[Nobel Week] Distinguished Professor Susumu Kitagawa Visits Japanese School in Stockholm
On December 6, Distinguished Professor Susumu Kitagawa of iCeMS, who was in Stockholm for the Nobel Prize award ceremony, visited the Japanese School in Stockholm (a supplementary school for Japanese children living in Sweden) and delivered a lecture.
Professor Kitagawa was greeted with enthusiastic applause by approximately 150 students, including both elementary and junior high school pupils. During the talk, he was seen smiling and carefully choosing words that were easy for the children to understand, creating a memorable impression.
In the first half of the lecture, he described the journey that shaped him into the researcher he is today. He started with his elementary school curiosity to "control the weather," and then covered pivotal encounters in junior and senior high school, club activities, university studies, and his research experience at various universities.
The latter half focused on his specialty, Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), explaining their characteristics, synthesis methods, and functions such as gas storage and separation. Furthermore, he touched upon the future of science for solving global issues, stressing the importance of a "pioneer" spirit to challenge what no one else is doing and the value of pursuing one's passion without fearing failure.
After the lecture, some of the children acknowledged that "some parts were difficult," but they ultimately took Professor Kitagawa's message to heart, stating they felt it was important "to tackle what no one else is doing and to work hard on what you love."
