表面科学 Vol. 36, No. 9, pp. 489-491, 2015 特集「海外研究体験記｣ 談話室（海外研究体験記）

growth of metals and molecules on oxide surfaces. I Bridging the Gap contributed by modeling the geometrical and electronic structure using first-principles computational methods. In クリューガー ピーター parallel, I continued developing new theoretical models and

千葉大学大学院融合科学研究科 programs for the calculation of X-ray absorption and 〠 263-8522 千葉県千葉市稲毛区 photoemission, focusing on electron-core-hole coupling and 弥生町 1-33 resonant processes. I kept old contacts and made new ones

（2015 年 5 月 11 日受理） with several Japanese researchers and had the chance to visit their institutions on different occasions. Around 2011, I felt it Bridging the Gap was time for a change in my career and I started looking for a new position. Peter KRÜGER When I was offered a faculty position at Chiba University, I Chiba University, Graduate School of Advanced did not hesitate very long, since I always wanted to come back Integration Science, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, to Japan and more importantly because I was very impressed Chiba 263 8522 - by the high research level in the field of organic semiconduc- (Received May 11, 2015) tors in particular and surface physics in general. I started working in Chiba in March 2013 and got the chance to build My first visit to Japan dates back to 1996. I was a PhD up my own research group. 1) This meant a big change with student at the , , and was respect to my position in France, where I was one member of a working on metal adsorption on graphite. My supervisor in group of six permanent staff. Back then, I used to work mainly Strasbourg had a long-term collaboration with (now emeritus) with senior researchers and postdocs, some PhD students, but Professor Akio Kotani of the University of Tokyo. I met only few master students. In France, master students usually Professor Kotani in Strasbourg and he guided me in making a do a short (1-2 months) research project in the 1st year and a model for core-level XPS. That same year I attended a longer one (3-6 months) in the second year. In Chiba, the conference in Osaka and subsequently visited Professor students start their research project in the beginning of the 4th Kotani’s laboratory at the Institute for Solid State Physics undergraduate year and often stay until the end of the master (ISSP) at the University of Tokyo, for about 3 weeks. I was program, so they are more strongly integrated and stay much fascinated by Japan in general and Tokyo in particular and the longer in the laboratory than in France. As a consequence of collaboration with Professor Kotani was very fruitful. I this, and the fact that the undergraduate course is one year decided that after completion of my PhD, I would try to come longer in Japan than in Europe, Japanese master students are back to ISSP. I managed to get a scholarship by the European generally more experienced than their French counterparts by Union and so I worked at ISSP as a postdoc a little more than the end of the master course. However, the ratio between PhD one year in 1998/99 on the theory of core-level XPS from students and master course students in natural sciences and transition metal atoms adsorbed at surfaces. As I was offered engineering seems to be considerably higher in France than in an interesting position at the European synchrotron (ESRF) in Japan, partly due to the fact that in France many public funded , France, I went back to Europe earlier than I had first scholarships are available for PhD candidates. So, while being planned. This left me with a feeling of an interrupted used to working with doctor course students and postdocs, experience and I always had in mind to come back one day and when arriving at Chiba, I needed to build up a group starting work again in Japan. After spending four years at the ESRF, I with 4th year undergraduate students. While this is a great moved to the University of Burgundy, , France, as chance, it takes time until you see the benefit of it in terms of associate professor, joining the group “Surfaces and Interfaces research results. of Metallic Oxides”. We studied adsorption, film and cluster I started new research projects with my colleges in Chiba, on the electronics and magnetism of organic molecular films at semiconductor or metal interfaces, which are promising 490 表面科学 第 36 巻第9 号(2015) materials for optoelectronic and spintronic applications. At the for foreign cultures. same time, I keep collaborating with various groups in Europe, The number of foreign undergraduate students is low in mainly on the theory of X-ray and electron spectroscopies. Japanese universities. Most of them come from other Asian Every time you start a new job you face many challenges. countries, for which Japan has been a model and forerunner in Although I already had a work experience from my postdoc economics as well as in science and technology. European days in Tokyo, I have to admit that I underestimated the students are extremely rare, except for those majoring in difficulties of a faculty position in Japan. I am German, but I Japanese language and culture. It could be vital for the future had lived, studied and worked in France for about 20 years. of Japan (as it is for all