Tokyo Tech News
Tokyo Tech News
Published: December 8, 2017
Following the success of two joint workshops host by Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) and Tokyo Tech in February and November 2016 respectively, researchers from both institutions gathered at Nanyang Executive Centre in Singapore from September 11 to 12, 2017 for another forum aiming to strengthen collaborative ties.
The Tokyo Tech delegation, led by Executive Vice President for Research Makoto Ando, also included Vice President for Education Tetsuya Mizumoto, Vice President for Research Development Naoto Ohtake, and nine researchers in the areas of new molecular chemistry, hydrogen energy, recycling of materials and separation of elements or nuclides, and engineering technologies for combating infectious diseases. Faculty members and students of the Education Academy of Computational Life Sciences of Tokyo Tech also attended the opening session.
Front row: VP Ohtake (second from left), EVP Ando (third from left), Professor White (second from right), and VP Mizumoto (far right)
NTU Chief of Staff and Vice President (Research) Lam
The forum started with a welcoming address given by Professor Lam Khin Yong, acting provost as well as Chief of Staff and Vice President (Research) of NTU, in which he expressed hopes that the forum would serve as a platform where the two parties materialize their ideas for collaborative research and become further involved with related industries.
NTUitive Chief Executive Officer Dr. Lim Jui spoke in his presentation about the NTU subsidiary's aims regarding commercialization of technology, networking and financing for entrepreneurship, and other activities. Dr. Magli Bonnier, Global R&T director of Croda International, and Dr. Pae Wu, director of the US Office of Naval Research (ONR*), also introduced their organizations and discussed domestic and overseas partnerships.
Professor Tim White of NTU and Ohtake of Tokyo Tech gave presentations focused on research funding, a significant issue when conducting collaborative research. They talked about funding opportunities and their institutions' efforts and achievements regarding collaboration with industry in Singapore and Japan.
Professor White (left) and VP Ohtake
In simultaneous breakout sessions, each of the four groups - new molecular chemistry, hydrogen energy, recycling of materials and separation of elements or nuclides, and engineering technologies for combating infectious diseases - held in-depth discussions on possible academia-industry collaboration and funding opportunities after learning about each other's most recent research activities and programs.
Each group shared their discussion summaries, including the progress of collaborative research projects already being conducted and possible research topics, faculty and student exchange, and plans for research funding applications.
Breakout sessions
On the morning of September 12, Tokyo Tech delegates visited three energy research labs that examine solar cells, fuel cells, and "power-to-fuel" technology, as well as a molecular chemistry lab at NTU.
Tokyo Tech delegates and Professor Chan Siew Hwa (right), co-director of NTU's Energy Research Institute (ERI@N)
In his closing remarks, Ando expressed his appreciation to the participants for all their effort and support, especially Lam and White of NTU and Mizumoto and Ohtake of Tokyo Tech who worked hard to organize this forum, the outcome of which Ando expects will further boost active cooperation between the two institutions.
The forum concluded with a meeting between Tokyo Tech and NTU senior management staff, including President Bertil Andersson of NTU. They exchanged views on broad topics such as governance of universities and educational reform, and plans to conclude a research collaboration agreement as the next step toward strengthening collaborative ties.
From left to right: VP Lam, President Andersson, and Tokyo Tech senior management
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