Minister of State Shimajiri visits Tokyo Tech

Japanese Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Aiko Shimajiri paid a visit to Tokyo Tech on April 12. She was joined by Takahiro Ueyama, executive member of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, and Takeo Nakagawa, deputy director general for Science, Technology and Innovation at the Minister's Secretariat of the Cabinet Office.

ELSI Director Hirose (left) and Minister of State Shimajiri

Tokyo Tech President Yoshinao Mishima met the minister to explain the recent establishment of the six new Schools and the Institute of Innovative Research due to the implementation of Tokyo Tech's new education system and the reorganization of its research institutes. The two then exchanged views on challenges in university reform.

"Today, I gained a glimpse of some of the adversities President Mishima faces in bringing substantial change to an organization. I value the efforts of Tokyo Tech as a pioneer of reform," the minister commented.

Minister Shimajiri also exchanged opinions with Institute Professor Akira Ikegami on Society 5.0^*, a new super smart society created through transformations led by scientific and technological innovation. Shimajiri participated in lively discussions about the importance of explaining the concept to the general public in a comprehensive way.

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Refers to fifth type of society to develop after hunter-gatherer, agricultural, industrial, and information societies

Minister of State Shimajiri (back to camera) with President Mishima and Institute Professor Ikegami

The minister later visited the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), Tokyo Tech's research center in the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. ELSI Director Kei Hirose briefed Shimajiri on current research and took her on a tour of the ultrahigh-pressure experiments laboratory.

• Schools, Departments, and Institute for Liberal Arts
• Institute of Innovative Research
• Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI)