The 2nd Kyoto University-University of Vienna Joint Workshop was held at Kyoto University on 24–25 October 2019. It was the first joint workshop to be held by the two institutions since they concluded a strategic partnership agreement on 8 October 2019.
The first joint workshop, which took place last September at the University of Vienna, focused on the three fields of Comparative Social Politics, Material Science, and Cognitive Biology. The parallel sessions of the second workshop focused on four fields, including the two new areas of Art History and Asian Studies. The sessions aimed to develop existing and new research collaboration in their respective fields. Notably, three of the sessions focused on topics from the humanities and social sciences.
The 24 October opening ceremony featured addresses by Dr Kayo Inaba, Kyoto University's executive vice-president for gender equality, international affairs, and public relations, and Professor Sebastian Schütze, dean of the University of Vienna's Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies and head of the University of Vienna delegation. After the addresses, Professor Schütze and Professor Kayo Hirakawa of the Graduate School of Letters gave commemorative lectures about their art history research. After the opening ceremony, presentations were delivered in parallel sessions, which were followed by active discussions.
In the evening, Professor Nagahiro Minato, Kyoto University's provost and executive vice-president for strategy coordination, research, planning, and hospital administration, and Dr Hideo Saji, assistant to the executive vice-president for research, attended the workshop's reception dinner, during which the participants shared ideas regarding future research collaboration under the strategic partnership agreement.
At a plenary session on 25 October, representatives from each parallel session shared the outcomes of their discussions and presented their prospects for future collaboration under the strategic partnership agreement. This was followed by a question and answer session, during which the participants shared their opinions. President Juichi Yamagiwa posed several questions relevant to all four session fields before bringing the workshop to an end with a closing address.
After the workshop, the participants visited the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) and the Seifuso Villa to deepen their understanding of Kyoto University's history and research activities.
From left: President Yamagiwa closing the workshop, EVP Inaba speaking at the ceremony, and Professor Schütze delivering a keynote lecture
From left: Professor Yukari Mitsuhashi, vice-Director of Kyoto University's International Strategy Office, serving as the mistress of ceremonies, Professor Kayo Hirakawa (Kyoto University) delivering a keynote lecture, and Provost/EVP Minato greeting the reception attendees
Dr Susumu Kitagawa, director of iCeMS, speaking with the participants during the facility tour
The workshop participants
Related links
- The 2nd Joint Workshop Kyoto University-University of Vienna
http://www.oc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/symposium/kyoto-vienna-joint-workshop/en/ - Strategic Partnership established with the University of Bordeaux and the University of Vienna (7–8 October 2019)
https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/about/events_news/office/kikaku-joho/kokusai-kikaku/news/2019/191008_1.html
