Table of Contents
Hi members, here are some information/rules you need to know. First, please read carefully the "Public information at FWI". You need to understand and follow Japanese rules (even if you may have different opinions). "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Second, I strongly ask everyone to focus on research. This is especially important to international students, as you need to do better than average Japanese students to get respect from Japanese. Lastly, I always try my best in supervising you and thus ask you follow me strictly (unless you can do better than me). To get a degree on time, working 8h+ a day is usually needed, including Saturdays and weekdays in vacations. Time is equal to everyone.
Public information at FWI
Schedule
Discussion report (NEW, important)
- Every time before and after a discussion with Prof. Zhao (including both group meetings and personal discussion, except for short ones), please share a memo with Prof. Zhao. To students of GSAIS, please also fill this form (see Explanation in English) since Prof. Zhao needs to report it to GSAIS.
Lab rules (since Jan 2026, last-updated on Jan, 10th & Mar 25, 2026)
- Core time: 10am-5pm from Mon to Fri (must be in campus, except for holidays)
- Group meetings → See the schedule.
General rules
Three fundamental rules in Japan (according to an interview on Prof. Masashi Haneda)
- ルールを守る / Follow the rules.
- 人に迷惑をかけない / Avoid to trouble others.
- 空気を読む (KY) / Read between the lines (Direct translation: Read the atmosphere).
Be on time
- Speakers shall arrive 10 minutes before to prepare the meeting (open the door, prepare the projector, air conditioner, light, curtain, tables, chairs, etc).
- Non-speakers arrive 5 minutes before. You can help the speakers in preparation.
- Gonna to be late? Send an email to ML before the seminar. If you are going to be absent, please inform Prof. Zhao at least one day before.
- Reply an email in the same day you received it. If you cannot reply, then reply (in the same day) with statement when you will reply.
My advice to Chinese students
Hints in doing research
- (Must) Find the literature from high-quality databases Web of Science and SCOPUS (Google scholar is considered a low-quality database). See https://www.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/erdb/13505 for how to access those paid service.
- How to write business email
（in Japanese）https://tech.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/nxt/column/18/00667/032800002/(ask ChatGPT etc.) - How to write a research paper:<del> https://aw.gsais.kyoto-u.ac.jp/research/template-of-a-research-paper</del> (ask ChatGPT etc.)
- How to do research (in Chinese） https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/85pGxXidvCDXgM9_S73WYQ
- 美国教授写给被开除的中国学生的信（中文, Chinese） https://m.jjl.cn/case/218000.html
On paper and slides
- Paper should follow the format for QE (see a template in LaTeX). It can be incomplete but should be prepared carefully. Please submit the source file (or a compressed archive if there are more than two source files) and a PDF.
- Presentation file contains the slides. If you modified the slides after uploading, please re-upload it again.
- Uploading is done by Media Manager. Please name your file as date-name-filetype.ext such as 20170410-liangz-slides.pdf.
- Put time, event information, slide numbers in your presentation.
- Add citations of the information (even in the presentation file) that are not your own works.
- Analyze or demonstrate how your research is related to what you introduced and why your research may help.
- Always submit documents one day before the deadline, since you may miss it due to some unexpected happening on the deadline day.
Meet Prof. Zhao
- If you want to have a long discussion (more than 30 minutes), it would be better to ask for an appointment one week before. Exception: For short or urgent matters, please feel free to visit my office.
- For recommendation letter, prepare a draft first then ask one week before the deadline.
- For reviewing a document, contact at least three days before the deadline.
Convenient tools
- (MUST) Reference management software, e.g., Zotero.
- (MUST) Use docker with Linux for reproducibility of your research. Read this tutorial.
- Convert documents between various formats → pandoc
- You can create a personal namespace user:yourname (e.g., user:liang) and put all your documents (paper, slides, other files) in that namespace by the Media Manager. See an illustration.
- Use Linux instead of Windows/Mac OS for professional works. I like Linux Mint (MATE edition) and dual boot Linux + Windows/Mac OS.
- Use latex instead of Word for professional writing. You can learn latex in 30 minutes and/or use Overleaf.
Resource
- kwisper (professors only)
Contributor wanted!
xournal++ is a good software for handwriting based lectures. It works for Linux, macOS and Windows 10, and is open sourced. We can contribute to this project by translating its interface into Chinese and Japanese languages. Volunteer wanted!
Archive
- Book reading in 2025 (stopped)
- 2020-06-27 Mini workshop “Leadership Online Peer Learning”, a joint event with AFLSP@KU
- 2020-04-23
Hu, Rongqing donated 100 surgical masks to Toichi lab.mask.pdf - 2020-04-07 Xu, Cong donated 100 surgical masks to our graduate school.