A step toward overseas collaboration: iCeMS ties MoU with VISTEC of Thailand

• Photos

March 16, 2016

On February 29th, 2016, Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell Material Sciences (iCeMS) established a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thailand's Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC).

VISTEC is a Graduate School founded in 2015 by Thai state-owned petrol and gas company PPT, under the name of Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand. Exchange between universities began last year marked by her royal higness's visit to iCeMS in April 2015, and since then, Assoc. Prof. Easan Sivaniah along with members of iCeMS have visited VISTEC on several occasions. Despite its short history, VISTEC has a clear goal of becoming the leading institution for research and education in Thailand's material an energy science fields in the next 5 years, and to build itself as a top-level institution in the South East Asia region within 10 years of establishment. Along with gathering talented scientists in and outside of Thailand, the institute is equipped with state-of-the-art research facilities. In addition to fortifying energy and molecular science, it is expecting to open a research institute specializing in molecular biology, one of the research fields at iCeMS.

iCeMS was the first institution chosen by one of the world's best research centers for a tie-up. This agreement is hoped to open doors for future collaboration ahead of the10-year mark since iCeMS' establishment.

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Comment from Dr. Pailin Chuchottaworn, VISTEC Council Chair:
This comprehensive agreement with iCeMS will be the first one that VISTEC has established with any party. We hope to further strengthen the partnership for many years to come"

Comment from iCeMS Director Susumu Kitagawa:
"It is an honor that we are the first institution that VISTEC has established a comprehensive agreement with. Beyond this agreement, we would like to further enhance academic and scientific collaboration between the two institutions to help build the knowledge infrastructure of Thailand."

Comment from Mr. Dusit Manapan, Royal Thai Consul General of Osaka:
"Relationship between the two institutions began when H.R.H. Princess Sirindhorn visited iCeMS last April. We would like to make a concerted effort in promoting the nation's support for these two research centers."

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Photos

The signing ceremony was attended by a Thai delegation including Dr. Pailin Chuchottaworn, VISTEC Council Chair; Prof. Jumras Limtraku, President of VISTEC; Mr. Dusit Manapan, Royal Thai Consul General of Osaka, and an iCeMS delegation represented by Director Susumu Kitagawa, Assoc. Prof. Easan Sivaniah and few other younger researchers.


Director Kitagawa (left) recieving an explanation about research content


Group picture in the classroom

Director Kitagawa giving an overview of iCeMS		Assoc. Prof. Tomokazu Umeyama of Kyoto University's Faculty of Engineering delivered a presentation on "development of novel materials for organic and Organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells"

Assist. Prof. Shinji Horike delivered a presentation on "Development of Proton-conductive coordination polymers for next generation fuel cells"		iCeMS Assist. Prof. Masakazu Higuchi delivered a presentation on "Coordination polymers for energy storage."

As a token of appreciation, Director Kitagawa presented the VISTEC Executive Board and Mr. Dusit neckties embellished with porous coordination polymer designs that he developed.