other advanced nations with a rapidly After this long period, I naturally felt fully integrated in the aging society) to attract young talents from all over the world French society and working conditions. Then, subconsciously, and the earlier they come, the better. Therefore, I think that I must have thought that I could easily integrate in any new more teaching should be conducted in English at Japanese foreign environment. I had forgotten that my first years in Universities. If not, undergraduate students from all nations France had been difficult, too. that are not using the Chinese character system will find it too When you climb up in the academic career, the managing difficult to engage in undergraduate studies in Japan. and administrative duties increase and the time left for It is interesting to make a comparison with France. France research gets reduced. Therefore it is normal that I have to do has a long history of immigration and being in the heart of more administrative work in Chiba than back in Dijon. But Europe, it attracts people from many different countries. While since the educational systems are very different between there are many foreigners studying at French universities, Europe and Japan, everything was new and quite difficult for most of them come from countries where French is an official me. At my arrival in Chiba, my mastery of Japanese language or unofficial second language, in particular from Africa. For was not sufficient for this type of work and I was struggling. those students the language barrier is low and they cope well The situation has considerably improved since then, thanks to with the teaching in French. However, in my observation it is the great help that I received from my colleges, in particular very difficult for many of them to communicate in English, Professor Hisao Ishii, and the patience of the administrative which is necessary at the research level. If more teaching were staff and students. conducted in English, also theses students, for whom English At Chiba University, which was selected for the “Global is the second foreign language, would succeed better in their COE Program” last year, we are trying hard to make research future career. I think that a similar reasoning applies to the and education more international. Most of the research staff in Japanese situation. A foreign student who needs to invest a lot our faculty is already very active internationally. When I of energy in the mastery of the Japanese language might find it started in Chiba, I was surprised to find that all Japanese harder to move on with an international career where the colleges are fluent in English, because previously I had met communication skills in English are crucial. Seeing this many Japanese researchers who struggled in communicating obstacle, foreign students might turn to another country where their results to an international audience. undergraduate classes are taught in English. At the educational level, however, internationalization Coming back to my own experience, what I like most about should be improved further, such that the young generation working in Japan pertains to the character of the Japanese can cope with the challenges of the ever faster globalization of society as a whole. Japanese people are known to be rigorous all aspects of our life. I hope that my presence at Chiba helps and to care about details, a spirit which is absolutely necessary our Japanese students in this respect. Last year we launched a in science. Despite recent cases of scientific fraud, I believe student exchange program with the University of in that Japan still ranks at the top level in terms of scientific rigor. France. Eleven students from our master course could do an The high awareness of mutual responsibility and the search for internship of one or two months in Rennes. Thanks to the consensus also characterizes the Japanese people. This can be support from Chiba University and the JASSO program, and felt in human relations at the workplace in general, and in the great effort by the host researchers in Rennes, this has been meetings in particular. From my experience in French very successful for all our students. It gives them the academic institutions, conflicts have shown up much more opportunity of a real work experience abroad, and opens their openly and decisions have often been taken without much minds for the globalized world of scientific research as well as search for consensus. Academia in Japan is more respectful to クリューガー ピーター 491 all members. While this leads to longer times spent in field. For the young people to succeed in the globalized world, meetings and may slow down decision making somewhat, it we should make higher education more international, such that helps to avoid frustration and leads to smoother cooperation. they can bridge the linguistic and cultural gaps between Experiments in surface science are often carried out at low nations. temperature and low pressure. It can be difficult to relate the References results so obtained, to real world applications which function at normal thermodynamic conditions. Bridging these tempera- 1) http://adv.chiba-u.jp/nano/kruegerlab/ ture and pressure “gaps” is one of the big challenges of the