In the Footsteps of the World’s Famous Scientists: Three Weeks at Cambridge

Hi everyone! It’s Leon. While my friends were exploring London, I stayed a bit longer in Cambridge to take part in a unique program called “Musha Shugyō: the Samurai’s Pilgrimage”, an immersive academic training experience.

 

My three-week visit to the University of Cambridge may have been short, but it completely reshaped how I think about research, communication, and my place within the scientific community. And here’s why!

 

Learning to Pitch Research Like a Story

One of the first things I did at Cambridge was a 5-minute, 3-slide research pitch. The format was inspired by business-style presentations, which was very different from the long, technical talks I’m used to. At first, it felt almost impossible—how do you explain a PhD project in five minutes without losing the important parts? Introduction, background, novelty, objectives, methodology, data… ALL in 5 minutes and 3 slides!?

But that challenge was exactly what made it useful. I had to clearly articulate what problem I’m working on and why anyone outside my narrow field should care. Presenting alongside other outstanding students was also eye-opening. Everyone had a different way of telling their research story, and comparing styles made me rethink how I communicate my own work. Because this pitch happened early in my visit, the feedback I got helped me refine my research questions and overall framing for the rest of my stay.

Experiencing the Cambridge Lecture Style

Alongside my research discussions, I attended lectures taught by Dr. Edoardo Borgomeo. These sessions introduced me to the Cambridge lecture style: concise, focused, and packed into a strict one-hour format. I really appreciated this approach—it kept the lectures efficient while still allowing me to maintain my focus and absorb the material effectively. 

Here are some pictures from the academic activities I participated in during my stay. I also couldn’t help but admire the breathtaking architectural details of each building—they added an inspiring atmosphere to every lecture and discussion.

 

 

Walking Through Scientific History

Beyond the academic milestones, visiting Cambridge was a deeply personal experience. Walking through its courtyards, colleges, and pathways felt like stepping into the living history of science. Isn’t it amazing to walk the paths once traveled by some of the greatest scientists in the world?

I saw Stephen Hawking’s Corpus Clock at King’s College, a reminder that time is precious; visited The Eagle Pub, where Watson and Crick famously announced the discovery of DNA’s structure—the “secret of life”; stood near Newton’s apple tree at Trinity College, where the concept of gravity was famously explored; and passed the Cavendish Laboratory, where J.J. Thomson and Ernest Rutherford transformed our understanding of the atom.

These experience were not just visitting landmarks–  they were reminders to me of what sustained curiosity and perseverance can achieve. Being physically present in these historic spaces gave me a powerful sense of connection to generations of scientists before me, and renewed my motivation to pursue my own research with dedication and purpose.

The iconic King's College Chapel :o

Bringing Cambridge Back Home

The skills and perspectives I gained at Cambridge will directly influence my work at my home institution. I plan to adopt Cambridge-style communication approaches—concise pitching, clear problem framing, and methodological transparency—in future seminars, conference presentations, and publications. 

Cambridge was more than just a place to study—it was a reminder of why I pursue science in the first place. Walking through history, learning from brilliant minds, and challenging myself to communicate and think clearly gave me experiences I will carry for the rest of my academic journey. These three weeks may have been short, but the lessons, inspiration, and connections I gained will last a lifetime. I return home not just with knowledge, but with a renewed passion to explore, create, and contribute to the ongoing story of scientific discovery.

That's all for my story this time. See you in the next chapter! Merry Christmas and Have a good year a head! -Leon

Oh, quick visit to London as well! xD

 

Conference by Day, Fish & Chips by Night

Ay mate, it's Qisthi. Last week, I joined Kawasaki Sensei and three other members to the UK for a conference in London and a visit to Cambridge University. Here are some of the highlights ✨

First things first, I want to thank Kawasaki Sensei for giving me this valuable opportunity and guiding me to improve on my skill in the research.

T he 12th Annual Conference of the Society for Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty (DMDU)

Held in Loughborough University, London Campus from 17-20 November, we participated in several sessions, including lectures and seminars, and presented our research as well. Actually, there were so many insightful knowledge but I will just mention a selection that was frequently referenced during the event.

