Event Information and Activity Reports

2023.10.23～24educationinformation
Tokyo Tech Joins “RWTH Go Abroad Fair”

Staff members of Tokyo Tech’s International Affairs Division and International Student Exchange Division attended RWTH Aachen University’s "RWTH Go Abroad Fair 2023" held on October 23 and 24, 2023. It was the sixth time for Tokyo Tech to take part in the fair since its first appearance at the 2018 event. On the first day, International Student Exchange Division staff explained the programs available to students who visited the Tokyo Tech booth and answered any questions they had. The booth boasted a long line of visitors throughout the fair, showing the popularity of Tokyo Tech among the university’s students. Staff members welcomed a total of 48 interested individuals, many of whom inquired about scholarships and dormitories.
At the information session on the second day, an overview of Tokyo Tech and an introduction to its exchange programs were provided in person, with the short-term program and the program to enroll in Tokyo Tech’s regular courses being explained online from Japan. Members of RWTH Aachen’s International Office also participated in the session, providing explanations and answering questions regarding the selection process for exchange students from the university. Many students attended the sessions on both days, demonstrating the strong interest that Tokyo Tech continues to attract.

2023.06.26Research, Industry Liaison
FIRST INNOVATION SEMINAR on “ROBOTICS AND AI”

This seminar was jointly organized by Tokyo Tech, RWTH Aachen University, and JETRO Düsseldorf. The aim of this seminar is to contribute to the promotion of innovative collaboration between Japan and Europe by selecting themes that are of high interest to industries, and to hold the events regularly for international industry-academia collaboration and collaboration with startups originating from the above universities. The hybrid event was held on June 26 under the theme of「Robotics & AI」with the support of the Consulate General of Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of NRW, and related public institutions. About 120 people participated both online as well as in person at the venues, Clayton Hotel in Düsseldorf. Topics included innovation strategies of each university, specific research examples on Robotics & AI, pitches for start-ups, and innovation ecosystems in Japan and Germany, all of which were followed by a lively discussion. Over all, there was a high level of interest in Tokyo Tech start-ups Hibot and Walk-Mate Lab, and it seemed that the event was a great opportunity for many to network. After the seminar, about 40 people moved to Aachen by bus and participated in a lab tour at RWTH Aachen University. As this was our first time holding the seminar, the planning and execution of the event was somewhat disorganized, but ultimately, we received high evaluations from the participants. Going forward, we plan to hold the events once every six months.

2022.5.25Research, Industry Liaison
Prof. Hisakazu Mihara’s Keynote Speech

Prof. Mihara gave a keynote speech at the Japan-Germany Economic Symposium on May 25, 2022.

The Japan-Germany Economic Symposium (Wirtschaftstag Japan) has been held annually since 2002 as part of "Japan Day" in Dusseldorf – a celebration of unique culture and encounters. The theme of this year is "New Materials for Sustainable Future Development, Utilization, and Recycling". Tokyo Tech was invited to give a keynote speech following the one in 2019.

Prof. Mihara, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, talked about Tokyo Tech research strategies – especially Holistic Life Science (HLS) and the bio-strategy based on it – and discussed global movement in genetic engineering, bioenergy, bioplastics, and agricultural engineering, as well as the efforts of Japan and concrete research examples at Tokyo Tech thereof.

The symposium was held face-to-face this year, and approximately 240 people attended. In addition, a networking party was held after the event, possibly an attempt to put the pandemic behind us . Although Prof. Mihara, did not travel to Germany and participated in the symposium online due to COVID-19, the participants seemed to be very interested in the efforts and achievements of Tokyo Tech, an institute with a close connection to the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW).

2021.12.01-02, 2021.12.10Research, Industry Liaison
RWTH-Tokyo Tech Joint Workshop on Hydrogen

Tokyo Tech and RWTH Aachen University annually hold a joint workshop to deepen exchange and cooperation in research areas of interest. In 2021, the event was held online on December 1, 2 and 10 with hydrogen as the theme.

