Singapore's A*STAR Delegation Visits iCeMS
October 7, 2008
A delegation from 
Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) visited the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University. The delegates are: Mr. Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman / WPI Program*1 Committee Member; Prof. Tan Chorh Chuan, Deputy Chairman / Senior Deputy President of National University of Singapore; Prof. Chong Tow Chong, Executive Director of Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC); Dr. Ng Huck Hui, Principal Investigator of the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS); Dr. Yeo You Huan, Head of International Operations, SERC; Ms. Sarah Luo, Research Officer of the Institute of Medical Biology.
The objectives are to find out more about stem cell research conducted at the iCeMS by Prof. Norio Nakatsuji, Director of the iCeMS, and Prof. Shinya Yamanaka, Director of the CiRA*2, and to discuss future collaboration. The attendees from Kyoto University are: Prof. Nobutaka Fujii, Executive Vice-President for Research and International Research; Prof. Kiyoshi Yoshikawa, Executive Vice-President for Strategic Planning; Prof. Nakatsuji; Prof. Yamanaka; Prof. Hideya Hayashi, Head of Research Strategy Division, CiRA; Mr. Takeshi Yamazaki, Administrative Deputy Director of the iCeMS; Mr. Kiyoshi Nishi, Head of Support Office, CiRA.
Prof. Nakatsuji made a presentation on the overview of the iCeMS and ES cell research, and Prof. Yamanaka briefly explained what the CiRA was and where it was headed in the iPS cell research. Both parties candidly expressed their views, and the delegation invited Profs. Nakatsuji and Yamanaka over to the A*STAR back in Singapore so they can give a lecture or two and, hopefully, motivate graduate students to give it a try at a Japanese institute, such as the iCeMS.
*1 WPI Initiative = World Premier International Research Center Initiative
It is a program launched by Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in 2007 to "establish and operate international research centers that have at their core a group of very high-level investigators."
*2 CiRA = Center for iPS Cell Research and Application
It was founded on January 22, 2008 under the auspices of the iCeMS as "Japan's core institute to further advance iPS cell research."
A*STAR Chairman Lim (left), iCeMS Director Nakatsuji (right)
CiRA Director Yamanaka (second from left) giving a presentation on the CiRA and iPS cell research
(from top left)
iCeMS Administrative Deputy Director Yamazaki, Kyoto University Executive Vice-President (Strategic Planning) Yoshikawa, CiRA Research Strategy Division Head Hayashi, CiRA Support Office Head Nishi, Institute of Medical Biology Research Officer Luo
(from bottom left)
SERC Executive Director Chong, iCeMS Director Nakatsuji, A*STAR Chairman Lim, A*STAR Deputy Chairman Tan, GIS Principal Investigator Ng, SERC Int'l Operations Head Yeo
(from left) A*STAR Deputy Chairman Tan, iCeMS Director Nakatsuji, Kyoto University Executive Vice-President (Research and International Research) Fujii, A*STAR Chairman Lim