Report of Student Exchange Program in Kobe University, Japan“Education of Global Medical and Health Science Leaders in the Coming Generation in
Cooperation and Collaboration with ASEAN Countries Project”
Period : October 1, 2013 – March 31, 2014
Rury Mega Wahyuni - Master Student of Airlangga University, Indonesia
I’m so glad that I had opportunity to study as an exchange student in Kobe University,
Japan for one semester (6 months). I felt have a great time to stay here, because I got great
experiences to study in Japan especially in Kobe University, I could meet many new friends,
learn many various experience of life in several aspects in this country. This report is about
my acivities during study at Kobe University conducting short experiments at Division ofInfectious Diseases Pathology Laboratory under Prof. Yoshitake Hayashi.
Besides research acivities, I had to attend Microbiology and Infectious Diseases class formaster student during 3 months and also follow Japanese Language and Culture Class.
Infectious Diseases of Pathology Laboratory
Infectious Diseases of Pathology Laboratory is located at Okurayama Campus “CBuilding, 3rd floor” of Kobe University. This laboratory is led by Prof. Yoshitake Hayashiand Dr. Yoshihiko Yano is as Associate Professors. There are many international student tostudy here, some of them comes from Indonesia , China and Mongolia. They were kind PhD
student, always help me and teach me during study here. Every Wednesday we have progress
report with Dr. Yoshihiko Yano as Associate Proffesor to discussion and report the result ofresearch that we did. And there was Research Talk held every Thursday with Prof. Yoshitake
Hayashi and every student must be presentation about their research.

Students of Infectious Disease Pathology Lab

Welcome party for new students

Regarding my research, in this laboratory I did research about hepatitis B virus mutation
among advanced liver diseases patients in Indonesia which I brought the samples fromIndonesia with MTA (Material Transfer Agreement). Purpose of my study was to analysis of
HBV genomic mutation in the core and X region and Phylogenetics Analysis. So, I did PCR(Polymerase Chain Reaction) here with spesific primers for X and Core region. And frompositive samples continued to sequencing DNA was performed in an ABI PRISM 3100-Avant
genetic analyzer (Appied Biosystems). To determine the presence of mutations, the sequences

obtained from each region will be alligned with reference sequences and retrived from DNA
GenBank databases, as well as with the sequences described in a previous report. Also makephylogenetic tree from S region. The students in this laboratory were very kind help to teachme how to analysis the HBV mutation because it was first time to me. In this laboratory, I got
new experience not only about skills in laboratory but also got new knowledge about how toanalyze the results and make a interesting study.

My research activities in laboratoryPhD student from Indonesia teach me how toanalyze HBV mutations using GENETYX

Discussion with Dr. Yoshihiko Yano

Microbiology and Infectious Diseases ClassAs an exchange student in the transfer credit programs, I must attend class of Microbiology
and Infectious Diseases for master student. This class is under Prof. Hak Hotta. Every
Thursday, once a week I attend this class for 3 months.
Many lecturer gave the lecture in this class. Such lecture was interesting for me, talk about
Hepatitis, HIV, Influenza, Paramyxovirus, Helycobacter pylory disease, Malaria, and manykind of infectious diseases. Eventhough this class used Japanese language and I little bit
dificult to understand Japanese language but the slides of lecture were written English inlecture, some lecturer was speak English language.

Japanese Language and Culture Class
During 6 months, we must attend in Japanese Language and Culture Class under Prof.
Satoshi Terao and Miyako Kiso as Assistant. I attended Japanese Languange and Culture withother international student, 2 students from University of Indonesia (one as PhD student andthe other one as exchange student) and also there are other students from Airlangga
University, Indonesia and from Thailand but their exchange program for only one months.
Terao and Kiso sensei, not only teach about Japanese languange but they also take us to visit
the Rokkodai (Main) campus of the Kobe University that located in Rokko mountain whenautumn season and I’m so happy because it was beautiful campus. From I followed this class,
I felt that my Japanese language has been improve and it was useful to stay for six month inJapan.

Japanese languange and culture class

Visiting the Rokko campus of Kobe University

Farewell party for students

Maguro Festa Tour and Sushi Class
Besides study, I was so lucky because on November 1st, Faculty of Medicine Kobe
University has program for Foreign student. This event for introducing about Japaneseculture about the method of cutting Maguro fish, visit the fish market and class of how tomake a sushi. I was excited to join this event, now I know that for cutting the maguro fishthat needed person have special skills. And I had experience to make sushi. It was great.

Before I came to Japan, I don’t like to eat sushi but after this event, suprisingly I become loveeating sushi so much.

Special person to cut maguro fish

Sushi class with other foreign student

Kobe city sightseeing
Besides research and lecture activities, on the weekend I enjoyed sightseeing this city. I reallylike to stay in Kobe because beautiful city and I felt peaceful. I went to Kobe Harborland,Sannomiya, Motomachi, and many places in Kobe with my friends. My favourite is Kobe
Harborland especially the view at the night. On December, I got chances to saw Kobe
Luminarie. It is a light festival held in Kobe every December to memorate the Great HanshinEarthquake.
I think study in Japan for 6 months (from October to March). It was good time (not too shortor too long) and I felt four season in Japan. First I came here, it was still little summer. End ofOctober to November is autumn season. It was beautiful and I enjoyed to see the red leaves.
Then, after autumn season it becomes to winter season. I felt so lucky because in winterseason this year, Kobe had heavy snow. Because I heard, usually this city rarely has heavy
snow but this year, I was lucky. And end of March before I return to Indonesia, I enjoyedplum blossom with my friends. It was great experiences.

Plum blossom

Snow while on my way to Kobe UniversityKobe Harborland

Kobe LuminarieConclusion
I felt it was a great experiences to stay and study in Kobe, Japan for 6 months. I reallyenjoyed stay and study here. This exchange student program gave me many new knowledge
and experiences for me. Thank you very much for this program to give me opportunity tostudy here and I believe this knowledge that useful for my future especially for my study as
master student.