Hydrogen is attracting attention around the world as a renewable energy source, and Germany presented its national hydrogen strategy in June 2020. Big projects are underway in Germany to realize this strategy. Clusters4Future, for which RWTH Aachen University has been adopted, is one of them. At Tokyo Tech, there are many researchers — such as those in the InfoSyEnergy Consortium and Laboratory for Zero-Carbon Energy — who carry out research related to hydrogen.

Consequently, both universities had high expectations for a workshop on this theme. Most of the participants in the workshop were people in industry and academia in Japan and Germany, but many people from Thailand also participated, and it is clear that the theme was of global interest.

On December 1, keynote speeches and the session on hydrogen generation and production were held, and about 130 people participated. On December 2, the session on hydrogen storage and transportation was held, and about 90 people participated. And on December 10, about 80 people participated in the session on application and utilization. With active discussions in each session, the workshop was a success. Tokyo Tech ANNEX Aachen will continue to support the building of cooperative relations with RWTH Aachen University and industries.

●Joint Workshop Program

2021.11.13EducationInformationResearch, Industry Liaison
German JSPS Alumni Association (JSPS-Club) event

On November 13, Tokyo Tech Vice President for International Affairs Jun-ichi Takada and Tokyo Tech ANNEX Aachen Director Tatsuya Mizukoshi participated an online event organized by the German Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) Alumni Association (JSPS Club), a group whose mission is the promotion of scientific exchange between the German-speaking area and Japan. With approximately 60 persons attending the event, Tokyo Tech and RWTH Aachen’s active cooperation received wide attention.
Held to highlight the cooperative relationships between RWTH Aachen University and Japanese universities and research institutions, the event kicked off with a welcome by Professor Heinrich Menkhaus of JSPS Club. RWTH Aachen University Rector Ulrich Rüdiger, Consul General of Japan in Düsseldorf Kiminori Iwama, and Lord Mayor Sibylle Keupen of the City of Aachen each gave opening remarks.
RWTH Aachen University Professor Jun Okuda, who previously managed the university’s exchanges with Japanese institutions, discussed the history of RWTH Aachen’s strategic partnerships with Japan. He noted that while the university has fostered exchanges with Japanese universities for many years, RWTH Aachen places great importance on the relationship it has with Tokyo Tech.
Subsequently, ANNEX Aachen Director Tatsuya Mizukoshi and Professor Sven Ingebrandt, who is currently in charge of RWTH Aachen’s exchanges with Japanese universities, introduced cooperation between the two universities. Following their talk, attendees inquired about the universities’ interaction with companies as well as about frameworks for cooperation in the field of medicine. In addition, AGIT, the regional business development company in Aachen, and Aachen-based research institutes of Japanese companies shared valuable perspectives on how to advance research collaboration with RWTH Aachen University.

2021.11.02EducationInformation
RWTH Go Abroad Fair

Tokyo Tech staff members joined RWTH Aachen University’s "RWTH Go Abroad Fair," held online on November 2. It was the fourth time for the Institute to be involved in the RWTH Go Abroad Fair since first participating in it in 2018. This year, 30 students attended the information session conducted by Tokyo Tech. International Student Exchange Division staff members shared an overview of the Institute, described various short-term exchange programs open to RWTH Aachen students, and explained the current situation regarding travel to Japan. The director of ANNEX Aachen then introduced a virtual campus tour using Tokyo Tech VR. During the Q&A, students inquired about courses and research activities at the Institute, as well as about living expenses and Tokyo Tech dormitories. As in previous years, RWTH Aachen students’ questions demonstrated a high level of interest in studying at the Institute. As restrictions on international mobility are further eased, Tokyo Tech looks forward to welcoming RWTH Aachen students to its campuses at the earliest opportunity.

