“Musha-Shugyo” Program(Abroad research stay program) @Monash University
I am Shuntaro Tanaka, an M1 student.
From late September to mid-November, I spent nearly two months at Monash University’s Institute of Transportation Study in Melbourne, Australia, conducting research under Professor Hai Vu. My research theme was “Development of a Reverse Reinforcement Learning-Based Travel Activity Modeling Method Considering Human Heterogeneity” as part of a research training program.
During my stay, Professor Vu provided opportunities for regular meetings and student group seminars to discuss ideas for literature reviews and methodological frameworks. We deliberated on defining the research problem and developing potential methodologies. Additionally, I analyzed data provided by Professor Vu covering Victoria, including Melbourne.
During these discussions, I received extensive feedback on the differences in social contexts affecting mobility patterns in both Melbourne and Tokyo, as well as insights into what elements could be captured in the mobility survey data and methodologies of both cities.
While some other students’ research covered topics closely related to our lab, many explored entirely new areas, such as combining large language models with existing mobility activity models. This was highly stimulating. Furthermore, within the seminar, discussions consistently focused on how to compare and validate results, always keeping the final paper output in mind. I felt this was something I wanted to emulate in my own research.
During my days off, I also enjoyed sightseeing in Melbourne’s city center and suburbs. It was fascinating to learn about various aspects of the city, such as its diverse food and café culture supported by cultural diversity, and the progress of railway projects responding to the city’s population growth.
I intend to apply the knowledge and insights gained during this research stay to my future master’s research.
Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Hai Vu and the students at Monash University, Professor Fukuda who introduced this opportunity, Professor Takao Danji of Waseda University, and the International Exchange Team of the Graduate School of Engineering who supported my travel through the Musha Gyōshū Program, as well as everyone else who supported this research stay.
[M1 Tanaka]
