4月を迎え、2024年度がスタートしました。福山大学でも先日入学式があり、新1年生を迎えたところです。そんな中、海洋生物科学科では1年生以外にも新たな仲間が加わりました。それも日本をぐるりと回った地球の反対側、ブラジルから留学生が来てくれました。そのお知らせが海洋生物科学科の有瀧教授から届きましたので、同学科学長室ブログ委員の阪本が紹介します。

ブラジルから

その話は突然でした。昨年9月のある日、伊丹副学長から太田健吾教授と私にメールが届きました。内容は、「ブラジルのサンパウロ州立パウリスタ大学を卒業した男の子が日本、それも福山大学の海洋生物科学科で学びたいと言っています。希望は画像をＡＩで解析することによって、養殖対象魚種や観賞魚の飼育技術のＤＸ化を測りたいとのことです。素晴らしい研究フィールドである因島キャンパス、それも増養殖分野の教育・技術開発を進めている沿岸資源培養学研究室でぜひ、受け入れてもらえないか」ということでした。薮から棒に留学生をと言われても、言葉の問題や受け入れ体制などどうなるのだろう、という不安が頭をよぎりました。でも以前から、太田教授と研究室の運営は「できる限り、外部の組織や人材との関わりを持ち、常に学生に刺激のある活動をしていく」ことを大きなテーマとしていました。言葉や生活習慣の異なる外国の留学生の受け入れは、研究室の学生たちにとって最大規模の大きな「刺激」になりそうです。何より、われわれ教員にとっても「楽しく、チャレンジング」な経験だとの判断（あまり深く考えない二人なので）から、この話をお受けすることになりました。

Mr. UNE FERNANDES, CRYSTIAN AKIRA

その後、留学を希望するのはブラジル国籍のUNE FERNANDES, CRYSTIAN AKIRA（以降は宇根）さんであることも明らかとなりました。とんとん拍子（というわけでもありませんが）で話が進み、9月末には書類をブラジルの日本大使館に提出し、2024年2月に留学が決定しました。心配していた言葉の問題もオンラインで宇根さんと面談した際、実は14歳まで日本の静岡で暮らしていたこと、お母さんは日系ブラジル人であることなどもわかり、会話は我々の日本語より堪能で、一気に我々の気持ちも穏やかになりました。私も太田教授も日本語はバイリンガル以上（生まれた地の大阪弁や伊勢弁、勤務地の岩手弁、広島弁に長崎弁などなど）なのですが、外国語（それもブラジルはポルトガル語）となるといささか（かなり）心穏やかならぬものがありましたので、何よりです。

それから数ヶ月、4月3日に地球の裏側から丸一日以上かけて宇根さんは日本に無事到着しました。4月5日には国際センターの趙　建紅先生が引率されて、初めて福山大学に足を運んでくれました。

UNE FERNANDES, CRYSTIAN AKIRA（宇根さん）

お昼過ぎに宇根さんと待ち合わせたあと、お世話になる工学部・生命工学部事務室や国際交流課、学生課、教務課に顔見せと挨拶廻りを済ませ、学内で最も大事な食堂や大学売店の場所も覚えてもらいました。宇根さんに福山大学の第一印象を聞いたところ、まず「ほぼ満開の桜に迎えられ、とても感動した」こと、それと「キャンパスがとても広くて、自然豊かな上、学生たちが伸び伸びと楽しそうに歩いている」ことが記憶に残ったとのことでした。

満開の桜🌸と宇根さん

その後、伊丹副学長から大塚学長への面談を手配していただいたので、関係者ともどもご挨拶を兼ねて学長室を訪問ました。大塚学長からは「遠くの国から福山大学へようこそ。国際交流の発展・充実のためにも、本学で実りの多い時間を過ごしてください」とのお言葉をいただき、宇根さんからも「海洋生物科学科が持つ特性、特にほかの大学にはない因島キャンパスの施設を活用して、学びを深めていきたい」との返答がありました。

学長室にて

記念撮影

宇根さんは4月8日から、早速因島キャンパスに通学します。ブラジルとは全く異なる「瀬戸内の里海」を目の前にして、どんなことに着目し、何に興味を持ちながら研究を進めていくのか。まずは半年間研究生としてベースの部分を固め、9月には大学院に入学して本格的な学びの時間を築いていくことになります。海洋生物科学科、沿岸資源培養学研究室の教員・学生はそれを楽しみにしながら、彼をサポートしていきます。お互い実り多い時間を持てること、期待しております。皆さん、どうぞ宇根さんをよろしく！！

【English Ver.】

A new research student  joins the Department of Marine Bio-Science from Brazil!!

〜UNE FERNANDES, CRYSTIAN AKIRA arrives in Japan〜

In April, the fiscal year of 2024 begins. Just recently, there was an entrance ceremony here at Fukuyama University, where we welcomed new students. Among them, there are new additions to the Marine Biology Department apart from just the freshmen. Specifically, we have a new research student joining us all the way from Brazil, so let me introduce him to you.

