This would be especially useful for the best students that are clearly on a track toward an academic career. Several faculty asked me how additional contacts and interactions with US investigators could be accomplished. I emphasized that this requires personal contact and, under the best circumstances, collaborations. I repeated how much I enjoyed my own collaboration with Prof. Minamikawa and his students and emphasized my belief that many other US investigators would benefit and appreciate similar opportunities. Support for collaborations is available from both Monbusho and the National Science Foundation.
Funds are available to support the visits of American students to Japan.
I believe that American students would benefit from the opportunity to visit Japan and I have urged the faculty that I met to make the effort to suggest that American students visit their laboratories to their colleagues at US universities. Although most of my time was used for professional activities, I did have the chance to use a weekend for tourist activities. I visited Nara and Kyoto for the first time with Professor Minamikawa on September 27 and 28, 1997. These are wonderful places that I have long wished to visit. During the fellowship period I extended the research that was in progress as a collaboration between Dr. Minamikawas laboratory at Tokyo Metropolitan University and my laboratory at Beltsville.