[Profile]
Born in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. After graduating from high school, Jingyue Li-san advanced to Undergraduate and Graduate School in Japan. She studied regenerative medicine using Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS Cells) technology at the Graduate School. After joining the company in April 2020, she is currently in site supply chain management at the Shiga Factory, and her responsibilities include production management and collaboration with other departments.

What made you decide to work in Japan? 

I was interested in iPS Cells research and wanted to deepen my studies in Japan, the country with the most advanced research in this field. However, as I continued my research in Japan, I joined Bayer Yakuhin in order to better understand and take actions to solve problems in the connection between these advanced medical technologies and the general public.

How do you feel about working in a Japanese workplace with a different culture?

When I was a university student, there were many non-Japanese students in my laboratory, and I communicated with them in multi-language environment. However, in my current workplace, most of my colleagues are Japanese, and most of the documentation is written in Japanese. In Japan, I sometimes feel sort of a culture shock as I am required to read between the lines and understand the subtle context of each situation.

How do you find work in such an environment unfamiliar to you?

In terms of work, I still have a lot to learn, but I still enjoy working with a fresh feeling every day. I have been working mainly from home since joining the Company under the pandemic of COVID-19, so I am looking forward to the day when this situation improves and I can meet everyone in the office in person.

Please tell us any tips on communication.

If I don't understand something, I try to clearly communicate that to the people around me. It takes a lot of courage to say that during a pause in a meeting. However, it is absolutely necessary for me to understand the work at hand, so I try to push myself to speak up.

It seems to take courage to say that in front of your colleagues.

Yes. But I am very grateful that my managers and colleagues always check my understanding after meetings and explanations. I am also very grateful that my manager does not treat me as a non-Japanese, but as an individual with an understanding of who I am beyond cultural, national, and linguistic differences.

What is Great Place to Work for you?

Who you are working with is just as important as what you are doing. Every job is about inter-personal communication. I believe that accepting others on the premise that people are different and have different ways of thinking will lead to an attractive workplace. And I feel that work at Bayer has that quality.