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学部生向け本格研究プログラム
マサチューセッツ工科大学には、学部生も本格的な研究に携わることのできる UROP と呼ばれるプログラムがあります。面白いのは、自分の専攻に即したプロジェクトはもちろんのこと、まったく異なる分野のプロジェクトにも参加できる点です。筆者の桑木さんも、入学当時からさまざまな UROP に参加してきました。
Going beyond the curriculum
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白衣に身を包んで、研究中の筆者。
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Ever since I was a freshman, I have been participating in a special program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) known as the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, or UROP. The program, offered all year round, is the primary means for students to engage in authentic research.
Projects are offered in almost every department at the school. Because the majority of students take science majors, most projects tend to involve the sciences. There are, however, some opportunities to undertake UROP projects in other fields such as business and management or politics.
Because the MIT curriculum is very intensive, the UROP provides an opportunity for students to learn about a field of study other than their major. For example, students studying computer science can choose to work in a laboratory for biology, chemistry or media studies so that they can learn to apply their computer skills to these different areas. Projects can also be used for credit, or in some cases, students can be paid for their work.
As much as the students are eager to find opportunities to work with scientists and professors - about 80 percent of students have joined the program at least once during their time at the Institute - the faculties, particularly graduate students, are also equally active in seeking out potential UROP students. The laboratories that are looking for UROP students can post a brief description of their research project on the UROP Web site (http://web.mit.edu/urop/index.html).
After selecting a project of interest, students contact either the faculty member in charge of the lab or a graduate student working in the lab, who together with a special UROP committee decides whether the student can join.
I have participated in four different UROP projects during my time at MIT. The first one was at the MIT Media Lab, where I worked on constructing 3-D images using computer graphics and making the images into holograms. Every year, the Media Lab attracts many students for their creative, fun, engaging and highly technical research. I have also worked in the fields of chemical engineering and neurobiology as a sophomore. Currently, as a junior, I am working in the field of environmental engineering, studying technology used to detect microscopic organisms in the ocean.
What I like about the program is how it allows students to learn about issues that can never be found in books or classes alone. While working at the Media Lab, I learned a lot about holographic research in laboratories outside MIT, including those in New York and Japan.
In addition to academic issues, it is a great way to develop new friendships and to get to know students from a wide variety of backgrounds. I learned a lot about cultural differences through the people I worked with. During my second UROP project, I worked with many scientists from Malaysia because the project was a collaborative effort with a school in Malaysia. This year, the lab is filled with enthusiastic women from many different countries like Portugal, Croatia, Thailand and Spain. They each add a different flavor to the lab, and they are all important mentors and advisors to me.
The UROP helps to broaden a student's perspective on both cultural and intellectual issues. Many students will continue to participate in the program, which is sure to become one of the highlights of a student's MIT experience.
Shukan ST: Nov. 22, 2002
(C) All rights reserved
- curriculum
- カリキュラム
- Ever since 〜
- 〜以来
- freshman
- 1年生
- have been participating in 〜
- 〜に参加している
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- マサチューセッツ工科大学
- Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, or UROP
- 学部生向け研究プログラムの名称
- all year round
- 一年中
- primary means
- 主な手段
- engage in 〜
- 〜に関わる
- authentic
- 真の
- department
- 学部
- majority of 〜
- 大多数の〜
- majors
- 専攻科目
- tend to 〜
- 〜する傾向がある
- involve 〜
- 〜に関係する
- undertake 〜
- 〜を始める
- fields
- 分野
- intensive
- 集中的な
- other than 〜
- 〜以外の
- laboratory(=lab)
- 研究室
- biology
- 生物学
- chemistry
- 化学
- media studies
- メディア研究
- apply 〜 to 〜
- 〜を〜に応用する
- can also be used for credit
- 単位にもなる
- can be paied for 〜
- 〜に対してお金がもらえる
- are eager to 〜
- 熱心に〜する
- professors
- 教授陣
- at least
- 少なくとも
- Institute
- マサチューセッツ工科大学のこと
- faculties
- 教員たち
- graduate students
- 大学院生
- are also equally active in 〜
- 同じくらい〜に熱心だ
- seeking out 〜
- 〜を探し出す
- potential 〜 students
- 〜に参加しそうな学生
- post 〜 on 〜
- 〜を〜に掲示する
- brief description
- 簡単な説明
- 〜 of interest
- 興味のある〜
- in charge of 〜
- 〜担当の
- committee
- 委員会
- constructing 〜
- 〜を作成する
- 3-D images
- 立体映像
- holograms
- (レーザー光を使って立体像を再現する)ホログラム
- engaging
- 興味深い
- chemical engineering
- 化学工学
- neurobiology
- 神経生物学
- sophomore
- 2年生
- Currently
- 現在
- junior
- 3年生
- environmental engineering
- 環境工学
- detect
- 発見する
- microscopic organisms
- 微生物
- ocean
- 海
- issues
- 課題
- get to know 〜
- 〜と知り合いになる
- wide variety of 〜
- さまざまな〜
- collaborative effort
- 共同作業
- is filled with 〜
- 〜でいっぱいだ
- enthusiastic
- 熱心な
- flavor
- 趣
- mentors
- 助言者
- broaden 〜
- 〜を広げる
- perspective
- 視野
- intellectual
- 知性の