The whole thing came about quite suddenly.  In September last year, Vice President Itami sent an email to Professor Ota and me. The email stated that “A young man who graduated from São Paulo State University in Brazil expressed his desire to study in Japan, particularly at Department of Marine Bio-Science, Fukuyama University. His interest lies in using AI to analyze images and aims to advance the digitalization of aquaculture target species and ornamental fish breeding techniques. Could we accommodate him at the Coastal Fish Stock Enhancement and Aquaculture Lab,  which is known for its excellent research field on the island campus of Innoshima, especially in the area of increased cultivation education and technological development?” When we were asked to accept an international student out of the blue, concerns about language barriers and accommodation arrangements naturally crossed our minds. However, Professor Ota and I have always considered fostering interactions with external organizations and individuals as important and providing students with stimulating activities as a major theme in lab management. Welcoming a foreign exchange student, with all the language and cultural differences it entails, seemed like a very significant “stimulus” for our students. Moreover, considering it as an “enjoyable and challenging” experience from the perspective of  faculty members (since we tend not to dwell too deeply on things), we decided to accept the proposal.

Later on, it became apparent that the student wishing to study abroad was UNE FERNANDES, Crystian  Akira (hereafter referred to as Akira) from Brazil. Things progressed smoothly (though not entirely without hiccups), and by the end of September, we had submitted the necessary documents to the Japanese Embassy in Brazil, and his study abroad was confirmed for February 2024. When we had an online interview with Akira, we found out that he had actually lived in Shizuoka, Japan until he was 14 years old, and his mother is of Japanese-Brazilian descent. This revelation eased our worries about language barriers, and since Akira was proficient in Japanese even beyond our expectations, both Professor Ota and I, being bilingual in Japanese (including various dialects) but feeling somewhat uneasy when it comes to other foreign languages (especially Portuguese, as Brazil is primarily Portuguese-speaking), were relieved.

A few months later, on April 3rd, Akira safely arrived in Japan after more than a day of travel from the other side of the globe. On April 5th, accompanied by Associate Professor Zhao Jianhong from the International Center, he visited Fukuyama University for the first time (Photo 1). After meeting Akira that afternoon, we took him around the offices of the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Life Sciences, the International Affairs Office, the Student Affairs Office, and the Academic Affairs Office to introduce him. He also got familiar with the most important places on campus, such as the university cafeteria and the bookstore. When asked about his first impression of Fukuyama University, Akira mentioned being welcomed by “nearly full-bloom cherry blossoms, which was very moving (Photo 2),” and also that “the campus is spacious and rich in nature, and the students seem to be enjoying themselves as they walk around,” which left a lasting impression on him.

Later on, Vice President Itami arranged a meeting with President Otsuka for us, so we visited the President’s office along with other officials to pay our respects and discuss matters. President Otsuka expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you very much for choosing Fukuyama University among the many universities in Japan. We hope that you will spend fulfilling time here while also engaging in international exchange.” Akira responded by expressing his desire to utilize the unique facilities of the Innoshima campus and deepen his learning, especially in line with the characteristics of the Marine Science Department (Photos 3, 4).

Starting from April 8th, Akira will begin attending classes at the Innoshima campus. Facing the Seto Inland Sea, vastly different from Brazil, we wonder what aspects he will focus on and what he will be interested in as he progresses in his research. Initially, he will spend six months solidifying the basics as a research student, and from September, he will enter the graduate school to pursue more advanced studies. The faculty and students of the Department of Marine Bio-Science and the Coastal Fish Stock Enhancement and Aquaculture Lab,  look forward to supporting him while anticipating fruitful outcomes. Let’s make this a mutually enriching experience. Everyone, please support Akira!

【ポルトガル語訳】

O Centro de Biologia Marinha da Universidade de Fukuyama recebeu recentemente um novo membro do Brasil. Chama-se Crystian Une e é um estudante bolsista do governo japonês (MEXT). Ele morou no Japão até aos 14 anos de idade antes de regressar ao Brasil onde cursou engenharia biotecnológica na UNESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista). Ele foi professor de língua japonesa no Brasil e é muito fluente em japonês. No outono, fará a pós-graduação na Universidade de Fukuyama onde irá pesquisar sobre a ecologia comportamental de organismos marinhos utilizando IA. Quando perguntamos sobre a sua primeira impressão sobre a Universidade de Fukuyama, respondeu: “Fiquei impressionado com as belas flores da cerejeira. O campus é muito espaçoso e rico em natureza e os estudantes parecem bem descontraídos e felizes”. Também juntamente com os professores, visitou a reitoria onde teve oportunidade de conhecer o reitor da universidade, Doutor Yutaka Otsuka.

Todos desejamos que tenha um bom proveito durante a estadia na Universidade de Fukuyama.

学長から一言：ブラジルから来学のウネ・フェルナンデスさん、福山大学へようこそ！　漢字表記すれば宇根さんとなる日系の留学生さん。大学院で魚の飼育技術のＤＸ化を究めたいという希望であれば、本学の因島キャンパスは環境、設備、そして指導体制から言って、おそらく国内ではトップクラスの留学先でしょう。日本語も全く問題なく、大きな成果が期待できそうです。大いに頑張って下さい。