 

Opened by Robert Lempert with the DMDU overview and Robust Decision Making (RDM) as one common approach. Basically, we need to transform traditional policy analysis in a world of complex, wicked problem. RDM begins with decision framing  called “XLRM”.

X (Uncertain Factors): what uncertain factors outside decision makers' control affect their ability to pursue their goals? 

L (Policy Levers): what actions might they take to pursue their goals? 

R (Relationships): how might policy levers (L) and uncertainties (X) be related to decision makers' goals (M)? 

M (Performance Metrics): what are decision makers trying to achieve?

RDM can be combined with a wide range of other methods and techniques such as Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways (DAPP) that provides insight into what actions to take now and which options to keep open for the medium and long term when the current policy reach a tipping point (talked by Jan Kwakkel).

I joined an engaging demo and tutorial session of Multi-Objective Robust Optimization. The basic ideas are to pick some future scenarios, run optimization, aggregate pareto sets to test candidate policies, and visualize tradeoffs.  

 

 

 

I also had an opportunity to present in a panel session about DMDU for Sustainable Development: Experiences from LMICs (Low-Middle Income Countries) about Framework Development of Selecting a Suitable Nature-Based Solution for Erosion Reduction (bottom-right). Here I also attached my other lab mates' sessions. I really admire their works!

Thames Barrier, London

 

After the last day of conference, we managed to visit Thames Barrier, recognized as one of the largest movable flood defenses globally. It safeguards 125 square kilometers of downtown London from inundation resulting from tidal surges. It features 10 steel gates that may be elevated into position over the River Thames. Basically, the Thames Barrier will stay closed at high water until the downstream water level equals that of the upstream. Interestingly, there was a riverside park called the 'Green Dock', a sunken garden with unique shapes that offers a wind-sheltered microclimate protecting diverse flora and fauna.

Cambridge, Home of the University of Cambridge (Obviously)

 
 

 

 

The following day, we got the chance to go to the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University. Initially, we intended to visit Prof. Edoardo Borgomeo, but our schedules did not align. Fortunately, we already had the opportunity to meet him and engage in pleasant discussions during the DMDU conference days. Nevertheless, we received a warm welcome from his lab members. We talked and shared our each research interest and work. Afterwards, they even showed us around their college, Darwin and Peterhouse College.

 

 

Subsequently, we strolled through the city, as we had been told that a sunny day during this season was deemed lucky. Cambridge was absolutely charming with its historical and cultural heritage. I cannot conceive of being here for multiple years as a student, sure would be undoubtedly memorable.

 

Captured by Kawasaki Sensei. Guess what were we taking photos of. Haha, no, we did not meet any celebrities.

Trivia (Just from my observation about the difference of London and Tokyo)

• The citizen is way more heterogenous. As the Paddington Bear said, "In London, everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in."
• They line up on the right side of the escalator.
• In central London, I hardly found zebra cross on the street, but somehow we didn't have any problem by following the crowds, haha.
• No yellow blocks/lines in the pedestrian (for disable people).
• Minimum signage in the train station (such as the platform number, where to stand to match the train doors, and basically the direction to transfer to other line). Some stations don't have announcement when the train is coming, no warning to stand behind the yellow blocks, an of course, no jingle before the door closed like in Japan, hehe.
• We can pay public transportations by tapping our debit/credit cards directly.
• Nearly all the buses in this area are red and feature two levels.
• Cashless payment everywhere. I could barely use my pound cash, lol. Meanwhile in Japan, still so many shops/stores accept cash only (this is not a judgement which one is better, hehe).
• Call French fries as chips and chips as crisps.
• Rice is definitely not the staple food, hehe. However, I could easily find halal restaurants and meat shops!
• People were easy-going, would greet you (good morning), and didn't hesitate to speak their mind (at least the ones I met haha). Also, I encountered three strangers in separate times who were checking on us if we were okay/get lost/needed help.

Bonus some foods I had in London, of course I had to try the fish and chips. Always came in a big portion!

 

 

 

Okayyy, thank you for reading! 

Cheers!