Guest Lecture by Prof. Nitta Takahiro:Career Opportunities in the Intriguing Field of Physics.
When we attempt to answer a wide range of questions on nature ranging from the universe to tiny elementary particles, we tap into Physics. Physics has been useful in addressing technical problems but has also changed our way of viewing nature.
The Department of Physics in JKUAT organized a public lecture for students and faculty members in the physics and Engineering departments on Monday 6th, November 2023. The Guest Lecturer, Prof. Nitta Takahiro, from Gifu University in Japan took the students through how Physics is central to our daily lives and how it has changed our daily lives through innovative technology and materials.
Prof. Takahiros’ expounded on; ‘how a deep understanding of what is “known” can lead to elucidating what is “unknown”, as he introduced his research projects.’ His projects are aimed at developing robots and biosensors utilizing bio-molecular motors, which are an interdisciplinary research field among bio-physicists, materials scientists, and mechanical engineers.
“In most cases, First-year university students learning and studying basic Physics can be immersed in just memorizing and manipulating equations. Although there is a common misunderstanding that Physics is a study of pendulums and slopes,” Prof. Nitta Takahiro highlighted. Learning basic Physics offers one an opportunity to apply some of those concepts in future applications either at work in the industry or research.
The public lecture also provided a platform where JKUAT students were motivated and finally exposed to a research frontier in Biophysics and Bioengineering.
In his summary, Prof. Nitta Takahiro encouraged the students to enjoy their research as it is through this research that they get the ability to work in the Industry. “When studying physics learn to ask why. Physics is a diverse and expanding discipline. It provides tech and materials for many if not most of the innovations we have right now,” he emphasized.
The Lecture constituted a Q&A session which was filled with uncertainty from students inquiring about the future of physics and their career prospects in the industry. The students sought to understand whether there were job opportunities after their undergraduate degrees or whether their only opportunities were in research leading to a career in academia.
This was well responded to with students getting acquainted with the knowledge of where to apply their Physics skills in the job market. Above all, they were also advised not to disregard the research aspect since most of the big companies like Microsoft, Google etc. like investing in research projects that have the potential to improve our way of life.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Anthony Kiroe, Chair Physics Department, thanked Prof. Takahiro for sharing his findings with the students. “Prof. Takahiro has managed to show how our students can apply biophysics, how physics interconnects with biology and chemistry. What we study in physics can now also become a building block for engineering.”
