FY 2023
Can microalgae save the Earth? Microalgae biorefinery to reduce CO2 emissions and environmental impact
| Date | March 27, 2024 |
| Venue | Yasuda Auditorium, Hongo Campus |
| Overview | This symposium will provide a comprehensive overview of the history of global climate change and the latest international trends in global warming countermeasures. The focus will be on bioeconomy research towards the realization of a decarbonized society, especially on the research focuses on developing breeding and cultivation methods for highly productive algae that can be used for the biorefinery for food, fertilizer, bioplastic, and biofuel. (in Japanese) Symposium Poster (Japanese Language Only) Related link (Japanese Language Only) |
| Registration | Registration Form (Japanese Language Only) |
| Contact | Co-creation Consortium for Functional Bio-Research, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo opera_algae[at]edu.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
International Women’s Day Event: A Conversation with Akutagawa Prize-winning Author MURATA Sayaka
| Date | March 18, 2024 |
| Venue | Zoom Webinar |
| Overview | To celebrate International Women's Day this March, Tokyo College's "Gender, Sexuality & Identity" collaborative research group will host a special webinar event with MURATA Sayaka, author and winner of the 155th Akutagawa Prize for her novel Convenience Store Woman (2016). Through discussing Murata's writing, experiences, and inspirations, the event hopes to generate reflection on society's gender and sexuality "norms" and how they shape our world. Symposium Poster Related link |
| Registration | Registration Form |
| Contact | Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo tokyo.college.event[at]tc.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
Emerging Functionality of Cultured Neurons
| Date | March 2, 2024 |
| Venue | SHIBUYA QWS SCRAMBLE HALL |
| Overview | Neurons that resemble those in our brains can be cultured in a dish. How could these cultured neurons gain brain-like functions? To explore this intriguing subject, researchers focused on 'functionalization of neural cells' will gather. They will share their cutting-edge discoveries, discuss future directions, and address the challenges in this field. This workshop welcomes scientists, students, and the general public, offering an accessible and engaging learning experience. Symposium Poster (Japanese Language Only) Related link |
| Registration | Registration Form |
| Contact | External Relations Promotion Group, The University of Tokyo ext-info.adm[at]gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp *Please replace [at] with @ in the e-mail address. |
SDGs Symposium 2024
| Date | February 27, 2024 |
| Venue | Sanjo Conference Hall 2F Conference Room, Hongo Campus and Online |
| Overview | The "SDGs Symposium 2024" co-hosted by The University of Tokyo and Springer Nature will invite renowned researchers from Japan and abroad, as well as students and early career researchers working at the intersection of planetary health and SDGs. Focusing on the connections between SDG3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG13 (Climate Action), SDG15 (Life on Land) and SDG2 (Zero Hunger), they will discuss actively how this research can explain these multifaceted phenomena and develop equitable solutions with high societal relevance and impact. Related link |
| Registration | Registration Form (On-site) Registration Form (Online) |
| Contact | Symposium Secretariat, Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo sdg_sympo2024[at]pco-prime.com |
The 2nd UTokyo Symposium on Regional Collaboration - Regional collaboration between the university's remote facilities and local governments.
| Date | February 7, 2024 |
| Venue | Sanjo Conference Hall 2F Conference Room, Hongo Campus and Online |
| Overview | The University of Tokyo has been conducting a number of community relations projects as social contribution activities by the university as a whole, as well by its various departments. The UTokyo Compass, which outlines the University of Tokyo's basic policy regarding the principles and direction that the University should pursue under President Teruo Fujii, includes a specific action plan for co-creation with society and aims to create new value in collaboration with local communities with consideration for global environment and inclusiveness. To achieve this goal, the Regional Collaboration Task Force was established under the Social Collaboration Subcommittee of the Future Society Initiative (FSI). This symposium is intended to provide a forum for information sharing among projects currently being developed by the university and its departments, and to promote collaboration among projects being conducted in regions with similar challenges. This time, lectures and talk sessions on the theme of "Regional collaboration between the university's remote facilities and local governments" will be held. Symposium Poster (Japanese Language Only) Related link (Japanese Language Only) |
| Registration | Registration Form (On-site)(Japanese Language Only) Registration Form (Online)(Japanese Language Only) |
| Contact | External Relations Promotion Group, The University of Tokyo ext-info.adm[at]gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
Design is for Everyone?: Future Creations Bridging Science and Society
| Date | February 2, 2024 |
| Venue | SHIBUYA QWS SCRAMBLE HALL |
| Overview | In 2017, the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo (IIS) established Design-Led X Platform (DLX) as a pioneering initiative to explore the role and value of design in education and research institutions. Through educational programmes and research projects, DLX collaborates across diverse fields of study to foster new connections to build bridges between academia and society. This event is dedicated to reflecting on DLX's journey so far. As we take you through a tour of our activities, we will highlight some of the challenges we have faced, and share our discoveries on the potential for design practice to advance scientific research. We will also engage in a profound dialogue that transgresses perceived boundaries between academia and industry, and discuss future strategies for design-led innovation. Symposium Poster (Japanese Language Only) Related link (Japanese Language Only) |
