Summer: Rutgers-AgriTech Japan: The Crossroads of Agriculture and Biotechnology
The Program
A unique opportunity to explore the intersection of cutting-edge biotechnology and sustainable agricultural practices in Japan.
Participants will engage in hands-on research alongside Japanese students, collaborating on projects that focus on advancing agricultural practices through biotechnology. The program combines classroom learning with field visits to innovative farms, where students will observe how biotechnology is applied to enhance crop production and promote environmental sustainability. Students will work closely with Japanese researchers and professors, gaining valuable insights into the latest developments in agricultural technology. By the end of the program, students will have developed essential research skills and a deeper understanding of how biotechnology can shape the future of global agriculture.
Program Locations
Japan
Akita
The program has been developed in partnership with Akita Prefectural University in Japan. Akita is the capital and most populous city in the Akita Prefecture. It's located on the coast, bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west. The climate is the summer is hot and humid, similar to NYC. The economy of Akita remains heavily dependent on agriculture (particularly rice cultivation), forestry and mineral extraction.
Academics
The course will satisfy the 3-credit experience-based education requirement for SEBS and the Biotechnology program.
- Course synopsis:
The proposed program is designed to connect biotechnology students from Rutgers University in New Brunswick with their peers at Akita Prefectural University in Akita, Japan. The goal is to provide a collaborative learning experience focused on agri-biotechnology from a Japanese perspective.
- Format:
The student carries out a research project together with local students under the supervision of the research advisor. The project is 2 weeks full time. The student will generate a report on the experience.
- Description:
The student, under the guidance of a faculty member, carries out a research project. Most often, a faculty member may engage the student in some aspect of research that the faculty member is pursuing as an expert. The project is focused and short-term. Areas of technology featured at Akita Prefecture University include, but not limited to, plant genetics and genomics, natural product technology, microbiology, and ecological network analysis.
- Learning Goals:
Upon completing the course, the student will have –
- Remembered and understood the appropriate background knowledge in the field of the project using the public literature and APU faculty guidance to document the approaches used by APU researchers to address specific problems.
- Appropriately stated and applied a hypothesis to a problem to be tested and analyzed the experiments devised to test it with specific reference to those addressed at APU.
- Accurately documented and systematically analyzed collected data using appropriate methods, reflecting an understanding of data handling, documentation, and organization.
- Interpreted and evaluated the results of experiments to create conclusions and suggest future directions for research including an evaluation of the comparative similarities and differences in the applications of the research techniques to problems in Akita prefecture versus New Jersey or the US as a whole.
Housing and Meals
All meals are included in the program and will be served at the student cafeteria, offering students the chance to enjoy a variety of authentic Japanese dishes. Additionally, students will have the option to purchase Japanese snacks and other essentials at the convenience store located on campus.
Accommodation will be provided in the international section of the university's dormitories, where students will stay in shared rooms, promoting a social and collaborative environment. The dormitory also features a mini-sauna, perfect for unwinding after a day of research and exploration. Students will have free time in the evenings to explore Akita, discovering local culture, scenic landscapes, and vibrant city life.
Financial Information
Program Costs
| Program Price | |
|---|---|
| NJ Resident | $2,590 |
| Non- NJ Resident | $2,940 |
Program Cost includes:
- Tuition
- Housing
- Administrative Fees
- Emergency Medical Access Abroad
Out-of-Pocket Costs
| Airfare | $1,800 |
| Meals | $100 |
| Personal Expenses | $200 |
| Total | $2,100.00 |
Out-of-Pocket Cost includes:
The above costs are estimations and represent the known out-of-pocket costs students encounter during their time abroad.
Some of these expenses will be paid for prior to going abroad, such as an airline ticket, while some of these expenses, such as meals and personal expenses, will be paid in-country as part of your daily expenses. As you plan, you will need to budget these costs and spend wisely throughout your time abroad.
Scholarships
Faculty Leaders
Dr. Paul Meers is Undergraduate Program Director, Assistant Teaching Professor and Researcher in Biotechnology as well as Co-Director of the Biotechnology and Genomics Concentration in the Master of Business and Science Program. Experience has included research in membrane fusion, protein-lipid interactions, human neutrophil degranulation and directing industry research projects in drug delivery, including polynucleotide constructs. Recent research has been focused on understanding traffic and delivery to cells via naturally-occurring bacterial vesicles or nanoscale vesicles for RNA delivery.
Ph.D. Biochemistry, Cornell University
Postdoc - Papahadjopoulos lab - University of California, San Francisco
Industry (14 years)
The Liposome Company - 1994-2002
Transave, Inc. - 2003-2009
Academia (20 years)
Boston University - 1988-1994
Monmouth University - 2010
Rutgers University - 2011-present
Eric Lam is currently a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Biology at Rutgers University, NJ. He had served as the Director for the Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment at Rutgers from 2008 to 2010. He also serves on the advisory board for the Rutgers Energy Institute. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and completed his postdoctoral research at the Rockefeller University on Plant Molecular Biology. His research interests include the study of mechanisms that control programmed cell death and stress tolerance in plants, the regulation of global gene expression via chromatin organization, and more recently, the establishment and promotion of an aquatic agriculture platform with duckweed for sustainable biomass production.