Mary Gilmore, Staff Writer
Last Friday, Feb. 28, Tokyo Metropolitan University (TMU) visited SUNY Oneonta to discuss their exchange partnership with the school. Akiko Asada and Adam Weitmier are two neuroscientists who teach and spoke on behalf of the esteemed university. They explained how this partnership can benefit undergraduate and graduate students studying biology.
The partnership began when Dr. Kiyoko Yokota of Oneonta wanted to take her students to the islands of Tokyo for research. Through this trip, she connected with professors from TMU and created a research project combining students from TMU and Oneonta. She became friends with the head of Global Engagement at TMU, Takaya Ohashi, who ended up becoming the president of TMU in 2021. As the president, Ohashi used his connection with Yokota to create an International Education Biology Partnership.
TMU is a public research university which offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD degrees in Hachioji. They begin their first semester in April and end in September. Their second semester begins in October and ends in February. They currently have 9,056 students with 545 international students. There are 372 students in their biology department, 34 of whom are international students.
TMU has fifteen labs that specialize in different aspects of biology. Each of these labs fit a students’ different interests within the field of biology. This includes systematic botany, cellular genetics, plant environmental responses, and many more. The neurobiology lab, run by Adam Weitmier, has recently done experiments with mutant mice to understand the presence of specific genes that produce serotonin on depression levels.
On top of learning and studying in classrooms, students have the opportunity to learn how to conduct research in the field. Field experience is conducted in Aizu, Fukushima, Tateyama, Chiba, and Yanbaru in Okinawa. Other research and experience may be done on the islands of Tokyo.
For those achieving higher education, there is a Master’s and PhD Tokyo Global Partnership Program. This program can help cover international airfare, tuition, and provide a monthly stipend for those who are accepted.
For undergraduate students, not only is there an average semester abroad, but they also have access to the TMU Internship Support Program (SATOMU). This program is for juniors and seniors who want to join a biology lab for one month. There is financial aid availability to those who apply to this program. The applications for this program are currently open.
Biology students from SUNY Oneonta are encouraged to check out TMU as a study abroad option. The close ties between SUNY Oneonta and TMU allow students to still graduate in four years, without losing any progress while abroad. If you’re a biology student looking for an amazing experience, definitely consider TMU.
The entire biology department is an English-established program, so no Japanese is required. If a student is interested in any of these labs, they are urged to contact the lab head Dr. Kiyoko Yokota through email or talk with the SUNY Oneonta Office of Global Education to get approval.
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