IER Hosted Interns from Khalifa University (UAE) in June–July 2026
From June 8 to July 31, 2026, the Institute of Environmental Radioactivity (IER) hosted two interns from Khalifa University as part of the UAE Internship Program organized by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE). This marked the second consecutive year that IER participated in the program. The two interns hosted this year were Mr. Abdulrahman and Ms. Alyazya, both fourth-year undergraduate students majoring in Bioengineering.
During the internship, each intern was assigned to several laboratories in their areas of interest, rotating every two to three weeks. Through these laboratory placements, they learned various research methods and analytical techniques, gained hands-on experience with scientific instruments, and participated in field sampling and laboratory sample processing. They also attended master’s-level courses and visited research facilities, where they learned about Fukushima’s recovery efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, as well as ongoing research on environmental radioactivity. In addition to presentation practice in their laboratories, they participated in a student presentation session at Hirosaki University and seminars organized by IER, where they learned how to prepare presentation materials and improve their presentation skills.
The interns also visited a local compulsory education school, where they interacted with third-grade and seventh-grade students (equivalent to the first year of junior high school). They experienced aspects of Japanese culture, including origami, Ayatori (a traditional Japanese string game), Japanese handwriting practice, and school lunch, while introducing their own culture and daily life in the UAE. The visit provided a valuable opportunity for both the interns and the students to deepen their mutual understanding of each other’s cultures.
On the final day, July 31, a presentation session was held, where the interns presented the activities they undertook in each laboratory and the outcomes they achieved through the internship to an audience of 17 researchers and graduate students. For their presentations, they prepared slides incorporating photographs and figures effectively and clearly shared the knowledge and experiences they gained during the training.
IER remains committed to providing educational and training opportunities not only for Fukushima University students and international students, but also for students from Japan and abroad. Through these initiatives, IER hopes to continue contributing to international academic exchange and the development of the next generation of researchers.
 Field visit to the lakes of the Urabandai Lake District |  Peach-picking at a revitalized orchard |
  Research meeting at Hirosaki University: participation in student presentations and discussions | |
  Visit to Shoryo Compulsory Education School: introduction of UAE traditional clothing and food | |
  Field survey: freshwater fish sampling in the Niida River (left), water sampling at an irrigation pond (right) | |
  Final presentation session | |