical side proposing new equations for modelling complex fluids, and some on the applied side with applications to topics such as paint mixing and blood flow. The first of the two poster sessions was also today, which gave me the chance to understand the expectations for my session. By the end of the day, I was exhausted, so I went off to the seafront to unwind and grab some dinner. Luckily, this was also the location of Kobe Port Tower, so I managed to get some excellent views of the city, and grab food in a revolving restaurant.
Having caught up on my sleep, Tuesday was finally upon me. And as I was to present a poster in the afternoon, this was easily the most important day! As a mathematician at an engineering conference, I was very nervous about this part. Would I be able to explain my research properly? Would it be physically relevant? Would people even want to talk to me?? After a bit of a slow start to the session, I’d found my groove, and by the end, I felt like I was able to explain my work effectively. I’d even got a few business cards too! In celebration of getting through the difficult part, I found a sushi restaurant in town, and ended the day drinking with some new friends in a place called “Bar Nasty House.”
Waking up on Wednesday morning, I was greeted with an email. I’d been selected as having one of the best student posters, and was going to be presented with a prize at the conference dinner in the evening! Only 24 hours prior, I was worried people wouldn’t be interested in my research, let alone think I could win an award for it! With this boost I set off for the third day of A-PRCR. Everything was much more relaxed, especially since it was the day of the conference excursion. Kobe is mainly known for three things: beef, sake, and its onsen (hot springs). Having sampled the beef on the day I got to Kobe, it was time to cover the remaining two. A bus took us out to Arima, where we relaxed in the hot spring water, and then to Nada, where we visited the Hakutsuru Brewery Museum. Rather dangerously, sake tasting was on offer, and quite frankly, it was all delicious, so a few bottles had to be bought.
Returning to Kobe, it was time for a quick shower at the hotel before attending the conference dinner. This was a banquet, with everything from sushi to roast beef on offer. It was here that I was also invited on stage to receive a certificate and a tablet computer for my poster award, and the de facto closing remarks were made. The after-party then followed, and I feel like this is where I did my most successful networking!
In true Japanese fashion, the entertainment was karaoke. I’d managed to make friends within the Chinese contingent at the banquet, and they provided an excellent chance to talk next academic steps. By the end of the night, they’d also applied just enough pressure to get me singing “Delilah” with the president of the Asia Pacific Society of Rheology (APSR). This experience easily became the highlight of the entire conference, but my night was to get better still. Thanks to my performance, I was then invited out to the after-after-party of more karaoke, only this time with a group of professors!
Compared to Wednesday, the Thursday was fairly sedate, but I did manage to have a very insightful one-on-one discussion regarding finite element methods and numerical simulation of viscoelastic fluids. After one final session of talks on polymer melts and solutions, the conference came to a close, and we all went our separate ways. With the evening free, I took a cable car up Mount Maya to see the “Ten Million Dollar” view of Kobe and Osaka Bay.
Postcards and Poster Sessions
With two more days in Kobe, I returned to tourist mode, and ventured further afield to Nara, Osaka and Himeji. And these trips were certainly action-packed! In Nara, I had souvenirs stolen by deer, survived a thunderstorm in a Buddhist temple, and had my first taste of okonomiyaki. Meanwhile, I attempted Bon Odori dancing in Osaka, and a diversion to Himeji meant I could view a Japanese castle and ride the famous Shinkansen.
Returning to Kobe airport on Saturday, it wasn’t the end of my trip to Japan; my follow-on stay in Tokyo is another story. But my tradition of arriving way too early to the airport gave me chance to watch the sun fade behind Mount Rokkō, and reflect on how much of an amazing time I had had over the past 8 days.
Thinking from an academic perspective, this conference stands out for two reasons. Firstly, it taught me not to underestimate poster sessions. Although it was initially a daunting prospect, presenting a poster really gives you the time and space to explain your work in a relaxed setting. There’s also the ability to draw on extra information in real-time to aid your presentations, something not always possible in a seminar talk. Secondly, this was the first conference (and international trip) that I had done solo. This really forced me to talk to people and build connections on my own. I wouldn’t recommend this for someone’s very first conference — going with peers can make a huge difference! For those more experienced; however, it can be an excellent way to develop your independence as a researcher.
All that’s left to say is: thank you to everyone at A-PRCR for an unforgettable time in Japan! ありがとうございます!
Respond
