Kyoto University Research Coordination Alliance (KURCA) hosted the eleventh Symposium on Kyoto University-Affiliated Institutes and Research Centers at Shinagawa Intercity Hall (Minato-ku, Tokyo), endorsed by Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education and the Yomiuri Shimbun. Around 530 participants from the general public and 187 students and teachers from the Tokyo metropolitan area attended.
The symposium has been held annually since 2006 at major cities across Japan in order for KU's 22 Research Centers and Institutes to share their achievements, which cover a broad range of fields in basic research. The eleventh year of this event featured a theme of "Kyoto's Challenge: Leaping Forward for Global Harmony".
Representing the university, President Juichi Yamagiwa delivered an opening address, which was followed by a congratulatory address by Mr Hiroaki Ishizaki, Coordinator of the Scientific Research Institutes Division, Research Promotion Bureau, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Then, presentations on research achievements were delivered by six lecturers from KU's Centers and Institutions: Associate Professor Yusuke Ebihara of the Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH), Professor Hirohiko Ishihara of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Assistant Professor Minoru Tanigaki of the Research Reactor Institute, Professor Hirohide Saitou of the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Associate Professor Takuji Iwaki of the Institute for Research in Humanities, and Professor Shiro Koshima of the Wildlife Research Center. A question-and-answer session followed, in which lecturers and audience exchanged their views on the topics.
Afterwards, Professor Naoto Oshiman, Director of KURCA, explained about four "Frontier" Science Units, which had been newly established in KURCA. The research units aim to create radically new academic fields through interdisciplinary collaboration.
In the following panel discussion facilitated by Professor Sakiko Yoshikawa, Director of Kokoro Research Center, four panelists -- President Yamagiwa; Professor Toshitaka Tsuda, Director of RISH; Professor Ryoichi Inami, Director of the Institute for Research in Humanities; and Professor Yoshio Koyanagi, Director of the Institute for Virus Research -- exchanged their views on several topics, such as events that motivated them to be a researcher, experiences that future students should go through, and social missions for researchers.
Professor Nagahiro Minato, Executive Vice-President, delivered a closing address and concluded the symposium.
From left: President Yamagiwa, Coordinator Ishizaki, Director Oshiman, and Executive Vice-President Minato
Lecturers answering questions at a Q and A session in the morning
Lecturers answering questions at a Q and A session in the afternoon
Panel discussion
