Student Report: Study Abroad - IMDEA Energy Institute (Mr. Kohei Ishigami)

Mr. Ishigami (石神 航平) (1st year of doctoral program) spent two months in the laboratory of Dr. Rebecca Marcilla at the IMDEA Energy Institute, where he conducted research and acquired hands-on expertise in zinc redox flow batteries (RFBs) and membrane-free RFBs.
*Please note that the original report submitted by the student is written in Japanese. The English translation is provided for reference purposes only.

Visiting Institution
滞在先・機関

IMDEA Energy Institute (Spain) /IMDEA エネルギー研究所（スペイン）

Period of Stay
滞在期間

From September 18, 2025 to October 21, 2025

Impressions of the Host Institution and Environment/ Differences from Japan
滞在先の印象・日本との違い

今回の滞在を通じて、研究環境や日常生活の面で日本とのさまざまな違いを体感しました。特に印象的だったのは、研究所の文化として毎日11時に必ず設けられる「コーヒーブレイク」です。スペインでは、この時間は研究の手を止めて研究員同士の交流の時間とされており、オンとオフの切り替えが非常に明確でした。その結果、限られた作業時間の中で効率的にタスクをこなす姿勢が求められ、自分自身の時間の使い方を見直す良いきっかけとなりました。生活面では、公共交通機関の使い方に戸惑うこともありました。特に、ストライキや道路工事などにより突然バスのルートが変わることがあり、掲示は現地のバス停にある紙一枚だけ、ということも珍しくありません。事前に知る術がなく、日が昇る前から現地の方々と一緒に「来ないバス」を待った経験も印象に残っています。日本との違いを実感しながら、徐々に現地のスタイルに適応することができました。

Through this stay, I experienced various differences between Japan and my host country, both in terms of the research environment and daily life. One particularly striking aspect was the institute’s culture of a daily “coffee break” held at 11 a.m. In Spain, this time is set aside for researchers to pause their work and interact with one another, creating a clear distinction between work and rest. As a result, there is an expectation to complete tasks efficiently within limited working hours, which prompted me to reflect on how I manage my own time. In terms of daily life, I sometimes found it challenging to navigate public transportation. In particular, bus routes could change abruptly due to strikes or road construction, and notices were often limited to a single sheet of paper posted at the bus stop. With no way to know in advance, one memorable experience was waiting with locals for a bus that never arrived before sunrise. While recognizing these differences from Japan, I gradually adapted to the local way of life.

My Experiences During the Program
滞在先での体験談

滞在中は、日々スペイン語や英語が飛び交う環境で、最初は会話に入ることすら難しいと感じる場面も多くありました。しかし、現地の皆さんは、私の拙い表現にも耳を傾け、ゆっくりと丁寧に話してくださるなど、コミュニケーションを助けてくれる姿勢がとてもありがたかったです。英会話に対して強い苦手意識を持っていた私にとって、何気ない日常の会話に加わり、冗談が通じて笑ってもらえたことは大きな自信につながりました。自分の専門分野に関する内容では特にやりとりの手応えがあり、英語で議論することへの抵抗感が次第に薄れていくのを感じました。言葉の壁に挑むことは想像以上に大変でしたが、それだけに、乗り越えた経験は今後の大きな糧になると感じています。

During my stay, I was immersed in an environment where Spanish and English were constantly spoken, and at first, I often found it difficult even to join conversations. However, I was very grateful that the people there were willing to listen to my imperfect expressions in English and made an effort to speak slowly and clearly, helping facilitate communication. For me, having had a strong sense of difficulty with spoken English, being able to take part in casual daily conversations and even share jokes that made others laugh gave me a great deal of confidence. I felt especially comfortable when discussing topics related to my field of expertise, and I gradually noticed my resistance to engaging in discussions in English begin to fade. Although overcoming the language barrier was more challenging than I had expected, I believe that this experience will become a valuable asset for my future.

