2021 Scholarship Student at Tokyo Institute of Technology – Avinash Boodoo
2021/10/28
2021 Scholarship Student at Tokyo Institute of Technology – Avinash Boodoo
Konnichiwa! My name is Avinash Boodoo and I am one of the 2021 MEXT Scholarship Recipients. I am originally from South Trinidad and I have spent the past couple years living in Penal. I possess a BSc. (Hons) Petroleum Geoscience and a MSc. Coastal Engineering and Management (Distinction) from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine. The Monbu-Kagaku-Shō (MEXT) Scholarship has afforded me the opportunity to do research and pursue my Doctoral studies at Tokyo Institute of Technology!
Throughout my entire life, I have always had a passion and longstanding interest in the coastal and marine environment and foreign languages and cultures. The MSc. Coastal Engineering and Management programme at the UWI, St. Augustine allowed me to develop and nurture this passion for coastal engineering and the marine environment. My MSc thesis involved numerical modelling of the hydrodynamic and wave conditions of the Buccoo Reef, Tobago, its effectiveness at coastal protection and the effect of continued coral reef degradation and sea level rise on future wave conditions.
While doing the MSc thesis I realised that I thoroughly enjoyed coastal numerical modelling and researching natural and nature-based solutions to coastal hazards. I remember the moment that I successfully ran my first model simulation (after maybe 10 hours of failing) and I saw a wave energy dissipation map that accurately represented the depth induced wave breaking taking place on the reef crest. The fact that I was able to represent a real-life phenomenon using mathematical equations was mind-blowing to me. This coupled with my love for coastal ecosystems has driven me to pursue my PhD in the use of Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Hazard Mitigation.
Climate change and sea level rise has meant an increase in the intensity and propensity of coastal hazards such as coastal erosion, flooding, storm surges and tsunamis. Countries such as Japan and Small Island Developing States (SIDSs) such as Trinidad and Tobago are at an even bigger disadvantage due to the heavy reliance on the coastal zones. Within the last decade, however, there has been a paradigm shift towards the use of nature-based approaches to shoreline protection as this represents a more effective, sustainable and economically viable approach towards the mitigation of coastal hazards.
I was accepted to pursue my studies at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo which was ranked 3rd in Japan and 56th worldwide in the QS World University Rankings 2021. For the first six months I will enrol in the Japanese Intensive Course, after which I expect to begin my PhD studies. During my time in Japan I hope to become proficient in Japanese, experience Japanese culture and showcase the best of our Trinidadian culture! It is also my dream that I can make a significant contribution to the field of Coastal Engineering and the use of NBSs and use my knowledge for the betterment of Japan, Trinidad and Tobago and the entire world!
This opportunity to further my education and do my part in making the world a better place has been granted to me through the MEXT Scholarship for which I am exceedingly grateful. First and foremost, I would like to thank Ambassador Tatsuo Hirayama and the staff at the Embassy of Japan for providing me with this amazing opportunity. I must also thank my supervisor at Tokyo Institute of Technology for accepting me and giving me the chance to pursue my studies. None of my achievements thus far would have been possible without the unrelenting support and love from my family- my mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother and the love of my life, my fiancée. I hope to make them and my country, Trinidad and Tobago, proud!
MEXT Scholarship Series: 2021 Scholarship Student at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japanese Embassy Facebook)
MEXT Scholarship Series Archives
Throughout my entire life, I have always had a passion and longstanding interest in the coastal and marine environment and foreign languages and cultures. The MSc. Coastal Engineering and Management programme at the UWI, St. Augustine allowed me to develop and nurture this passion for coastal engineering and the marine environment. My MSc thesis involved numerical modelling of the hydrodynamic and wave conditions of the Buccoo Reef, Tobago, its effectiveness at coastal protection and the effect of continued coral reef degradation and sea level rise on future wave conditions.
While doing the MSc thesis I realised that I thoroughly enjoyed coastal numerical modelling and researching natural and nature-based solutions to coastal hazards. I remember the moment that I successfully ran my first model simulation (after maybe 10 hours of failing) and I saw a wave energy dissipation map that accurately represented the depth induced wave breaking taking place on the reef crest. The fact that I was able to represent a real-life phenomenon using mathematical equations was mind-blowing to me. This coupled with my love for coastal ecosystems has driven me to pursue my PhD in the use of Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Hazard Mitigation.
Climate change and sea level rise has meant an increase in the intensity and propensity of coastal hazards such as coastal erosion, flooding, storm surges and tsunamis. Countries such as Japan and Small Island Developing States (SIDSs) such as Trinidad and Tobago are at an even bigger disadvantage due to the heavy reliance on the coastal zones. Within the last decade, however, there has been a paradigm shift towards the use of nature-based approaches to shoreline protection as this represents a more effective, sustainable and economically viable approach towards the mitigation of coastal hazards.
I was accepted to pursue my studies at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo which was ranked 3rd in Japan and 56th worldwide in the QS World University Rankings 2021. For the first six months I will enrol in the Japanese Intensive Course, after which I expect to begin my PhD studies. During my time in Japan I hope to become proficient in Japanese, experience Japanese culture and showcase the best of our Trinidadian culture! It is also my dream that I can make a significant contribution to the field of Coastal Engineering and the use of NBSs and use my knowledge for the betterment of Japan, Trinidad and Tobago and the entire world!
This opportunity to further my education and do my part in making the world a better place has been granted to me through the MEXT Scholarship for which I am exceedingly grateful. First and foremost, I would like to thank Ambassador Tatsuo Hirayama and the staff at the Embassy of Japan for providing me with this amazing opportunity. I must also thank my supervisor at Tokyo Institute of Technology for accepting me and giving me the chance to pursue my studies. None of my achievements thus far would have been possible without the unrelenting support and love from my family- my mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother and the love of my life, my fiancée. I hope to make them and my country, Trinidad and Tobago, proud!
MEXT Scholarship Series: 2021 Scholarship Student at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japanese Embassy Facebook)
MEXT Scholarship Series Archives