From Last in His Class to Oxford AI Researcher: A Researcher's Inspiring Journey

HirokatuKataoka · x · 2026-08-06

Hirokatu Kataoka, an AI researcher at the University of Oxford, was recently featured in his Japanese alma mater's school guide. He shared that he ranked dead last (252nd out of 252) during his first year of high school, with a deviated score of just 12 in Japanese. With support from his teachers, he built strong study habits and eventually turned his academic trajectory around. Today, he conducts cutting-edge AI research at Oxford and bridges the AI fields between Japan and Europe. He encourages students that current grades and titles do not define their future.

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