The ninth Kyoto University Tokyo Forum "Cosmology of Kyoto" was held at the Hotel New Otani with some 350 people in attendance. A great many of these included KU alumni -- among whom were Diet members, business leaders, and national agency officials -- while the University was represented by President Hiroshi Matsumoto and numerous Executive Vice-Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Deans.
The first segment of the event consisted of lectures by three KU researchers, delivered after President Matsumoto's opening remarks. Professor Shinohara Naoki from the Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH) spoke on "Space-Based Solar Power: Enabling the Humanosphere to Achieve Sustainable Development in the Universe as an Open System", while Specially-Appointed Professor Fujio Nakano and Program-Specific Assistant Professor Hiroaki Isobe, both of the Center for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Education and Research (C-PiER), discussed "Exploring the World of the Kojiki from 700 km above Earth: the Convergence of Natural and Social Sciences at Kyoto University" and "Transforming the Universe from Our Frontier into Our Field", respectively.
After the lectures, President Matsumoto and the three scholars engaged in a panel discussion exploring humanity's long-term potential in the context of a scholarly approach to the cosmos.
This discussion was followed by a reception, in which President Matsumoto introduced his successor, Professor Yamagiwa, who also delivered remarks. Finally, the following guests of honor spoke: Mr Shinichi Yamanaka, Vice-Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Ms Naoko Yamazaki, a former astronaut now serving on the Committee on National Space Policy; and Mr Naokazu Takemoto, a lawmaker in the House of Representatives.
Earlier in the day, meanwhile, the Kyoto University Kanae-Kai -- a KU alumni organization consisting of business leaders who are dedicated to supporting the University's President -- held its third general assembly at the same venue, enabling its 60 attending members to exchange views on how they could contribute to the future of their alma mater.
As a whole, the Tokyo Forum is intended not just as a vehicle for the University to showcase its research excellence to a Tokyo-area audience, but also as a networking opportunity for those who work in different sectors but share a connection to the institution. Kyoto University intends to continue hosting these sorts of events as part of an effort to enhance its overall external presence.
From left: President Matsumoto, Professor Shinohara, Specially-Appointed Professor Nakano, and Program-Specific Assistant Professor Isobe
From left: Professor Yamagiwa, Vice-Minister Yamanaka, Ms Yamazaki, and Mr Takemoto
The panel discussion in session
The lecture venue
