The 4th WPI Joint Symposium “Science Connecting You with Your Future”

Date of activity: December 13, 2014

The Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) held the 4th Joint Symposium of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), “Science Connecting You with Your Future”, at Yurakucho Asahi Hall (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) on Saturday, December 13, 2014. WPI is an initiative undertaken by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) whose purpose is to build “globally visible” research centers in Japan that boast high research standards and outstanding research environments, which will attract excellent frontline researchers from around the world. Since 2011 all nine WPI centers have worked together to coordinate this annual symposium in an effort to share cutting-edge research results and to spark high school students’ interests in science. This year 400 people participated.

At the symposium, Jun’ichi Hamada, the President, and Yutaka Tokiwa, Research Promotion Bureau, MEXT, gave the welcoming remarks, which were followed by a WPI introduction video where young researchers from all nine WPI centers introduced their research activities. Afterwards three world-class researchers gave lectures. Dr. Dan Ohtan Wang, an assistant professor at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University, discussed “How Does the Human Genome Shape Individuality?” Dr. Aleksandar Tsekov Staykov, an associate professor at the International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER), Kyushu University, lectured on “Computer Simulations: Our Eyes into the Nano-world”. Finally, Dr. Hitoshi Murayama, the director at the Kavli IPMU and MacAdams Professor of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley talked about “Does the Universe Have an End?”

The lectures attracted high school students to cutting-edge scientific research. In fact, some of the high school students are already conducting research. Student groups from three high schools gave talks on their research activities and answered questions from the researchers who gave the lectures and the other student presenters.

In addition to the presentations, the exhibition hall provided an environment for participants to informally discuss science. Each of the nine WPI centers had a booth where researchers and outreach officers introduced their center and research activities. Student representatives from seven high schools presented posters on their research activities. This forum allowed high school students to converse with foreign researchers in English and have lively discussions with the student presenters. This symposium was very successful and left a positive impression on the participants, especially the younger ones.

• http://www.ipmu.jp/node/2061