Dr. Fengyu Wang – Alumni Voice

Manager of Advanced Technology Development
Hezhong Environmental Technology, Co., Ltd., China

During my master's and doctoral studies, my research focused primarily on experimental work involving microbial fuel cells and the antioxidant capacity of activated sludge. The research skills I developed in the Fujita Laboratory—including identifying research questions, reviewing the literature, exploring possible solutions, designing and conducting experiments, analyzing data, preparing academic papers and technical reports, and presenting research findings—have provided a strong foundation for my current work in technology development.

In particular, several skills whose importance I did not fully appreciate as a student have proven extremely valuable in my professional career: presentation skills, the perseverance to tackle difficult problems, Japanese-language proficiency, and the communication skills I developed both inside and outside the laboratory, particularly through after-hours social gatherings.

To current and future students, I would encourage you to take an interest not only in your own research topic but also in the work being carried out around you. In your future career, you may find yourself dealing with a wide range of challenges, including on-site wastewater treatment systems, anaerobic treatment, activated sludge models (ASM), anammox, landfill leachate, and combined sewer overflows. A broad knowledge of these areas will undoubtedly become a valuable asset.

Regardless of when AGI arrives, the ability to make effective use of AI tools and incorporate them into research will also become increasingly important.

Finally, I would like to share a message from Professor Furumai, Professor Fujita's former supervisor, that I once heard when he gave a special lecture at Ibaraki University: “While you are a student, I hope you will make many intelligent mistakes.” Only now do I truly appreciate the meaning of those words.