Australian Education Counsellor Visits the iCeMS

May 21, 2010

Dr. Nakatsuji leads the delegation
on a tour of the main building.

An Australian delegation paid a courtesy call to Kyoto University on May 20 to learn about the university's international activities and its implementation of the national World Premier International Research Center (WPI) program.

The delegation, headed by Australian Embassy Education Counsellor Michelle Allan and Australian Education International Deputy Director Kenneth Ho, first met with the university's Executive Vice-President for Research and International Relations, Dr. Kiyoshi Yoshikawa, and Director-General Keisuke Makino of the Office of Society-Academia Collaboration for Innovation.

Ms. Allan and Dr. Ho then visited Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), one of five WPI centers in Japan, and met with iCeMS Director Norio Nakatsuji. Following a brief presentation of the institute by Dr. Nakatsuji, they engaged in a wide-ranging discussion covering stem cell research, science funding in Japan, the Australian Endeavour Awards scholarship program, and the importance of science communication. Notably, Ms. Allan mentioned that her children were impressed by the volume Manga Kyoto University, and in particular the chapter on stem cells featuring Dr. Nakatsuji.

Both parties agreed to maintain close ties, with an aim toward a possible exchange of researchers in the future.

From left: Dr. Ho, Ms. Allan and Dr. Nakatsuji

From left: iCeMS PR Manager Yutaka Iijima, Dr. Nakatsuji, Ms. Allan and Dr. Ho