The 2014 Open Campus in Uji, Kyoto University, was held on 25--26 October. Held annually in the fall, Open Campus in Uji offers visitors a chance to learn about what kind of research is being conducted at Uji Campus and Ujigawa Open Laboratories, with the aim of promoting awareness of the University's research activities and public engagement with science. Under the theme of "Science for Everyone", the 2014 event ― the 18th Open Campus to have taken place in Uji ― was designed to be fun for all and to encourage curiosity about science by throwing the doors open to many laboratories and other facilities.
Special lectures presented at Kihada Hall, Uji Obaku Plaza, included: "Flood Disasters and the Roles of Dams: How to Best Utilize Dams for the Future" given by Professor Tetsuya Sumi from the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), "Let's Explore What Goes On Inside Our Stomachs" by Professor Fumito Tani from the Graduate School of Agriculture (GSA), and "What Can We Do? Satellite Vulnerability to Space Debris and Meteorites Approaching Earth" by Professor Hiroshi Yamakawa from the Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH).
In addition, the Graduate School of Engineering hosted a pre-event open symposium on 24 October, while the DPRI, the Institute for Chemical Research, and the RISH each hosted lecture series over the weekend, which were conducted as part of Open Campus.
Individual laboratories, meanwhile, introduced visitors to diverse fields of cutting-edge research by hosting interactive events such as "Survival Quizzes", with prizes including emergency supplies, and "Exploring the Micro World of Everyday Food", which involved observing daily food using optical and electron microscopes. Many of these activities were held inside research and experimental facilities that are usually closed to the public.
With an array of events carefully designed to be accessible and enjoyable for everyone, Open Campus in Uji has been attracting an increasing number of people every year. Over the course of the two-day autumnal event in 2014, activities at Uji Campus and Ujigawa Open Laboratories attracted more than 3,300 participants.
"Survival Quiz"
"Experience Glass Beadmaking - Let's Learn about the Properties of Glass"
"The World of Plasmas in Everyday Life - From Fluorescent Light to the Sun"
"Tree-Watching Society - 'What is this Tree?'"
"Exploring the Micro World of Everyday Food" (Microscale observations of food using different types of microscopes)