2021.07.06Research, Industry Liaison
RWTH – Tokyo Tech Mini Workshop on Smart Wearables for Medical Applications
Building on the success of their annual large-scale joint workshops, Tokyo Tech and RWTH Aachen University have begun holding mini-workshops on narrowly focused themes in order to bring researchers from the two universities together for deeper discussions. About 40 people, including researchers from the two universities and representatives of German companies, participated in the first mini-workshop, which was held online on July 6.
At the request of RWTH Aachen, the theme of the workshop was smart wearables for medical applications. Three researchers from Tokyo Tech participated as lecturers: School of Life Science and Technology Associate Professor Toshinori Fujie, School of Engineering Professor Hideyuki Tsukagoshi, and Institute of Innovative Research Professor Takamichi Nakamoto. The workshop covered materials, equipment, manufacturing, and applications of smart wearable technology, with each researcher approaching the theme from a different perspective.
To stimulate research and interaction of researchers at the two universities, mini-workshops like this will be held frequently going forward. As a next step, researchers are encouraged to explore possibilities for collaborative research projects and apply for competitiveesearch grants. With the resumption of international mobility, acceleration of collaborative research activities is expected.

2021.06.17-19Research, Industry Liaison
Associate Professor Yoichi Yatsu participated in RWTH Aachen Sustainability Weekend workshop
As part of Sustainability Weekend hosted by RWTH Student Union, RWTH Aachen University International Office held an online workshop on June 18 featuring Tokyo Tech School of Science Associate Professor Yoichi Yatsu.
Speaking on Project PETREL: Platform for Extra- & Terrestrial Remote Examination with Liquid Crystal Tunable Filter (LCTF), Yatsu discussed microsatellite for environmental monitoring.
Yatsu introduced Project PETREL, a collaborative academia-industry project to develop a microsatellite equipped with a multispectral camera for land and sea observation and time-domain astronomy in UV band. The satellite will be launched in 2022. The spectroscopic data to be acquired by this satellite is directly linked to Goal 14 (Life Below Water) and Goal 15 (Life on Land) of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By deepening the scientific analysis of the carbon cycle through biological activities, the project also aims to seek solutions for Goal 13 (Climate Action). The academic information obtained from this research activity can also be applied to fisheries, agriculture, and environmental businesses, and this industry-academia collaboration will promote the utilization of satellite data to realize Goal 2 (Zero Hunger).
The workshop’s twelve attendees, mainly students from the RWTH Student Union who are studying environmental science, shared a high level of awareness of the SDGs and contributed to a meaningful discussion. Highlighting an overlap between the research interests of Yatsu and RWTH Aachen Professor Florian Wellmann, who specializes in computational earth science and served as a coordinator for the workshop, the workshop offered a valuable opportunity for interaction between Tokyo Tech and RWTH Aachen.

2020.11-2021.02Research, Industry Liaison
RWTH – Tokyo Tech Joint Workshop on Medical Technology and Digital Life Science

The 2020 RWTH – Tokyo Tech Joint Workshop was held between November 2020 and February 2021 as a series of online mini-workshops organized around five sub-themes within Medical Technology and Digital Life Science.
Twenty-one researchers from Tokyo Tech, RWTH Aachen University (RWTH Aachen), and Forschungszentrum Jülich participated in the series.
To deepen exchanges between researchers at the three institutions and to promote to a wide audience the research activities at each, the 2020 Joint Workshop welcomed 219 attendees, including fellow researchers from the speakers’ institutions and company representatives.
● November 20 “Big Data for Life Science”
● December 17 “Microscopic and in vivo Imaging”
● January 22 “Nanomedicines”
● February 24 “Neurology”
● February 25–26 “in silico, AI, AR in Life Science”

Co-organized by Tokyo Tech ANNEX Aachen and RWTH Aachen, the Joint Workshop is held annually with the aim of accelerating collaborative research between Tokyo Tech and RWTH Aachen as well as with research institutes such as Forschungszentrum Jülich, other universities, and companies in Germany.

