Assistants for Communication in English (ACE) (Formerly known as ERIC)

We’ve changed our program name to ACE!

Previously known as "ERIC (English wRIting Consultants)," we are expanding our services and rebranding as "ACE (Assistants for Communication in English)." From 2024 A2 Term, we will not only continue offering writing consultations but also start supporting academic presentation rehearsals. Stay tuned for more details, which will be announced on our website and Instagram soon. Be sure to check them out!

What is ACE?

ACE stands for Assistants for Communication in English, referring to our team of tutors. ACE tutors are trained international students at the University of Tokyo who are skilled in writing (see the bottom of the page for tutor introductions). They provide guidance and feedback on English writing techniques for scientific papers (e.g., conference presentations, journal articles) and career documents (e.g., resumes and study abroad applications). Consultations are conducted in English, providing an opportunity for intercultural communication through English writing.

ACE is a service available to all members of the University of Tokyo. You can receive two 45-minute consultations per document.

Consultations are conducted in a hybrid format, both in-person and via Zoom, so you can participate in whichever way you prefer. We offer two types of consultations: Booked Consultation, where you can reserve a session in advance and send your documents for more in-depth feedback, and Walk-in Consultation, where you can casually ask ACE tutors for advice without making a reservation. Please choose the option that best suits your needs.

*Please note that ACE is not a proofreading service. Consultations aim to help you grow as a writer. If you need proofreading services, please use a dedicated proofreading service or tools like ChatGPT and Grammarly.

Consultation Schedule and Venue:

• Every Tuesday, 16:00-16:45@Library Plaza (1st Floor of the General Library) or Zoom
• Every Thursday, 16:00-16:45@Basement Floor of Engineering Bldg. #11（i.e., HASEKO-KUMA HALL）or Zoom

*Please refer to the reservation page below for the consultation schedule during holidays.
*If you have a time constraint, please send an email to eric.seut[at mark]gmail.com to explore the possibility of a different schedule.

How to Schedule and Prepare for a Booked Consultation

STEP 1: Book your consultation online

STEP 2: Send your document via Google Form

Please send the document you want ACE to check via a Google Form at least 48 hours before your consultation. Upon booking, you will receive the URL to the Google Form.

* If you do not send the document by the specified time, the consultation will be canceled.
* Please send the document in a Word file. Feedback will be provided using the comment function. If you wrote the document in LaTeX, send a PDF or the relevant text in a Word file.

STEP 3: Consultation

Meet ACE tutors at your consultation. The consultation is organized as follows:

～Consultation Flow～
1. Warm welcome by one or two ACE tutors
2. Self-introduction
3. Needs analysis
4. Consultation
5. Questionnaire

Face-to-face Consultation＠Library Plaza

Online Consultation＠Zoom

How to Access a Walk-in Consultation

No bookings? No worries! You can come to our consultations without a reservation. If you have a document you would like us to check, feel free to bring it with you. We recommend checking the calendar before coming, as there may be a Booked Consultation in progress. However, if a tutor is available, they may still be able to assist you, so don’t hesitate to ask. We look forward to seeing you!

Tips for Making the Most of Your Consultation

• Consultations are designed to help you solve problems and grow as a writer. Identify your struggles as a writer and communicate this to your tutor.
• Ask your tutor lots of questions. Writing down questions before the consultation is a good idea.
• If you do not understand what the tutors say, ask them to clarify. Since this is an opportunity for intercultural communication, keep asking until you understand each other.

ACE Tutors

Mohamed (M2)

Department: Mechanical Engineering

Research Interest: Green Hydrogen Energy Systems

Message to you: Academic writing is a powerful vehicle, able to transform your groundbreaking ideas from local insights into global inspirations. The road may seem riddled with the hurdles of language and structure, but these are actually opportunities for growth and refinement. Remember, you're not alone on this journey. We're here to assist you in honing your words and illuminating your thoughts, enabling you to reach a wider audience with confidence and clarity.

Umer (D3)

Department: Civil Engineering

Research Interest: Water Resources, Hydrological Modeling

Message to you: Transforming research into compelling articles is a vital skill. It requires capturing the readers' attention, ensuring brevity, and enhancing readability—skills that are essential in the academic realm. We look forward to enhancing your academic writing prowess. Together, let's ensure your ideas shine brightly, making a lasting impression on the global stage. Let the journey towards impactful and compelling academic communication begin!

Anubhav (D1)

Department: Mathematical Informatics

Research Interest: Affective Computing; Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience

Message to you: Communication stands as a vital skill for researchers, and writing serves as a powerful tool to disseminate the implications of your hard-earned results. It's disheartening if your manuscript faces rejection or doesn't garner the recognition it deserves due to minor errors. Let's collaborate to ensure your writing shines brightly and receives the acclaim it merits. Whether it's polishing grammar, refining clarity, or enhancing overall coherence, together, we can fortify your manuscript and propel you towards becoming an even more proficient communicator for future endeavours.

Surya Narayanan (D3)

Department: Graduate School of IST

Research Interest: Deep Learning and EvoComp Algorithms, Neurocomputation, Artificial Life

Message to you: The goal of science is to make the unintelligible, intelligible." - Richard Feynman. In the words of Richard Feynman, the importance of scientific writing is in the art of clear and concise writing. You've taken the first step by putting your ideas into words. Now, let's refine your writing to make it clear, concise, and accessible to a broad audience. Effective academic writing, particularly in scientific fields, is about presenting complex concepts in a logical and coherent manner. Let's work together to clarify your message, simplify technical jargon, and present your research in a way that inspires meaningful discussions and breakthroughs. Our goal is to make your writing shine, so your research can reach its full potential and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in your field.

Chi-Kai (Ernest) Hung (D1)

Department: Chemical System Engineering

Research Interest: Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis; Dynamic Surfaces

Message to you: I believe that every academic writer has a unique voice, and my goal is to help you find and develop your voice while strengthening your grammar, logical structure, word choice, and style. I aim to make the process engaging and to provide personalized feedback that will help your growth in academic writing. I’m looking forward to working with you and being a part of your writing journey; whether you’re working on research papers or conference presentations, please don’t hesitate to schedule a session!

Terms and Conditions

• ACE has the right to cancel clients’ consultations when observing clients’ inappropriate behaviors and misuse of service (e.g., canceling consultations multiple times without informing us, not sending the document in time, seeking a proofreading service, occupying multiple consultation slots).
• ACE tutors may not be familiar with your field of research. If you want to receive feedback on the content of the document or if you do not want to discuss anything related to the content of the document with non-experts, please seek help from your supervisors and/or lab members.

Contact Us

eric.seut[at]gmail.com (please change [at] to @)