Profile: Daisaku Nishiyama

What attracted you to the University of Reading?

The University of Reading (UoR) has a MPhil/PhD research course which has a wide variety of research subjects on construction management. Not only that, the UoR also has a powerful pre-sessional English course for non-native students to efficiently learn academic English expression. I enjoy the regular meetings I have with my dedicated supervisor, and this feature involving step-by-step and constant support is what I find most attractive about this course.

The Thames River in Reading is amazing. There are flocks of lovely swans in the river, spacious green lawns, and beautiful parks. Surprisingly, during the springtime, you can sometimes see the swans visit the campus with their immature baby swans. I enjoy taking a walk in Reading with such a brilliant landscape. Besides, Reading itself is in an excellent location to access other big cities such as London, Oxford, Bath, and Winchester. The airports are also close by.

Have you experienced any difficulties?

In a way, everything seems to be difficulty for me. English is not my native language, my research work is hard, signing a contract to rent property was difficult, and the current price inflation affects my life. However, such difficulties are stimuli to encourage me learn a great deal from this country. To make this clear, I often talk to my colleagues. The British people, who have plenty of information on the society of UK, often help me or give me good advice. At the same time, friends from the same country can also be helpful because they go through the same experience or share the same concerns.

Have you got any advice for future students?

You can enjoy tea/coffee or draught beer on the lawn with glorious sunshine. The campus environment absolutely makes them taste special. If you have a family, your family will also enjoy talking to the families of your colleagues or university staffs in gatherings hosted by the university. My wife and kid are making friends there. This university is friendly not only to the students but also to their families.

What were you doing before you started your course?

I worked in the Ministry of Defence of Japan and was engaged in work related to construction of defence facilities. Fortunately, my office gave me an opportunity to study in a postgraduate course in this university.