My involvement in the 15th ISS was an excellent experience.
It was my first visit to Japan as well as my first international science symposium, and overall I had an amazing time. I highly commend the efforts of the organizing committee, they made every aspect of this trip very seamless. The science talks and poster presentations were highly educational, and it was truly helpful to receive a lot of constructive feedback from everyone I encountered. The people here in Kyoto have given me a whole new perspective on work ethics, respect, and courtesy. I fully enjoyed seeing all the historic attractions, and the food and drinks were amazing! I look forward to the next time I visit Japan as a result. I am truly grateful for the opportunity, Arigatou gozaimashita.

It was an honor to be invited to speak and participate in the 15^th ISS. I was extremely impressed with the quality of everyone’s science, and enjoyed hearing about a diverse range of fascinating questions in basic science. This was a special trip because I got to experience first-hand Japanese culture, both in and out of the lab. All of the students were very welcoming and eager to learn about life abroad, and they also shared their experiences as students in Japan, which was very educational to me. My favorite aspect was making many new friends, both with Japanese students and the many other international scientists at the symposium. The ISS and retreat had plenty of great opportunities for meeting new people, so I cannot thank the organizers enough for putting together such a terrific program. Of course I also really enjoyed the amazing food and beautiful sightseeing in Kyoto !