I recently completed a trip to Japan and Taiwan with other colleagues. The first part of the visit was to Kyushu University for the IEICES conference, where I presented two papers. I was surprised and grateful to receive the Best Presenter Award. It was also my first time in Japan, and the experience was truly memorable. We spent a few days exploring the country and from the scenery, people, architecture and history. The energy, culture, and unique atmosphere of these areas made the trip even more enjoyable. Sumimasen quickly became the most used word of the entire journey, and I definitely love the savory taste of authentic Japanese ramen. Many thanks to my former student, Sohta, for being our tour guide in Tokyo.

Our next stop was the ISET 2025 conference at National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) in Taichung. This visit felt meaningful because I had previously spent few months at NCHU during a research attachment. Coming back as an invited speaker gave me the chance to reconnect with familiar faces and share a talk titled “Beyond Glucose: Insulin Sensing as the Next Frontier for Metabolic Disease.” Our DIAGNOSTICS Research Group also presented two posters, and both received awards. I’m thankful to Prof. Congo and the NCHU team for their warm welcome and hospitality.

The final part of the trip was the biosensors conference at National Central University (NCU). We presented our latest work on a non-enzymatic lactate sensor and met many researchers working in similar areas. I also had the chance to attend several plenary sessions, including a talk by the Research Director of TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) and another by Prof. Keisuke Goda from the University of Tokyo. Both sessions were informative and provided useful insights.

Overall, the trip was a meaningful experience, both academically and personally. I hope to return again in the future and continue exploring conferences and collaborations in the region. And who knows, maybe one day the post-doc opportunity there.