Luca Ratzinger (Maths)

In the summer of 2023 I spent two months in Tokyo, Japan, thanks to the International Research Opportunities Programme. I worked in the Takayasu Lab in the Tokyo Institute of Technology on a project handling phone user GPS data throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, it was an incredible experience both in and out of the lab.

I learned how to deal with large data sets and create efficient algorithms to read and process the data in a way which was never necessary for the programming I have done within my university studies. I now understand what it means to manipulate data and use intuitive measures to get meaningful results: this includes using moving averages, weighted linear regressions, population weights to simulate a population larger than the data given etc.                 

As an international student at imperial this experience felt somewhat similar to the first few months of my first year of university; moving into a university dormitory, finding my routine for lab work, and exploring my surroundings. I worked in the Suzukakedai campus which is where most post graduate students work so the atmosphere was relaxed; the campus has a gym where I went running when I needed a break, and the cafeteria was excellent. During weekends and evenings, I explored Tokyo and the territory around it. With my fellow IROP Tokyo Tech students we climbed Mt. Fuji and Mt. Daigenta, we went surfing on a beach in Chiba and on my own I explored Hakone. During the Obon holiday period I was granted a whole week of vacation during which I visited Kyoto, Nara, and part of Shikoku. I had a lot of fun exploring Japan and I learned how to organize my time efficiently to be able to do everything I wanted.

I am also very grateful to all the students in Takayasu lab who helped me feel at home in Tokyo and aided me in my work at the lab.

Overall, this experience was very valuable to me: it has helped me understand what data science is like and this will be crucial in my education at imperial these next two years, as I now have the freedom to choose the academic modules I study. I have also experienced what research work is like in a lab focused on statistics and although I enjoyed my time in Takayasu lab very much I know this would not be the best environment for me after I finish my degree; this means I will probably start work or maybe do research in a purer area of maths later on, also depending my experience further along my degree.

Outside of academics I think I would be much more confident now moving and travelling to countries far from home as I have experience in adjusting to a foreign culture and building a new routine for myself in a new environment. I am more confident and relaxed when travelling and I am sure this experience will motivate me to visit other countries I have not yet seen in the future.