UNIVERISITY PARK, Pa. — Three Penn State undergraduate students majoring in material sciences and engineering were selected to participate in the Tohoku University STEM Research Internship Program, known as T-SRIP, located at Tohoku University in Japan. In this six-week program, students gained hands-on experience working in assigned labs based on their preferences. At the conclusion of the program, students compiled the results of their research into a final presentation.
The Penn State-Tohoku University partnership
Tohoku University and Penn State have a longstanding partnership spanning nearly four decades, strengthened by the contributions of several Penn State alumni who served as faculty advocates at Tohoku University. The partnership encompasses student mobility, collaborative research and academic initiatives, as well as visits. Lee Kump, former dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, led the 2024 Penn State delegation visit to Tohoku University.
Tohoku University, located in northeastern Japan, was established in 1907 and is the third-oldest national university in Japan. The Times Higher Education ranked Tohoku University as Japan's top university, and, in 2023, the university was selected by the Japanese government as a University for International Research Excellence.
Over the past decade, Tohoku University and Penn State have maintained a strong and balanced student exchange partnership, with 39 students participating in total, including 19 Tohoku students studying at Penn State and 20 Penn State students studying at Tohoku. Additionally, 25 Penn State students have participated in various summer internship programs at Tohoku University since 2016. This mature and multifaceted partnership encompasses significant engagement in student mobility, collaborative research, and academic and educational initiatives. The partnership is further strengthened by visits, including the
Tohoku University STEM Research Internship Program
T-SRIP provided an opportunity for students to delve deeper into their field of study, participants said.
"The T-SRIP program was critical to my academic development,” said Conor McDonnell, a junior who participated in T-SRIP. “The research I conducted was directly related to what I study in my materials science classes and was a great opportunity to apply what I have learned in class to real-world experience.”
Penn State senior Xena Ahluwalia recalled how the program developed more than just her research skills.
“Being trusted to run experiments independently pushed me to become more confident in my technical abilities, and navigating a lab where English was not the primary language taught me how to communicate effectively despite barriers, a skill I know will be valuable no matter where my career takes me,” Ahluwalia said.
In addition to research experience, T-SRIP also offered opportunities for students to explore Japanese culture. Students participated in field trips, language classes and cultural activities such as flower arranging.
“One of the most memorable experiences was visiting Yamadera Temple in Yamagata with the T-SRIP team,” Ahluwalia said. “Climbing the thousand stone steps up the mountain, surrounded by dense forest and views of the valleys below, felt like a journey in itself. It gave me a real appreciation for how tradition and nature are woven together in Japanese culture.”