Impact Beyond Campus

Build more bridges between Albania and Japan

Global / Diversity IIST, Graduate School of Science and Engineering

Gent Imeraj
Albania
IIST, Graduate School of Science and Engineering

2024.12

The reason for studying in Japan / HOSEI University

Growing up in Albania, I didn’t realize at first, but most of the electronics in our house were from Japan—our Panasonic TV, Mitsubishi fridge, Sony camera, Toshiba batteries, and even our Toyota car. As a kid, I was curious—where do all these things come from? Fast forward to my bachelor’s and master’s studies in electronic engineering, and that childhood curiosity had grown into a real desire to see Japan, the birthplace of so many of the innovations I admired.
My connection to Hosei University began during a presentation they held in Albania when I was a bachelor’s student. Later, when I was awarded the MEXT scholarship, I reached out to the presenting professors, and they kindly offered me a place at their university. Their encouragement and welcoming nature made my decision to choose Hosei easy, and I’m grateful to be here now, pursuing my PhD studies.

Activities and experiences in Hosei University

At Hosei University, I’m researching the intersection of artificial intelligence and medical imaging, specifically improving plant disease classification using AI models. My weekly work involves a mix of reading academic literature, running experiments, and writing research papers. One of the most rewarding aspects has been the feedback loop with my professor—his insights shape my understanding and steer the research in exciting directions. Through this research, I’ve honed my skills in academic writing, critical analysis, and experimental design, which has boosted my confidence to navigate and adapt to high-level working environments in cutting-edge fields like AI and medical imaging.
My time at Hosei has been more than just academic. The friends I made here, especially in my lab, have welcomed me warmly. Most of my lab mates are Japanese, and they’ve helped me not only with my research but also with learning the language. They often share traditional Japanese stories with me, and we’ve had great conversations about things I was always curious about growing up. It’s a real cultural exchange. And beyond research, we do fun team activities—everything from outdoor sports and school camps to traditional cooking sessions. It’s these moments that have made my time here so special.
One of the things I also enjoy is attending open lectures and fairs at Hosei. I’ve met representatives (I want to note here proudly that they were my senpais) from big companies like Sony—brands I’ve admired since childhood—and it feels surreal to be able to talk to them up close. It’s a great opportunity to learn about the latest trends in technology, which makes me excited to think about how I can apply these lessons back in Albania.

Future goals

As for the future, I’d love to keep my connection with Japan strong, both personally and professionally. I’ve grown so much, not only in my field of study but also by diving into the Japanese language and culture. I’d also love to promote Albania here in Japan—so few people know much about it, but those who do are always curious. I hope to build more bridges between these two countries that have become so important to me.


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