Cover photo: Koki Ito with James O’Neill (Lead, Pharma Manufacturing), Daniel Fealy (Process Engineer & Mentor), and Niall Marley (Engineering Graduate)
The EU-Japan Centre is excited to share an interview with Koki Ito, a student at Tohoku University, pursuing a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, with a specialization in Neuroscience and Brain Research, who recently completed an internship at Astellas Pharma Ireland as part of the Vulcanus in Europe programme, session 2024/25. Now back in Japan, Koki reflects on his international experience, professional growth, and what he’s gained from this experience.
1. When looking back at your Vulcanus experience, did it fulfil your expectations?
Koki: Absolutely. I had high expectations of working at a global company, and Astellas turned out to be the perfect place to meet those ambitions. During my time in Ireland, I gained a comprehensive understanding of the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries, including exposure to areas such as production, supply chain management, and quality control. I was also directly involved in a data analysis and risk assessment project as a production student, which gave me valuable hands-on experience. Living abroad was a fascinating experience for me as well. I felt a great sense of freedom while I was there. I really liked the way people work in Ireland — it's quite relaxed yet efficient. Overall, working at Astellas was a deeply meaningful experience. It gave me the opportunity to apply my skills in real-world projects and significantly boosted my confidence in working across cultures and building an international career.
2. Please describe your personal evolution.
Koki: If I look at my personality, the core has remained the same. However, my experience helped me build self-assertiveness and become more proactive in how I communicate and make decisions. I had to maintain close communication with my colleagues to ensure work progressed efficiently. This was especially true in the risk assessment project I joined, where effective communication played a key role in our success.
3. Please describe your professional development.
Koki: One of the key skills I developed through the internship was my knowledge of Python, a programming language. I contributed to the development of an automation program in Python, helping improve efficiency in daily tasks. I also gained experience in the pharmaceutical manufacturing process, based on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards as well.
While I did improve my hard skills to a certain extent, the most significant transformation was in my soft skills.
During my time at Astellas, I was primarily involved in data analysis and had the opportunity to give presentations almost every week. Although I initially struggled with presenting in English, I can now confidently say that giving presentations in English is no longer a challenge. These experiences allowed me to develop not only technical skills in data handling and interpretation, but also the ability to clearly communicate complex information to diverse audiences.
4. What are your current goals and ambitions?
Koki: My current goal is to gain solid professional experience as an engineer at a global IT company after finishing grad school, where I will focus on consulting and technology-driven software development. In the long term, I aim to become a global-minded professional who can lead international projects and deliver innovative solutions. My experience in Ireland strengthened my confidence and communication skills, which will be key to achieving this goal.
5. Any advice for other Japanese students willing to attend this programme?
Koki: Don't hesitate to take on the challenge. From my own experience, it’s important to welcome and even enjoy the difficulties that come with working and living abroad. I think those challenging moments are what shape you and push you toward becoming the person you want to be. I believe this program is best suited for students who are willing to embrace challenges and step out of their comfort zone.
6. Any funny or curious cultural shock anecdotes during your stay or after returning to Japan?
Koki: I would like to mention something about Irish “pints culture”. One of the most memorable cultural experiences was during my first weekend in Ireland, in a town called Killorglin, where I was staying. I was lucky enough to join a traditional summer festival called the “Puck Fair” — and what an introduction to Irish culture it was. I went out with my host lady’s grandson and his cousin, and to be honest, all we did was drink pints in a lively atmosphere. I was absolutely blown away by how many pints they could put away in such a short time. As for me, I didn’t last nearly as long… I ended up spending the rest of the afternoon fast asleep. I’d say that was a proper Irish welcome.
By Koki Ito, Vulcanus in Europe 2024/25 participant
“Koki Ito joined the Astellas Kerry Plant in the Summer of 2024 and integrated very quickly into the Capsules Manufacturing team as a Graduate Support Engineer. Koki immediately made good connections within the department and engaged himself in the day-to-day activities in the area. His main areas of focus in the Capsule Manufacturing team were data analysis and completing root cause analysis. He also worked on extracting technical information from electronic batch records.
In January 2025 Koki rotated to the Aseptic filling part of the business, and during his time in this area, Koki got involved in area Risk Assessments, batch filling analysis, and the automation of reports using Python programming. This automation of reports will be of great benefit to the area in the future, and Koki also trained some of our employees on how to set these up and maintain them going forward. Koki made several presentations to our senior leadership team and made a very good impression on everybody at Astellas. Koki also got involved in our Graduate program activities, helping in local schools and community projects.
It was a pleasure to host Koki as part of the Vulcanus project, and we wish him well in his future, which will surely be bright”.
By Martin Mulready, Lead, Pharma Manufacturing (Aseptics and Biologics), Astellas Ireland - Kerry Plant Vulcanus in Europe 2024/25 supervisor
Published: June 2025