[Interview] Listening to the Sea Breeze of Study. The Quiet Challenge Toward the Future of a Working Student and Lead Engineering Manager.

Hello! This is the EQUES PR Department🐎
Today, we interviewed Masahiro Muto, a member who demonstrates leadership in various projects within EQUES, including AI solution development, about his studies!

What is the secret to his power, fully committing to EQUES projects while working hard as a student at night?

Please take a read👀

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Masahiro Muto (titles omitted below)　EQUES Inc. Member

Director and Lead Engineering Manager, AI / Quantum Solutions Department

Conducting research on therapeutic drug development approaches for multidrug-resistant bacteria in the NEDO Challenge "Development of Social Problem Solutions Using Quantum Computers" program.
Currently a working student.

PR Department:What kind of studies do you usually do?

Muto:I study mathematics, English, and biology (for my research on drug-resistant bacteria) for about an hour a day, and I also study quantum and AI for about an hour a day, every day.Just like muscle training or marathons, I think it's important to continue every day.

PR Department:Thank you. You say you study every day, but I feel like it's not something that just continues because you decided to do it. Is there a secret to consistency?

Muto:First of all, I think it is important to focus on visualization. For example, if you prepare the books you need to study on your desk before going to work, what you need to do will naturally catch your eye when you return home. There are research papers that suggest a correlation between how often things enter your field of vision and how often you try to engage with them, and that the brain naturally starts to judge them as high priority, and I personally feel that it has a positive effect on my consistency.

PR Department:I see. By keeping books where you can see them, you increase their unconscious importance. It's true that when I see textbooks, I feel like I start thinking about studying naturally. Is there anything else?

Muto:Just like with work, I think the PDCA cycle is very important for studying as well. I try to perform Check (evaluation) such as "What did I study today, and how was the content?" and Action (improvement) considerations like "How will I apply this knowledge next?" every time.

Muto:For example, I keep a diary every day. I value my mood by changing methods, such as using Notion when I want to write a lot of text or take notes on things I want to search for later, and drawing on paper and scanning it when I want to express things using softer media (diagrams and pictures). Repeating the PDCA cycle in this way is also a secret that leads to consistency.

PR Department:Thank you. I also keep a diary, but I often find that the purpose and the means get reversed, and it becomes a mere formality and I stop doing it, so the perspective that valuing your own mood leads to consistency is very helpful.

Muto:That's right. It's not just about your mood, but I think it's also very important to always have a sense of purpose. You think about "why you are studying." Just as athletes do mental training by imagining the Olympic stage, I think it's good to imagine "what you want to be like in a few decades by applying this study" or "what kind of place graduate school is for you." In my case, I engage in my studies while holding an image of a future where my research papers and robot development achievements are being utilized at EQUES, or where I have transitioned from an engineer to a researcher and am active 20 years from now.

PR Department:I see, thinking about what your current position means for your future self is important no matter what you do. Did you have the goal of becoming a researcher for a long time, Mr. Muto?

Muto:No, I was often lost when I was young. In my late 20s, I hadn't even decided what kind of engineer I wanted to be.

PR Department:Is that so? I'm a little surprised. How did you find what you wanted to do?

Muto: What you want to do is something that exists within you, but there are times when you can't quite put it into words, right? In those moments, I think it's good to try writing it down in a notebook. When nothing comes to mind,
if you go on a trip and make notes of things you feel like 'this is wonderful' or 'this moved me' while you're out, I feel like your sensibilities start to become verbalized.The process of taking notes on how you feel while experiencing new things, I believe, becomes a trigger to understand your own subconscious.

PR Department: That's a wonderful method. By the way, do you have any recommended travel spots?

Muto: I think it's different for everyone. Hakone Onsen is nice, I suppose. As for me, I like places that are rich in nature and relaxed, so I sometimes go mountain climbing in the Northern Alps.

PR Department: That sounds just like you, Muto-san.

Muto: In my 20s and 30s, I had times where I couldn't keep up with my studies or hit dead ends with various setbacks, but I studied methods of learning and ways to set goals like this in books, and tried many of them out. Now, I think I've reached a state where I can always do what I want to do.

PR Department: I see, it's important to read a book and try things out immediately. By outputting, it seems like you can see what methods suit you. Changing the subject, do you have a favorite place to study, Muto-san?

Muto: Basically, it's my home. Since I have many books there. However, when I want a change of pace, I often go to a cafe. I might order a chocolate croissant at Saint Marc or cocoa or coffee at Doutor. But, when I want to focus deeply in a quiet place, the library is recommended.

Muto: Also, I sometimes go outside to study. I often go to the sandy beach in Enoshima. It's like studying while I'm at the beach. When the location changes, the way your sensibilities work changes. Then, the input for your studies changes too.

PR Department: I see. Studying in a way that engages your sensibilities in various places doesn't feel forced, which is nice. It seems like you can study in a natural, true-to-yourself way. Do you ever study while mountain climbing?

Muto: Not really, because my luggage is heavy (laughs).

PR Department: Indeed (laughs). Lastly, do you have a message for those who are trying hard to study?

Muto: Yes. What I want to convey is that "there is no such thing as wasted study". Even if you don't know how it will connect to the future right now, there is a high possibility that it will connect to something unexpected later on.

PR Department: That carries a lot of weight coming from you, Muto-san. Thank you for your time today.

Conclusion

When we hear the word "study," I feel like we tend to mistakenly believe there is a standard, orthodox method after going through school education. When we think it's something we have to do, it often feels heavy, but through this interview, I was made to rethink that study is an act of "learning for one's own sake". Please do try referring to Muto-san's "sensibility-based study method"!

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