Nine students from l’X venture to the University of Tokyo for a research internship

Nine students from École Polytechnique are currently at the international laboratory ILANCE on the University of Tokyo's campus for a research internship. Founded in 1877, the University of Tokyo is a long-standing international partner of École Polytechnique, and many scientific collaborations and academic agreements exist between the two institutions.

Created in 2021, the International Laboratory for Astrophysics, Neutrinos, and Cosmology (ILANCE) is directed by Michel Gonin, Director of Exceptional Research at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Professor at École Polytechnique, and Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo. "Every year, we are delighted to welcome students from l'X at our laboratory on the campus of the University of Tokyo for a research internship at the end of their third-year curriculum", comments Michel Gonin. "The students are highly appreciated by the Japanese research teams and benefit from an exceptional scientific and cultural environment. Some of them will pursue their studies with a PhD thesis in physics studying the two infinities", he adds.

An opportunity to gain research experience abroad

In their 3rd year, the students of the Ingénieur Polytechnicien program have to choose an academic specialization and complete a rigorous research internship. Thanks to École Polytechnique’s many international partnerships, students can do their scientific internship abroad at a laboratory of one of the partner institutions, all recognized for their scientific quality.

Nine students seized the opportunity to complete their research internship at the international research laboratory ILANCE in Japan. Founded in 2021 by the CNRS and the University of Tokyo, the laboratory is located on the University’s campus in Kashiwa. Paul Minodier is one of them, and he agreed to share his experience. As part of his specialization in physics, he attended Michel Gonin's class "From Particles to Stars: fundamental interactions and elementary constituents", where he found out about the internship opportunity at ILANCE and then decided to apply for it.

"This research internship offered an ideal opportunity to discover a new culture. As I studied Japanese at l'X and practiced karate for fifteen years, Japan was a destination I was particularly interested in", he explained. In addition to being able to work in an international research laboratory, Paul Minodier has been very enthusiastic about the idea of "practicing karate in Japan and getting a chance to speak Japanese with the colleagues of the research team", he added.

Exploring the composition and fundamental laws of the universe

The acronym ILANCE stands for "International Laboratory for Astrophysics, Neutrino et Cosmology Experiments". Focusing on particle physics, neutrino physics, cosmology, astrophysics, and astroparticle physics, ILANCE brings together more than fifty physicists from several French and Japanese institutions and enables them to work on research projects exploring the composition of the universe and its fundamental laws.

Paul Minodier's internship research project “concerns the detection of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, as part of the Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND) project, which is still under development”. Particularly appreciative of the fact that this project represents a very active international scientific collaboration, Paul Minodier states that “all the members of the GRAND collaboration are always ready to help or provide explanations” and adds: “It's great to be able to talk to so many people of so many different nationalities and backgrounds”.

Given the fact that “there are many French speakers in the laboratory”, other students from École Polytechnique, and four students pursuing a double Master's degree in High Energy Physics (PHE) from Institut Polytechnique de Paris and ETH Zurich, who are doing their internship at ILANCE at the same time, they “enjoy organizing activities and discovering Japan together”.

Academic and scientific exchanges with Japan, supported by Erasmus +

Convinced of the importance of École Polytechnique’s scientific cooperation and academic exchanges with the University of Tokyo, l’X won a call for projects for international mobility in higher education supported by the European Union's external policy funds. This enables École Polytechnique to allocate Erasmus+ grants to students, teachers, and staff from l’X and the University of Tokyo for an exchange period at the respective partner institution.

Five students currently benefit from Erasmus+ scholarships for their research internship in Japan. The scholarships are allocated according to the Erasmus+ program's priorities, aiming to strengthen inclusion and diversity. To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must meet the Erasmus program’s inclusion criteria. Paying particular attention to those with fewer opportunities by offering them additional funding, the selection process for this scholarship converges with École Polytechnique's commitment to inclusion and diversity.

“Erasmus+ is an excellent program for democratizing international exchanges for students whose financial situation wouldn’t allow for international mobility otherwise”, states Paul Minodier, one of the students who benefit from an Erasmus+ scholarship for his internship in Japan. “International experiences and exchanges between different countries and visions are significant for research”, he concludes.

In addition to the grants for the research internships at ILANCE, École Polytechnique has also offered Erasmus+ scholarships to several students in its Bachelor of Science program for an exchange semester at the University of Tokyo in 2023.