Tohoku University
Graduate School of Dentistry

Interview

03

Wei Zou

from China

I first landed in Sendai, the city located in the northwest of Japan, in 2014 when I was a master student in the dental school of Peking University. This trip was supported by the Sakura Science Project sponsored by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and also my first time to visit the Faculty of Dentistry of Tohoku University. At that time, I was deeply moved by the warm welcome from the staffs. I also experienced Japanese lifestyle, enjoyed Japanese special food, visited Lu Xun’s memorial Hall of Tohoku University, and took a lecture about “3.11” East Japan earthquake disaster. This unforgettable week gave me a lot of good memories and experiences, which showed a diverse, attractive Japan.

Inspired by this trip, I decided to go to Tohoku University One year later to pursue my PhD degree after I graduated from Peking University. Luckily, I got the scholarship provided by Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC). I was really happy that I could study in Tohoku University and join in the group of Professor Keiichi Sasaki.

In 2019, I finished my PhD course and decided back to china. During these 4 years, the PhD life in Sendai is cherished. I like the teachers, and their wide knowledge and opening mind. The grand library and school buildings also impressed me very much. My PhD life was better than I expected, I can do research peacefully here. In the college we can not only learn the professional knowledge, but also develop our comprehensive abilities, for instance, try to communicate with people from different countries, understand each other, and respect different cultures. In particular, Professor Guang Hong, who is in charge of Liaison Center for Innovative Dentistry, was my academic advisor and had really helped me in many ways. Fortunately, I won the Professor Fujino Incentive Award in my graduation season of 2019.

An international famous writer Lu Xun wrote in his book, “Sendai is a city, but it wasn’t that big. It was cold enough to die in winter, and there were no foreign students from China yet.” However, I thought Sendai is a warm and peaceful city and more and more foreign students, including Chinese students, will come to Tohoku University to start their academic careers.

I am now an attending doctor and Research Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Dentistry at Xi’an Jiaotong University. For me, coming to Tohoku University was the correct choice in my life. I believe that our human can defeat the Covid-19 finally. And we can unite physically and communicate freely.