——First, what kind of child were you?

Zhang (B)  I was good at science, especially chemistry, from a young age. In middle school, I was always among the top two in my class in tests.

Zhang (E) I had relatives in Japan who would bring me the latest Japanese products like Walkman and Pocky as souvenirs when I was a child. At that time, there were no such good products in China, so when I brought them to school, I remember being the center of attention.

I admired Japan for its high technology and good products, and I had a strong desire to go there.

——Why did you decide to pursue science?

Zhang (B)  I found it interesting that under certain conditions, reacting substances could create new ones. I’ve been interested in chemistry since middle school. Also, I chose environmental science at Tsukuba University because I was very interested in the environment.

Zhang (E)  I found studying by rote boring, and I thought that science, where you can solve problems by understanding formulas, was more fun, so I went into science (laughs).

Everything around us, from building materials to food to pharmaceuticals, is based on knowledge of chemistry. So, I thought that majoring in chemistry would be advantageous for job hunting, and that was one of the reasons.

——So, you’ve been a science brain since you were a child!

Zhang (B)  Yes, I’m not very good at languages… especially English. I can read normally, though.

Zhang (E)  I wouldn’t say I’m bad, but I’m not good at writing, and I thought studying just to memorize boring sentences was meaningless. I felt the significance of learning in science subjects because they involve technology and creating new things.

——Could you tell us about your motivation and the reason you joined HighChem?


Zhang (B)  I worked part-time at HighChem during my first year of my master’s program, which led to my joining the company. I worked in the sample management room, and after graduating from university, I joined as a full-time employee. It’s hard to find a job in Japan, so it was nice to work somewhere familiar.

Zhang (E)  HighChem also has a good working atmosphere.

Zhang (B)  Yes, the atmosphere is good, and I think HighChem is a comfortable company to work for.

Zhang (E)  I wanted to work somewhere where I could apply what I had learned, and a senior from the same university approached me, which led to my joining the company. He said, “We’re looking for someone at HighChem who knows Chinese, Japanese, and chemistry. Are you interested?” I thought it would be a very meaningful job to be able to apply the skills I had learned and become a bridge between Japan and China, so I decided to join HighChem.

——What kind of work have you been doing since you joined the company?

Zhang (B)  When I first joined, I was doing administrative work, but I expressed my desire to move to a research position and have been involved in catalyst development and evaluation research since the latter half of 2018. I mainly work on the research and development of SEG® catalysts and catalysts for electrolytes.

——Your experience studying environmental science in graduate school is coming in handy.

Zhang (B)  That’s true for SEG® catalysts, and research on catalysts for electrolytes is a new research and development field that directly leads to decarbonization. I can apply the knowledge of environmental systems I learned in graduate school, and I find my current job very fulfilling.

——What kind of work were you doing when you joined the company, Zhang (E)?

Zhang (E)  Yes, initially, I was in a department dealing with fine chemicals, mainly technical sales dealing with pharmaceutical intermediates. Japanese customers are strict about quality, and a lot of investigation and inspection are required before they buy. I had to check the details and spend a lot of time creating documents.

Later, I moved to a department specializing in new business development and conducted a lot of research on product sales, current status, and future prospects. It’s a challenging but fun job to get to experience new products. About one in every 50 products investigated will generate sales. It’s a busy job with a lot of research, but if you do a lot of research, something will hit, and it was a rewarding job.

——You are currently in the Food and Health Materials Division.

Zhang (E)  Yes, I am currently in charge of new product development in the Food and Health Materials Division. I regularly visit major companies that we have not dealt with before, and although it will take some time, there are cases where I can feel progress. My current boss is a veteran who has managerial experience in a global company in the food industry, and I am learning a lot from him.

——What are the good things about being a female scientist?


Zhang (B)  I think one of the good things about being a female scientist is that when there’s a problem, we start by thinking about solutions rather than complaining.

Zhang (E) Yes, if there’s a problem, we think and solve it. When it’s solved, it’s a great “aha” moment. There’s a reason for everything, and it leads to results. Don’t you think it’s cool to be able to think in that way?

Thinking that what I’ve researched may be useful all over the world in the future gives me confidence.

Zhang (B)  Also, I think we have high theoretical thinking ability. Don’t you think so?

Zhang (E) I wonder? I feel like we can look at things from a high perspective and think logically, not emotionally.

——We’ve heard about the good things about being a female scientist, but have you ever regretted it?

Zhang (E)  In my case, I regretted choosing a science career after entering university.

Zhang (B)  Why did you regret it?

Zhang (E)  The classes and tests were really difficult, and studying was hard. It’s not that you pass if you submit a report, you have to submit a correct report about the experiment to pass. It wasn’t as easy as I imagined, and there was a time when I regretted going into science. Chemistry experiments were really busy, and I hardly had any time off in college life, and I didn’t have much time for myself.

——In Japan, it’s often reported in the news that there are few women going into science. Is it the same in China?

Zhang (B)  I think quite a few women have gone into science. Before, like in Japan, science classes were mostly boys and only a few girls, but now more women are coming in.

Zhang (E)  This is just my perception, but I think the proportion of girls going into science is higher in China than in Japan. In science classes, there are slightly more boys, but I think it’s about half and half.

——Finally, could you tell us about your future goals?


Zhang (E)  I have quite a big goal. As HighChem expands globally, I want to build a network and play a leadership role in the trade business related to food.

I like history, and there was a time called the Age of Discovery from the 15th to the 17th centuries when new routes and continents were discovered through large-scale voyages. The examples of success in the Age of Discovery, which grasped the differences in information between regions and matched needs, I think, are also applicable to modern business.

So far, HighChem’s main transactions have been between Japan and China, but we are moving in the direction of expanding to suppliers and sellers all over the world. In fact, I have heard various stories from seniors who have worked in global companies, and I felt that the world is big. It’s a very big goal, but I think it would be good if I could show leadership at HighChem as it expands globally.

Zhang (B)  In my case, it’s very simple. HighChem has set a goal to be the world’s number one in catalyst technology. My own power is still small, but I want to contribute to this goal of HighChem being the world’s number one by working hard every day.