g-RIPS-Sendaiプログラムは、UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles)のIPAM (Institute for Pure & Applied Mathematics)との協力により、2018年より日本でも東北大学を会場として開催しているもので、パートナー企業から提供された数理課題にアメリカと日本からの参加者がグループとなって集中的に取り組み、解決に至る道筋を学ぶ国際インターンシッププログラムです。IPAMが実施しているプログラムの全体像についてはIPAMのページをご覧下さい。2022年度は下記のような内容で実施しました。
日本電気株式会社
Application of annealing machines to production planning optimization
生産ラインにおける多品種少量随時変化の需要に対応する組み合わせ最適化問題に対するアニーリングマシンの活用 プロジェクト内容 最終報告会プレゼンテーション資料
筑波大学F-MIRAI
Mathematical approaches for mobility services in suburban areas
郊外地域におけるスマートシティ実現のための次世代モビリティサービスに対する数学的手法の構築 プロジェクト内容 最終報告会プレゼンテーション資料
I had a lot of fun during this summer program. I learned a decent amount of new mathematics and I learned a lot about the Japanese language and culture. I felt like I made a lot of good friends and that the experience of working on the industrial project with Mitsubishi will be helpful going forward. The Japanese students and mentors that I worked with were all nice, insightful and knowledgeable. One great cultural experience was the time that I went to the Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo with some friends. At that time there was a small summer fair, we all rented Yukatas (traditional Japanese robes) and then walked around the temple area and checked out the games and snacks at all the different stalls. The Asakusa summer festival was so beautiful and so unlike anything I had experienced in America -- it was an unforgettable summer day for me. I want to go back to Japan and see all of those friends again someday. On the research side, towards the end of the summer we were all trying to implement a new algorithm to solve our problem and we just could not get it to work. We kept going back and forth and trying all sorts of things to get this one important piece of our project working in the very last week. We managed to solve the problem in the end and in the process, we came up with a new idea that was impressive to our academic and industrial mentors. Maybe it sounds like a stressful experience, but really it was exciting to be able to rise to that challenge as a team. I am so grateful to have had the chance to attend, and I strongly recommend this program to people who have an interest both in cross cultural experiences and industrial research.
g-RIPS Sendai at Tohoku University is a great opportunity for graduate students to work on interesting problems whose solutions will benefit humanity. As a mathematics graduate student, I had the chance to apply the skills I learned in my studies and get hands-on experience working with a team on a real industry project. I had access to both industry and academic resources, as well as the ideas of a diverse group of graduate students from both Japan and the United States. We had a balanced work schedule, which included interesting seminars and social opportunities. Students enjoyed Japanese language and culture lessons on a weekly basis. The professors, supporting staff and students from Tohoku were welcoming and proactive towards both our work and personal needs. Every day we got to enjoy a beautiful city, delicious food, interesting work, and private accommodations, while weekends were free for us to explore Sendai and the surrounding area via the amazing Japanese transportation network. This experience gave me a taste for an industry project, and more. It helped me to see my academic knowledge through an applied lens, taught me to work with a team, and expanded my professional and social networks. It also allowed me to explore a beautiful country and interact with friendly people, who were patient to communicate with someone of limited Japanese. At g-RIPS Sendai, I learned new skills, increased my cultural sensitivity, and made real friends.