Algeria

- Fatima Bencheikh, a researcher in organic electronics at Kyushu University in Japan, was able to revive her scientific research career again in France and then in Japan.

Ben Al-Sheikh admits - in her dialogue with Al Jazeera Net - that her first experience in scientific research in Algeria was a failure, but this failure was her engine to achieve success.

The researcher had graduated from the University of Oran with a major in electronics in 2004, and worked for several years in a private electronics company, then moved to France in 2010 to start her successful career in scientific research and innovation.

Ben Al-Sheikh obtained her higher degrees from the University of Aix-Marseille, France (Al-Jazeera)

How was the beginning with scientific research?

My experience with scientific research in Algeria was a failure for several reasons that I do not want to address, a failure that made me decide to continue studying in France, where I registered at a university there with my own financial capabilities and studied a master’s for two years until I got it in electronic devices from Aix University in Marseille. -Marseille University in 2012.

After obtaining my master's degree, I won a grant in the framework of a special cooperation program between French universities and the world of industry, which enabled me to obtain a PhD in Microelectronics and Nanoelectronics in 2015 from the same university.

How did you move to Japan?

After receiving my doctorate, in 2016 I was nominated for a post-doctoral grant launched by a laboratory specialized in organic electronics, which is considered one of the largest Japanese laboratories in this field.

There, I worked for 3 years on a big project during which I and my colleagues in the lab were able to publish many scientific articles in prestigious international journals, and we obtained patents, a success that enabled us to establish a small company in the field of organic electronics, in which I am currently serving as the technical director .

On the other hand, I teach electronics sciences at Kyushu University as a visiting assistant professor.

Bin Al-Sheikh majored in organic electronics at Japan's Kyushu University (Al-Jazeera)

How did you get over the Japanese language hurdle?

The language spoken in scientific laboratories in Japan is English, and therefore I did not face any obstacles in terms of communicating with my surroundings, and therefore I advise students who have ambitions to continue their studies abroad in America, Europe, or even Japan and Australia to learn English.

Outside the work environment, people communicate in Japanese, so I had to learn it, and I still follow lessons in this language to improve my performance, and I think that it is not difficult.

Does the student have to meet special conditions?

There are no special conditions for studying in Japan, but rather a passion for science, mastery of work, focus on reading, and learning everything new in its field.

But there are some traditions and rules accepted in professional circles that every foreigner must respect in order to be able to integrate and adapt well to his professional environment, because working according to Japanese culture is sacred.

How can an Arab win a scholarship in Japan?

First, there are many scientific research laboratories that provide scholarships for student researchers, so I advise the Arab student to take the initiative to contact these laboratories and present his scientific project, and this is one of the most effective ways to win scholarships in this country.

There are also university scholarships provided by the Japanese government in the framework of university exchanges with other countries, and here the student can contact the Japanese embassy in his country or his country's embassy in Japan to get more information.

There are also scholarships called "MEXT", which are intended for developing countries, and their aim is to assist these countries in their development by ensuring good training for students.

Bin Al-Sheikh is teaching as a visiting assistant professor at Kyushu University (Al Jazeera)

What are the most important tips for those wishing to study in Japan?

Japan is a distinguished country that is very different from other countries, and a visitor to it for the first time will undoubtedly admire it, and may be surprised, but with the passage of time, adaptation will occur.

So the student has to have patience, persistence, perseverance and good observation to understand what is going on around him because there is a lot that can be learned.

The Japanese people, for example, do not speak much, whether in the workplace or outside, and it is a tradition and culture that they call the culture of silence.

What distinguishes studying in Japan from in France?

Studying in France is based mainly on the theoretical side, with a large number of subjects included in the programs, some of which fall within the framework of the broad general culture.

In Japan, the applied curricula tend to be deeply specialized. The study programs are carefully studied and very specialized, so that the student cannot waste his time studying subjects that are indispensable, as is the case in many countries of the world.

Bin Al-Sheikh: In Japan, the curricula are applied and tend to specialize in deep (Al-Jazeera)

Why did you choose to stay in Japan?

I chose to stay in Japan because it offers many opportunities for success and brilliance for students who are researching.

I have achieved great success in my field of expertise, where I and some colleagues in the laboratory were able to obtain several patents, so we decided to establish an institution to market our invention of a new and high-precision technology in the field of "organic laser" and we believe that we are forming a company that will have a significant future .

Are there areas you recommend studying?

There are many fields that Arab students can study in this country, such as electronics, robotics, micro technology such as programming specialized in artificial intelligence, and other disciplines that can be successful.

Bin Al-Sheikh and others obtained patents and established a startup company in organic lasers (Al-Jazeera)

What are the memories of the beginning of your life in this country?

When I first came to Japan, the first feeling I had, as I wandered its streets marked in Japanese, is wandering. I was very shocked and felt lost from my world. For example, when I wanted to buy oil, I needed an hour because everything was written in Japanese, but after the days passed Within weeks, I was able to adapt and laugh at myself.