Interview No.1　Dereznichenko Volodymyr　環境・社会理工学院

My name is Volodymyr Dereznichenko, I am 3^rd year graduate student just having done writing my Ph.D. thesis. I had graduated at Ukrainian university and worked as an architect for three years before coming to Japan for getting Master and Doctoral degree at Tokyo Tech. My interests are fishing, cycling and playing videogames.

Research Outline

My research is about an architectural style called capsule architecture and it is poorly investigated. This style deals with many kinds of modular structures, that is the buildings consisting of independent elements so one can freely detach their room (capsule) from one building and attach it to another. This shows new possibilities in architecture and engineering, thus, I have chosen this topic for my research. I explore the concept of capsule architecture from three main aspects: its applicability (why architects use this type of architecture), changeability (how this kind of architecture can change over time), and inhabitability (what it is to live in a literal capsule). The research includes not only literature review but several small projects, such as a renovation project of one of the capsules in a capsular building in Tokyo, site visits, and interviews together with questionnaires with actual residents about their lifestyles. It became clear that the trend of modular structures currently continues and may provide unique solutions for buildings’ operation and their sustainability in the future.

Unique experience of getting a doctoral degree

It is common knowledge that getting a degree helps with consequent job-hunting and helps in defining the thing that one wants to be associated with in his or her life. In my case it became architecture. Getting into university back in 2008 I have been through the long experience of studying and working both in Ukraine and Japan before finally getting my doctoral thesis done. Looking back to the point when my mother helped me to choose a specialization, I am much glad that this path in life both brought me a big interest and joy in what I do in life and, moreover, that it resulted in the research which can potentially contribute to society and add something new to an academic discourse from now on. In this short essay, I will speak about my experience of getting a Ph.D. degree in general by touching on the topics of the research, choosing the path for a further career, and the life of a person seeking a doctoral degree.

Firstly, after I enrolled again for the doctoral degree after completing the master’s, I realized that the former is quite different from the master’s in a sense, that the doctoral dissertation is a complete scientific work requiring the corresponding training, knowledge, skills, and level of responsibility. The last thing on this list is clearly seen in publishing academic papers and connecting to scientists and researchers in the field. If a master’s degree dissertation can be allegorically considered as an introduction and showcasing one’s research, the doctoral dissertation must complete it and clearly state the findings that add value to the research as a whole. Next, while attending classes at my doctor’s I came to the conclusion that literacy and language are also quite important while writing the dissertation, so good proficiency and tone in either Japanese or English (as well as any other language used) is of great importance. Mastering this skill is, however, easily achieved by reading scientific works alike – many such works show the ‘dry’ and ‘laconic’ language in which any part of the research can be plainly explained. Also, I would like to recommend attending the ‘Technical writing’ class (which I attended both during my master’s and doctoral courses). Also, in my opinion, doing research is a very complex effort that can include collaboration with other researchers, and working with intellectual property and personal data, so many considerations should be taken into account before and during the research flow in order not to spoil it with complications which may also affect terms and deadlines. For this, simple knowledge and consultation with a professor is the best option. My research was simple but included a questionnaire, so this part was done with all precautions. And, my hope is that any other who pursues a doctoral degree will finish a decent thesis that one will be satisfied with.

Another interesting point for me while being a doctoral student was choosing the career path which primarily consists of either professional work requiring expertise in a field, or work in academia. Both paths are equally appealing and, I assume it would not be a loss to choose, eventually, any. Again, a simple consultation (as I personally did) may help defining the direction of further career growth if it becomes a dilemma. If one feels that the field or the research of one’s interest can be developed further or if there are any other possible perspectives, working as a scientist may be preferable than a company, and, vice versa, if a person feels that his or her practical knowledge may be of better use, that may be also plausible. Eventually, the employment is decided case by case, and only further research on companies and serious consideration about one’s future may be only advised.

And, lastly, although the doctoral course alone occupies a comparatively considerable amount of time, in my experience, it was a continuous hustle of gaining knowledge and other kinds of materials, sorting, and interpreting in order to gain results and solutions. Although this business is somewhat enjoyable, it can bring imbalance to one’s life and should be coped with correspondingly. I, personally, took frequent breaks and rode a bicycle a lot in order to reduce stress and make my schedule smooth. I am also proud that I had the minimum possible amount of sleepless nights and was able to complete the whole research in time. In life many things can happen, so during the big timeframe of three years, the best approach is to schedule it evenly and have the possibility to have spare time whenever it may be needed. Getting a doctoral degree is a unique experience and it will surely have a big impact on one’s life and further flow of things, so I only hope it will results in gains and be positive for any doctoral degree seeker.

Message

I sincerely wish all adopters of the “Cross the Border! Tokyo Tech pioneering doctoral research project” and all doctoral students the fruitful research and smooth flow of all work during their study. I hope this saturated activity will not interfere with any personal matters and lead to groundbreaking scientific results.