| Registration | Registration Form (Japanese Language Only) |
| Contact | External Relations Promotion Group, The University of Tokyo shakairenkeika.adm[at]gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
Web3.0 － Exploring the Decentralized Future
| Date | January 24, 2024 |
| Venue | Zoom Webinar |
| Overview | As centralized technologies wield increasing influence over our society, the significance of Web3.0－decentralized, fair, and open web technologies－has never been more critical. Join us in envisioning a secure, transparent, and inclusive digital landscape, uncovering the transformative potential of the decentralized web in this forward-looking exploration. Symposium Poster Related link |
| Registration | Registration Form |
| Contact | Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo tokyo.college.event[at]tc.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
“Secular” Ritual in Japanese Premodern Studies: Reconsidering the Intellectual Legacy of Futaki Ken’ichi
| Date | January 21, 2024 |
| Venue | Conference Room, Economics Research Annex (Kojima Hall) 2F, Graduate School of Economics, The University of Tokyo/ Online |
| Overview | This roundtable brings together Japanese and Anglophone scholars to discuss the methodology of Futaki Ken’ichi and what possible solutions it may bring to the future studies of ritual. We welcome specialists on Japanese premodern history, Professor Yabe Kentaro (Kokugakuin University) and Professor Morgan Pitelka (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) as presenters, with a commentary of European medievalist Professor Akae Yuichi (Keio University). The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Polina Barducci (University of Tokyo). Symposium Poster (Japanese Language Only) Related link (Japanese Language Only) |
| Registration | Registration Form |
| Contact | Polina Barducci barducci[at]g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp *Please replace [at] with @ in the e-mail address. |
What are the roles of art and literature in the war in Ukraine
| Date | December 27, 2023 |
| Venue | SHIBUYA QWS Cross Park / Online |
| Overview | We see media coverage of the war in Ukraine every day, but most of the reports are about the political and military aspects of the war and are sometimes felt as something with no relevance to our life or something we would rather stay away from. In this event, we have four experts facing this war on both Ukrainian and Russian sides through art and literature, with the goal to bring the war closer to us and deepen our understanding of the people living in the reality of the war. Symposium Poster (Japanese Language Only) Related link |
| Registration | Registration Form (Japanese Language Only) |
| Contact | External Relations Promotion Group, The University of Tokyo shakairenkeika.adm[at]gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp *Please replace [at] with @ in the e-mail address. |
Symposium on Data-Driven Future 2023
| Date | December 12, 2023 |
| Venue | Zoom |
| Overview | The Society 5.0 that our country aims for is an inclusive society where everyone can enjoy the benefits of data utilization with confidence. To realize such a society, it is essential for the entire Japan to establish an information infrastructure that can be used for a wide range of purposes and to create a human environment that connects people who want to analyze data, those with analytical skills, and public data, with universities and research institutions at the core of knowledge aggregation. To promote these efforts, a secure and high-speed computing platform called "mdx: a platform for building data-empowered society" was established at the University of Tokyo's Kashiwa II campus at the end of the fiscal year 2020. mdx began trial operations in September 2021 and started full operations in May 2023, with utilization advancing in various fields such as material science, data science, space science, social science, and humanities. Utilization by private companies has also become active, and collaboration among various stakeholders is taking place. Furthermore, from the fiscal year 2022, we have begun allocating resources to the Interdisciplinary Large-scale Information Infrastructure Joint Usage/Research Centers (JHPCN) and the Information Infrastructure Centers' young researchers and women's utilization programs to further promote the utilization and achievement creation of mdx. In this symposium, experts from a wide range of fields will give lectures on advanced initiatives and utilization cases for data utilization in various fields and regions. Related link (Japanese Language Only) |
| Registration | Registration Form (Japanese Language Only) |
| Contact | Symposium secretariat dp-symposium[at]ds.itc.u-tokyo.ac.jp *Please replace [at] with @ in the e-mail address. |
Tokyo Forum 2023
| Date | November 30 and December 1, 2023 |
| Venue | Yasuda Auditorium, University of Tokyo (Live streaming available) |
| Overview | Tokyo Forum is an international conference series that the University of Tokyo created together with the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies of South Korea in 2019, and has provided a meeting place of people, including, but not limited to, those in academia, government, business, NPOs, from all over the world. This year’s forum will bring together the expertise of both technological sciences and social sciences, to explore how humanity can respond to the global problems we face today amid social divisions and digital transformation. Symposium Poster Related link |
| Registration | Registration Form |
| Contact | Tokyo Forum Secretariat tokyo.forum.adm[at]gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp *Please replace [at] with @ in the e-mail address. |
Conversation on Climate Change with Generation Z: UTCCS Talks and Roundtable Discussion
| Date | November 30, 2023 |
| Venue | Live Streaming on YouTube |
