A Look at LOTUS 2025 Part 1: Neha Mishra, NIMS

The LOTUS Programme, supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency's Sakura Science Exchange Program, aims to strengthen Japan-India joint research efforts by fostering collaborations and building networks between research institutions in Japan and India. In this installment of A Look at LOTUS, we spoke with Neha Mishra, a PhD student at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, India, who is conducting research at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), as part of her experience participating in the programme.

Q1. Please tell us about your background.

A1. A love for botany grew into the pursuit of chemistry

I'm from IIT Hyderabad, India where I am a 4th year research scholar, and completed my previous education in India including my bachelors and masters. Actually, in my school days, I chose to pursue science and was more interested in botany and I loved to learn about biological things. My aim was to become a doctor in the field of medical sciences. In India, applicants have to clear an entrance exam where there are lakhs and lakhs of people (a lakh is a hundred thousand), but unfortunately, I could not beat it.

Following that I started with my education in the Bachelor of Science. Initially, I was not set on which field I was going to pursue, so in the general BSC, where we get the scope to choose further, I graduated with a focus in the two fields of botany and chemistry. It was here where I developed more of a love for chemistry. I then opted to do a masters and now a PhD in which I am doing research on High Entropy Materials (HEMs) for electrocatalytic and photoelectrochemical splitting of water mainly focusing on Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER).

My professor told me about the LOTUS programme, and I was required to write a proposal for it. I put forward what I thought I could collaborate on within this project and was able to be selected on that basis.

Q2. What research are you undertaking with the LOTUS Programme

A2. Photo-electrocatalytic applications and high entropy material coating over silicon substrates

As part of LOTUS, I have brought some of my PhD work over here, working on high entropy materials and testing them for photo-electro catalytic application. As my supervisor, Professor Fukata, deals with semi-conductors, I was working on making these high entropy materials on different silicon substrates. I had been working with carbon-based substrates before arriving here, but now after coming here, I'm using high entropy materials over semiconductors like silicon wafer and experimenting with different kinds of wafer. In the beginning, I was looking into conventional wafers, and I proceeded on to nanostructure silicon wafers, which I have covered with my high entropy material coating. Furthermore, I have checked the applications as photocathode material for water splitting evolving hydrogen.

While here in Japan, I also got the chance to participate in an internship and was exposed to many different aspects of Japanese culture, such as zazen meditation, which was a very good experience.

Q3. Tell us more about your experiences in India compared with Japan

A3. Strong competition in India, great facilities in Japan

Most things are actually not too different, but there are a few examples. In India we graduate with a PhD in 5 years and in Japan, I hear most people get theirs in 3. There are also some small differences in workstyle but that was only a little different. Naturally there were difficulties in terms of language. Asides from that, there were also some restrictions which made research work different compared to India, such as lab access hours and so on.

There are many strong aspects of research in India. As PhD candidates, we are exposed to a wide range of course work and opt for courses which are helpful in our PhD subject matter and then we start our training with equipment, developing understanding for practical work. A very good thing about my specific institute and department is that we have been given access to many types of sensitive instruments, which we also receive training for and have easy access to.

Also, IITH is a second-generation Indian Institute of Technology. This means that it is new, being established from 2008 and from then onward. In terms of research, they are trying to develop all the possible facilities; recently they have opened one new research center which is called 'SATHI' and in that, we have very good characterization and sensitive instruments being brought there to carry out our more intensive research there.

In doing research, for all the academic careers people pursue in India, we have to clear exams. Going into IITs, advancing into a PhD, we again have to clear a few exams, such as one of the national entrance exams called GATE. So again, competition and challenge, and the challenge starts from there, entering into IIT. After this research is always challenging.

Q4. A message for future LOTUS Scholars

A4. A strong recommendation and many thanks to my supervisors

After completing this JST LOTUS program here, I have one more conference to attend and then I will be returning home. As for the immediate future, my plan is to finish my degree as soon as possible and wrap up my thesis. After that, I am open to both industry and academia. For this, I will try to apply wherever it is possible, including of course Japan!

I definitely recommend the program for other people in similar circumstances to me! We are already trying to connect our lab in India with the next intake group. This was because of my recommendation and the positive things which I have observed within the research environment here. I think that everyone should come to Japan and experience the research here.

Finally, my supervisors here always supported me, so it's been a very good experience and very different from India to Japan. Thank you so much!

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