During the past four years, I have enrolled in Global Resource Management (GRM) Program at Doshisha University. I have learned and gained many valuable knowledge and experiences to grow as a good researcher who is well-rounded and challenged not only academic matter but social. In the engineering aspect, the sole scientific principle may not answer on the sustainable research and development, the horizontal view enhances and accomplishes the real and practical solution. The Ph.D. study can make me as a specialist in the field of an engineer, however, for working in the society, the skill of generalist is essentials, in which GRM Program has provided the necessary skills and abilities as the necessary tools for my future career. Through the classes and activities in GRM Program, I have been given the valuable opportunity to gain and attend an interdisciplinary environment.

The first GRM activity I joined was the Joint Fieldwork in Kyushu with other Leading Graduate Schools from Kyushu University and Hiroshima University. In this fieldwork, it was the first chance in my life to be able to discuss and team up with other students who come from a different academic background and interested. The theme of fieldwork is about the geothermal energy in the Kyushu region, in which Japan is very rich on geothermal resource and has been utilizing it for more than century as many purposes. The fieldwork contributes the aspect of both sides on engineering and social sciences on enhancing the geothermal energy utilization. Other Leading Graduate Schools have their object of study with the main part is similarly with GRM Program on the resource and environment management but different in details, which by sharing the knowledge on each school helps every student to see and notice on the program’s achievement. The students were grouped and work together to apply the method of geothermal energy usage in other different countries by using the information gained in Kyushu Area. Our group choose Indonesia to research on because of its rich on the geothermal resource and apply the knowledge of geothermal energy in Kyushu to plan and purpose to use geothermal as the primary energy in Indonesia. The group work was indeed a success; we concluded many aspects concerned in our work. Importantly, I could see the potential to extend to use the geothermal resource in energy power generation. After the first fieldwork, I got many chances to visit Kyushu again through the GRM activities and classes to study on geothermal energy, which I used that opportunities to gain further knowledge of geothermal energy generation. It is an inspiration and contribute to the interdisciplinary studies to approach one of my research topic on the low-temperature geothermal, and includes on my Ph.D. thesis. Furthermore, two academic papers related to this research were published.

As a student from Science and Engineering major, the classes in Global Studies field are required to complete, which are very useful for me to understand the concept and methodology in social science. GRM Program offers a student to choose the subject on their interest freely. I took various subjects from the introduction class in Global Studies to the peacebuilding subject. The subjects were not familiar with my background, but I have enjoyed learning and understanding more and more about the society. Besides on the issue of Global Studies, I took the class on career design; the class provided the lectures and seminars to help me understand myself and remind on what I want to do after my graduation, which I got the meaningful answer.

The Joint Seminar classes (I and II) bring students to take the role in the different field integrated to simulate and solve the circumstantial in the existing problems on resource management issues. At the very first classes, professors and scholars whom experts with the issues were invited to give the lectures to give the student the initial idea and remarkable points on the specific issues. The theme study of the group work in Joint Seminar classes are various interesting, included energy-water nexus, infrastructure problems in developing countries and oil business in Africa. Among students in the group, we can share our knowledge to discuss liberally in the role we assigned and conclude them to achieve the group’s assignment. After the conclusion in a final presentation on group work, the open discussion was held with various perspective from students and professors. The contribution of Joint Seminar classes helps me improve myself on the understanding in a real situation, which can be applied for my future study and career.

The Onsite Practice classes were conducted to see and learn in the real place and situation. Onsite Practice I was based on the topic of Science and Engineering, other GRM students and I traveled to Miyako Island, the isolated island in the Okinawa region. Due to the location of Miyako Island that out of energy grid, the main energy of the island is from the oil imported from the mainland (Kyushu region). The other renewable energy resources were introduced to the island for periods. However, the further resources and methods are strongly required. Moreover, the water source for the islander is stored in the underground dam, which from the rainwater. We have learned to and suggest a novel strategy to improve Miyako Island in term of energy generation and water management. We got the opportunity to present our idea directly to the local government, which is a good experience for me.

For the Onsite Practice II in the field of Global studies, we traveled to Slovenia and Germany for a study on the issue of refugees in EU. Series of discussions and lectures were held for discussion between our group from GRM Program and professors, scholars, politician, NGOs, and parliaments in both countries. It was truly wonderful study trip for me to learn and discuss with a big person of the country and to listen on the sincere words of the problem. I got interested in Slovenia’s energy situation that it lacks natural resource to produce electric energy and mostly depends on imported in EU. I have concluded and published in the “Journal for Information, Study, and Discussion of Global Resource Management, Doshisha University” as a research note.

GRM Program provided me the opportunity for my future career as the internship. I went back to Thailand for the three weeks internship as a Research and Development division, Daikin Industries (Thailand) Ltd. (DIT) I have learned the real work environment as engineering; I can realize that the research proposal in university and industrial has some different, research for education and profit. It was found that many things I must learn to be growing as good engineering who works in real-world industry. This internship brought me a chance to work with Daikin after I graduate.

My last activity in GRM Program was the GRM Student Project, other two students from GS (Yan Chen and Mostafa Khalili) and I submitted the proposal and be granted to research on Xayaburi Dam in Mekong Basin, which Mekong river is the primary water and environment resources for millions of people in Southeast Asia. However, the new plan to develop water power generation or Xayaburi dam direct effects on the fishery in Mekong river and agriculture in the river bank. As the current 80 % of the dam’s construction, we went to the field and interview with local peoples to see how the situation goes. This trip was unlike the other trips or activities I have joined during in GRM Program because of that we have to plan and conduct every part of the project ourselves, from the budget management to the report writing. Not only the study trip itself is interesting but the working process makes the study trip precious. We learn the management process through this study trip. Furthermore, for myself as a student from the science field can learn many things from the group members, such as research method and other matters on social science study. It can break the wall of my study; I inevitably use this experience in my future.

As conclusion, I can say that the GRM Program is the opportunity for me. If only study in mere Ph.D. course, I may gain much knowledge for only my field, but GRM Program can bring me the see the world, to face the problem and to grow in the society. Every knowledge and experience in this four years can be integrated and send me to the success.