What I Gained from the Experience for My Future Career
滞在して良かったと思う点・今後に活かせると思う点

今回の滞在で最も大きな収穫は、英語に対する心理的なハードルが大きく下がったことです。これまで私は英語に対して強い苦手意識を持っており、自分が海外渡航をすることなど想像もしていませんでした。しかし今回、たとえ拙い表現であっても「相手に伝わる」という経験を重ねたことで、完璧な文法や語彙の選択にこだわるのではなく、「まずは伝えることを恐れずに話してみる」という前向きな姿勢を自然と身につけることができました。また、異なる文化圏における研究スタイルや価値観に触れたことで、自分の視野が広がったことも大きな収穫です。限られた時間の中で仕事を進めるための計画性や、日々の小さな違いへの柔軟な対応力など、研究以外の面でも多くの学びがありました。これらの経験を通じて、今後の研究活動や日常生活においても、「柔軟に考える力」や「環境に適応する力」を活かしていきたいと考えています。 研究面では、IMDEA Energy Instituteにおいて、10LスケールでのRFB運転を想定した大型設備など、普段自分の所属研究室では見る機会のないスケールや分野横断的な装置を見学することができました。数10mL単位での評価が中心の自分にとっては、そのスケール感の違いに驚かされました。加えて、装置構成や電気化学測定の取り組み方が異なる点も興味深く、研究分野が近くてもアプローチや優先順位は多様であるということを実感しました。

The most significant outcome of this stay was that my psychological barrier toward English was greatly reduced. Previously, I had a strong sense of difficulty with English and had never imagined myself traveling abroad. However, through repeated experiences of being able to communicate—even with imperfect English expressions—I gradually learned to focus less on perfect grammar and vocabulary and instead adopt a more positive attitude of speaking without fear and prioritizing communication.
Another major takeaway was the broadening of my perspective through exposure to different research styles and values in a different cultural context. I gained many insights not only in research but also in areas such as planning work efficiently within limited time and responding flexibly to small, everyday differences. Through these experiences, I hope to apply both flexible thinking and adaptability in my future research activities and daily life. From a research perspective, at IMDEA Energy Institute, I had the opportunity to observe large-scale facilities designed for operating redox flow batteries (RFBs) at the 10-liter scale, as well as interdisciplinary equipment that I would not normally encounter in my home laboratory. Since my own work primarily involves evaluations at the scale of several tens of milliliters, I was struck by the difference in scale. In addition, I found it interesting that the approaches to system design and electrochemical measurements differed, which made me realize that even within closely related research fields, there can be considerable diversity in methodologies and priorities.

Other Comments or Reflections
その他

今回の滞在を通じて、これまで自分の中で大きな壁だと感じていた英語に対する見方が大きく変わりました。特に語学に強いわけではない自分が、現地での研究生活や日常会話の中で少しずつ意思疎通できるようになった経験は、自信にもつながり、今後の人生の選択肢を広げてくれる貴重な体験だったと感じています。英語や異文化に不安を感じている人こそ、こうした海外での研究滞在を経験することで、価値観が大きく変わることがあります。「完璧でなくても伝えようとすれば伝わる」ことを肌で感じられたのは、非常に励みになりました。このような貴重な機会をいただけたのは、指導教員の小柳津先生をはじめ、滞在先で受け入れてくださったIMDEA Energy InstituteのMarcilla先生、日々の研究を支えてくれた両国のラボメンバー、そして今回の渡航を支援してくださったSGUナノ・エネルギー拠点のご支援のおかげです。心より感謝申し上げます。

Through this stay, my perspective on English—something I had long perceived as a major barrier—changed significantly. Although I have never considered myself particularly strong in languages, the experience of gradually being able to communicate in both research and daily life at my host institution gave me confidence and broadened my future possibilities. I feel that this was an invaluable experience that will expand my choices in life going forward. For those who feel anxious about English or different cultures, I believe that participating in an overseas research stay like this can greatly transform one’s perspective. Experiencing firsthand that “even if it’s not perfect, your message can still come across if you try” was incredibly encouraging.

This valuable opportunity was made possible by the support of my supervisor, Professor Oyaizu, Dr. Marcilla at IMDEA Energy Institute for hosting me, the laboratory members in both countries who supported my daily research activities, and the TGU Unit for Energy and Nanomaterials for funding this stay. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of them.