In 2020, each workshop session began with a briefing by representatives of the two universities on funding opportunities in Japan and Germany for international joint research collaboration. Researchers’ presentations were followed discussions between researchers of Tokyo Tech, RWTH Aachen and Forschungszentrum Jülich regarding possibilities for future collaborative research.

Going forward, Tokyo Tech ANNEX Aachen will continue to encourage exchange between researchers of Tokyo Tech, RWTH Aachen, and Forschungszentrum Jülich and to support the acquisition of funds for collaborative research.

2020.11.20Research, Industry Liaison
RWTH – Tokyo Tech Joint Workshop: “Big Data for Life Science” held online

The RWTH-Tokyo Tech Joint Workshop on Medical Technology and Digital Life Science, originally scheduled for June 2020 as a two-day in-person event, is underway online as a series of five mini-workshops organized around sub-themes within Medical Technology and Digital Life Science.
The first mini-workshop, “Big Data for Life Science,” was held on November 20, and introduced the following research:
●“AI-Proteomics: Elucidation of something unknown of the life through high performance proteomics”
　Associate Professor Nobuhiro Hayashi, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Tech
●“Proteomics/peptidomics approaches for identification of mediators involved in the cardiorenal cross-talk”
　Professor Joachim Jankowski, Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research (IMCAR), RWTH Aachen
●“Big Data for human gut microbiome”
　Associate Professor Takuji Yamada, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Tech
●“Shaping of immune responses by the gut microbiota”
　Dr. Oliver Pabst, Institute of Molecular Medicine, RWTH Aachen

The Joint Workshop is intended to accelerate collaboration between Tokyo Tech and RWTH Aachen as well as with other universities and businesses in Germany. The first mini-workshop began with a briefing by representatives of the two universities on funding opportunities in Japan and Germany for international joint research collaboration. Following the research presentations, participants discussed possibilities for future collaboration. Approximately 50 persons joined the workshop.

The next mini-workshop in the series, “Microscopic and in vivo Imaging,” will be held online on December 17.

2019.11.18Research, Industry Liaison
Energy Course Lecture by Professor Heinz Pitsch of RWTH Aachen University

On November 18, Professor Heinz Pitsch of RWTH Aachen University gave a lecture at Tokyo Tech organized by Tokyo Tech's Graduate Major in Energy Science and Engineering. Pitsch had previously given a talk at the Tokyo Tech-RWTH Aachen University Joint Workshop on Sustainable Energy held at RWTH Aachen in May 2019.

He was invited to the Institute by Professor Mamoru Tanahashi of the School of Engineering. Titled "Artificial Intelligence in Combustion Research: Knowledge and Understanding," Pitsch's lecture focused on machine learning and application of AI in the field of energy. More than 50 persons, including faculty members, researchers in the AI and IoT fields, and students attended.

A chair of the German Section of the Combustion Institute, Pitsch received the International Prize from the Combustion Society of Japan in 2019.

2019.10.07Research, Industry Liaison
Seminar at Tokyo Tech by Dr. N. Jon Shah of Forschungszentrum Jülich

Dr. N. Jon Shah, an internationally-recognized authority on High-Resolution fMRI at 7T at Forschungszentrum Jülich, spoke at the Open Seminar organized by the School of Life Science and Technology on October 7. Forschungszentrum Jülich is a public research institute operating under the Helmholtz Association, Germany's largest scientific organization. It was involved in creating the Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA), a research promotion body, and has close connections with RWTH Aachen. Tokyo Tech ANNEX Aachen aims to promote research collaboration with these organizations.

The seminar was realized following a visit by Shah to Associate Professor Hiroyuki Akama of Department of Life Science and Technology and the Institute for Liberal Arts.

The seminar was attended by approximately 30 persons and broadcast live from Ookayama to the Suzukakedai campus. Shah expressed hope that the seminar would lead to more joint research between Tokyo Tech and Forschungszentrum Jülich.