Japanese Government (MEXT) Postgraduate Scholarships

Marina Kovaleva
Japanese Government (MEXT) Postgraduate Scholarship
Research student in Engineering at Tohoku University 2019 –2020

In my final year of my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Cardiff University, I gained an interest in ammonia as a renewable energy fuel. I had previously spent some time in Tokyo learning Japanese; realising that Japan had a fascinating culture I wanted to explore more in the future. So, when I discovered that a research group in Tohoku University, Japan was the first and one of the leading research groups in ammonia combustion, I saw a fantastic opportunity to combine my research interests with my plans to spend more time in Japan. It was around that time that I found the MEXT Scholarship Programme and applied for the Research Student Scholarship at Tohoku University in ammonia combustion.

At first, I was worried about my first few weeks of settling into a foreign country that was so different to my small Welsh hometown of Abergavenny. But when the time came, I felt very supported by the MEXT Scholarship Programme and my Japanese research lab. In my first week in Japan, I attended a MEXT Scholar meet-up at my university and from there made some fantastic friends that I have stayed in touch with even after returning to the UK. After the MEXT meet-up, a group of MEXT scholars hosted a big dinner using imported foods from their home countries that did wonders to help cure my homesickness. At my research lab on the other hand, I was partnered with a girl who was doing a double degree PhD between France and Japan, so she kindly helped me with the foreign resident related tasks such as pension exception and health insurance.

In the UK, combustion research facilities are subject to such strict health and safety regulations that it would be unusual for bachelor’s and master’s students to assemble and lead their own experiments. However, the Kobayashi-Hayakawa Lab that I joined had extensive research facilities and experience in training students to use their facilities safely. I was very lucky to have a unique and practical research experience: designing parts, testing, and assembling testing equipment and leading my own experimental campaign. Upon returning to the UK, I started my PhD at Cardiff University in ammonia combustion. By maintaining links with my Japanese research groups, it was possible to setup collaboration between Cardiff University and Tohoku University in ammonia combustion. This has included organising an online student learning workshop in ammonia energy and gaining funding from the Institute of Fluid Science (Tohoku University) for a General Collaborative Research Project. For this project, I am excited to be returning to Tohoku University in January 2022 to take advantage of the different research specialities of the UK and Japanese groups.

I also had the pleasure of visiting research centres specialising in ammonia and hydrogen fuels including two Tokyo Gas research centres and the Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute (FREA). The FREA visit was especially memorable as I saw the world’s first green ammonia demonstrator; it manufactured CO2-free ammonia and burnt it cleanly to produce electricity within one cycle. A leading FREA researcher on the project (who was also one of MEXT Scholarship alumni) opened parts of the micro gas turbine to show me how the design had been tailored for ammonia.

Within Tohoku University, I also had plenty of opportunities to take part in Japanese culture. This ranged from participating in the Dontosai festival alongside other Japanese students in my research group. In the summer, our lab held a trip to Chusonji (a temple in Hiraizumi), a beautiful UNESCO heritage site. We also visited Fukushima where I learnt more about the Fukushima disaster by visiting some of the affected areas that are still being rebuilt and the Fukushima Disaster Memorial Museum.

I am so grateful to the MEXT Postgraduate Scholarship for enabling me to take part in such an enriching cultural and educational experience. With both the UK and Japanese governments recently announcing their commitments to ammonia energy, I hope to continue working with both British and Japanese research groups and break down the barriers that prevent the widespread usage of ammonia as a green fuel.