| Overview | The issue of climate change is no longer limited to global warming, but spans all fields from natural science to humanities and social sciences, including biodiversity and social disparities. Although the movement to achieve carbon neutrality has already begun, change toward a sustainable society requires convincing people of "why things must change" based on consensus building at various levels of society. In 2022, the University of Tokyo has launched the University of Tokyo Center for Climate Solutions (UTCCS), aiming to form a center that brings together the academic knowledge of the University across disciplines and conduct research activities to explore how society can overcome climate change issues based on scientific evidence. However, to do so, it is not enough for university researchers alone; it is especially important to have a frank dialogue with the future generations who will be responsible for society. Therefore, at this event, following the presentation of cutting-edge research topics on climate and society, we will hold a roundtable discussion in which UTCCS researchers and Generation Z storytellers with diverse attributes will engage in honest discussions. We hope that many of you will tune in to hear the discussion, which will sometimes go back to the fundamentals of climate change issues to ask simple questions, and at other times softly discuss topics such as the state of university education and the perception gap between generations. Symposium Poster (Japanese Language Only) Related link (Japanese Language Only) |
| Registration | Registration Form (Japanese Language Only) |
| Contact | UTokyo Center for Climate Solutions utccs_kouhou[at]aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp *Please replace [at] with @ in the e-mail address. |
The Workshop of Practical Research in Mathematical Sciences 2023
| Date | October 28, 2023 |
| Venue | SHIBUYA QWS SCRAMBLE HALL |
| Overview | Practical Research in Mathematical Sciences (Graduate School of Mathematical Sciences) is an educational program designed for graduate students specializing in mathematical sciences to address real-world problems proposed by industry using various mathematical approaches within approximately one year. It is a required course in WINGS-FMSP and an elective required course in FoPM. In this results presentation meeting, we will report on the outcomes of the Practical Research in Mathematical Sciences course that began in October 2022. Related link (Japanese Language Only) |
| Registration | Registration Form (Japanese Language Only) |
| Contact | External Relations Promotion Group, The University of Tokyo shakairenkeika.adm[at]gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp *Please replace [at] with @ in the e-mail address. |
One Earth Guardians Development Program Symposium “Toward a Nature-Positive Future: How do we harmonize human life and the biosphere?”
| Date | October 7, 2023 |
| Venue | FUKUTAKE Learning Theater, FUKUTAKE HALL B2F, The University of Tokyo |
| Overview | The concept of "Nature Positive" is gaining attention, with the global goal of halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. While our lives are largely supported by resources derived from living organisms, we also affect biodiversity and ecosystems in various ways. We need to review the value of the biosphere as the foundation of our society and our relationship with it, and ask what kind of society and lifestyle we can build in the future to move toward a nature-positive future. In this symposium, we would like to consider how we can move toward a future in which humans coexist with other living organisms on the earth, through initiatives by companies and topics from the aspect of science. Symposium Poster (Japanese Language Only) Related link |
| Registration | Registration Form (Japanese Language Only) |
| Contact | One Earth Guardians Development Institution / One Earth Guardians Office Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo office[at]one-earth-g.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp *Please replace [at] with @ in the e-mail address. |
2023 TSMC-UTokyo Semiconductor Technology Research Symposia
| Date | July 27-28, 2023 |
| Venue | Online |
| Overview | TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) and UTokyo (University of Tokyo) have entered into an alliance to pursue organization-wide collaboration in advanced semiconductor technology research, including design, devices, processes, and materials. Under this alliance, several Joint Development Projects (JDPs) have been initiated since 2021. In 2023, TSMC and UTokyo signed an MOU to enhance the collaboration. The two-day symposia will introduce published research outcomes and potential areas for future collaborations. Symposium Poster |
| Registration | Registration Form *Eligible applicants: TSMC employees and UTokyo professors/staffs/students |
| Contact | Secretariat of TSMC-UTokyo Symposium 2023 tsmc-ut-2023-group[at]g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp *Please replace [at] with @ in the e-mail address. |
Learning History in Times of Difficulty Academia × Business Vol. 05 Information Literacy and the Battle of Nagashino (1575) in Memory
| Date | July 26, 2023 |
| Venue | Conference Room, Economics Research Annex (Kojima Hall) 2F, Graduate School of Economics, The University of Tokyo/ Online |
| Overview | This series has been hosted as a collaboration between the Historians’ Workshop and Warm Heart Cool Head Ltd. since October 2022. For the fifth instalment, Professor Hiraku Kaneko (Historiographical Institute, The University of Tokyo) will give a lecture titled “Information Literacy and the Battle of Nagashino (1575) in Memory”, followed by a discussion with the guest speaker Ryuichiro Takeshita (Executive Officer and Global Editor-in-Chief at PIVOT Ltd.), who specializes in cutting edge media and social issues. The discussants will explore what we can do so as to not get overwhelmed by the sea of information that surrounds us today. Symposium Poster Related link (Japanese Language Only) |
| Registration | Registration Form (Japanese Language Only) |
| Contact | the Historians’ Workshop (Contact: Ishihara) kaeishihara[at]e.u-tokyo.ac.jp *Please replace [at] with @ in the e-mail address. |
What is hard to see? What is visible? What is invisible?
| Date | July 16, 2023 |
| Venue | SHIBUYA QWS SCRAMBLE HALL / Online |
| Overview | We become blind or lose sight for a variety of reasons, such as being born with a visual impairment, being sick, or growing old. But what is it like? What exactly does it mean to be "visible"? At this event, you can experience the world of visually impaired persons in virtual reality. You will meet guide dogs which help people who are blind or have difficulty seeing. We will think about your feelings of "visible, invisible, difficult to see" while having a philosophical dialogue. Symposium Poster (Japanese Language Only) |
| Registration | Registration Form (Japanese Language Only) |
| Contact | External Relations Promotion Group, The University of Tokyo shakairenkeika.adm[at]gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp *Please replace [at] with @ in the e-mail address. |
World Environment Day “The Lives, Deaths and Afterlives of Plastic: Global Perspectives”
| Date | June 5, 2023 |
| Venue | Zoom Webinar |
| Overview | Plastic is essential for so many of the things we value in today's world. But excessive and unplanned use of plastic worsens the conditions driving climate change and threatens the land, the seas, and the lives of animals and humans. Speakers on this panel will highlight issues including the chemical challenges plastic poses for the environment; the lives of waste-pickers who minimize the harm caused by discarded plastic; the science and economics confronting small-scale, local reuse of plastic; government mechanisms to coordinate the containment of plastic; and the dangers to animals and humans of micro-plastics in diverse forms. Symposium Poster Related link |
| Registration | Registration Form |
| Contact | Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo tokyo.college.event[at]tc.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
Screening and Roundtable Discussion of the Documentary Film “Cyber Everything” : What are the human conditions in cyberspace?
| Date | May 10, 2023 |
| Venue | SHIBUYA QWS SCRAMBLE HALL |
| Overview | “Cyber Everything,” a 2022 film by Shimon Dotan (NYU professor and award-winning filmmaker), defines "cyber" as "the unseen organizing principle at the core of the modern human condition, and it has reconfigured power structures and human interaction around the world.” The roundtable discussion will consider the human conditions in cyberspace with the following speakers. The speakers are director Shimon Dotan, Markus Gabriel (one of the lead actors), Katsuhiko Hibino, President of Tokyo University of the Arts, and Teruo Fujii, President of the University of Tokyo, with Takahiro Nakajima serving as moderator. Netaya Anbar will also present comments. Symposium Poster (Japanese Language Only) |
| Registration | Registration Form (Japanese Language Only) |
| Contact | External Relations Promotion Group, The University of Tokyo shakairenkeika.adm[at]gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
Tokyo College Lecture: Cancer research - Inspiration from the Nobel Prizes
| Date | April 22, 2023 |
| Venue | Sanjo Conference Hall (Hongo Campus, The University of Tokyo) |
| Overview | During the last 122 years, almost 1000 Nobel Prizes have been awarded in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. The Nobel Laureates and their great achievements are a tremendous source of inspiration, including for cancer research aiming at understanding why and how we get cancer, and how it can be treated, which is the theme of the presentation. Symposium Poster |
| Registration | Registration Form |
| Contact | Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo tokyo.college.event[at]tc.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
Considering the Path toward Achieving Carbon Neutrality in Japan
| Date | April 19, 2023 |
| Venue | TOKYO MIDTOWN YAESU CONFERENCE Main Conference Room (4F) and Zoom Webiner |
| Overview | With global warming steadily progressing, countries around the world, including Japan, have been moving toward the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. However, the current measures alone will not achieve the goal, and there are calls for further strengthening of countermeasures. This symposium will look at the current situation and challenges from the perspectives of policy, technology development, and finance, and will provide an opportunity to consider what is needed to achieve carbon neutrality in Japan. Symposium Poster (Japanese Language Only) |
| Registration | Registration Form (Japanese Language Only) |
| Contact | External Relations Promotion Group, The University of Tokyo shakairenkeika.adm[at]gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
