University of Tokyo ranks 10th in the THE’s World Reputational Ranking 2025
The Times Higher Education (THE) has just announced the World Reputational Ranking 2025 which ranks the University of Tokyo 10th. According to THE: Our ranking of the world’s most prestigious universities for 2025 has been revealed, with the top 300 most powerful academic brands listed for the first time. The revamped methodology is still based on a high-quality survey with more than 55,000 respondents – the world’s largest invitation-only, statistically representative survey of academic experts – but with additional metrics to provide a more robust measurement of reputation and more granular insights. Professor Iwao Ojima, President of Friends of UTokyo comments: “It has been more than two decades since UTokyo disappeared from the top 10 universities list in any of the world rankings, including the most prestigious Times Higher Education rankings. Accordingly, I was very pleased to see that UTokyo came back to the top 10 universities in the “World Reputation Rankings 2025” issued by the Times Higher Education. “Reputation” is very important since it is based on the perception of scholars worldwide. We should truly celebrate this very happy news!”
Newsletter No. 32
Friends of UTokyo, Inc. Launches LinkedIn Page!
We are thrilled to announce that Friends of UTokyo, Inc. (FUTI) has officially launched its LinkedIn page! This platform will serve as a vital space for our community, enabling us to connect, share updates, and engage with supporters and alumni of the University of Tokyo. By following our LinkedIn page, you’ll stay informed about our latest initiatives, upcoming events, and opportunities to get involved. Join us in strengthening our network and amplifying the impact of the University of Tokyo around the world. Together, we can build a vibrant community dedicated to education, innovation, and cultural exchange. FUTI Public Relations Team
IF Ikuei Scholarship Recipient Receives 2024 ASLA Student Honor Award for Urban Design
Yui Omori, a recipient of the ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A.-FUTI IF Ikuei Scholarship, received an Honor Award from the prestigious 2024 ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) Student Awards for her work with the North Carolina State University team’s coastal design proposal project, “Riverside Revival: Urban Design Strategies for Coastal Development”. Omori’s task in the project was to develop the resilience framework which, using nature-based approaches, accommodates future uncertainties of sea-level rises and extreme events. More information on the project can be found at the ASLA website: https://www.asla.org/2024studentawards/10957.html. Omori received the FUTI IF Ikuei Scholarship in 2021 and the ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A.-FUTI Scholarship in 2022 to support her studies at North Carolina State University. After obtaining her Master of Landscape Architecture degree from NC State, she went on to receive her Disaster Resilience Certificate about four months ago. She will also be attending the ASLA conference that will take place in Washington D.C. next month. Ms.Omori experienced the Tohoku earthquake disaster in 2011. This experience encouraged her to contribute to society as a “Coastal Planner” and resulted in her study of the related subject matter at University of Kyoto and North Carolina State University. FUTI Board Member, Geeta Mehta commented, “As an urban designer myself, I want to add my congratulations to Ms.Omori and her co-authors for this prestigious award from ASLA. The subject of their project, ‘Riverside Revival: Urban Design Strategies for Coastal Development’ is of particular importance in this age of climate change.”
Geeta Mehta, FUTI Board Member, listed on Forbes’ “50 Over 50”
Friends of UTokyo is proud to share the news that Geeta Mehta is on the list of Forbes’ 2024 “50 Over 50”, an annual list of women accomplishing groundbreaking and innovative work in their 50’s and beyond. Dr. Mehta is featured in the “Impact” category for her work as founder of Asia Initiatives. Dr. Mehta is an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. She graduated from the University of Tokyo with a B.S. in Urban Engineering (Ph.D. 1998) and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of UTokyo. The following is from Forbes profiling Geeta’s work: In 2000, architect and urban planner Geeta Mehta founded Asia Initiatives and put a groundbreaking idea into action. Inspired by carbon credits and airline loyalty points, Mehta and her organization pioneered social capital credits (SoCCs) to help people lift themselves out of poverty. In action, SoCCs are earned when individuals give back to their community by doing things like planting trees or repairing roads. Those credits, in turn, can be redeemed for digital or financial skills training, health care services or low-interest loans. This new kind of currency is being used in India, Ghana, Kenya, Taiwan and the U.S. For Geeta’s work at Asia Initiatives, please visit https://www.asiainitiatives.org
Newsletter No. 31
FUTI Announces a New Initiative, the FUTI Travel Award for Early-stage Scholars
FUTI has for years encouraged exchange between the University of Tokyo and universities in the US through scholarships supporting short-term study abroad programs and mid- to long-term studies. Now, FUTI proudly announces a new initiative, the FUTI Travel Award for Early-stage Scholars holding positions at the University of Tokyo. Non-tenured, early-stage scholars at the University of Tokyo are encouraged to apply and to spread the word of this award. Undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows are not eligible. For more information, please visit friendsofutokyo.org/ futitravelaward
Newsletter No. 30
FUTI President Ojima’s visit to UTokyo and Ito Foundation strengthens bonds with partners
A three-week sojourn in Japan presented an excellent opportunity for FUTI President Ojima to engage with important partners and express gratitude to them. Beyond lectures and laboratory visits at the University of Tokyo, RIKEN and others, a primary goal for the President was to reconnect with key partners and convey gratitude for their unwavering support. Unfortunately, due to scheduling constraints, a planned visit to Shin-Etsu Chemical could not materialize. FUTI is grateful to Senior Director Asuka Sakai, Division for External Relations, UTokyo for her instrumental role in coordinating and facilitating various meetings. Meeting with President Fujii and Executive Vice President Tsuda of UTokyo In the afternoon of October 24, President Ojima had a meeting with UTokyo President Teruo Fujii in the President’s Reception Room together with Executive Vice President Atsushi Tsuda (FUTI Director) and Dr. Shigenori Matsushita (FUTI Director). President Ojima expressed deep gratitude to UTokyo for its efforts in co-hosting the memorial service of the late Professor Hisashi Kobayashi, a former FUTI President. President Ojima reported on the establishment of the “Hsun Kwei & Aiko Takizawa Chou Scholarship,” which supported one student during the transitional period last year but grew to provide scholarships to five students this year as a result of the substantial donations from the UTokyo New York Office (NYO). The ensuing discussions covered a range of topics including the radiant accomplishments of numerous scholarship recipients and the resumption of the “FUTI Travel Award” for the current fiscal year. President Fujii commended the contributions of FUTI and gave glowing praise and admiration to the esteemed members of FUTI who work tirelessly on a volunteer basis. In a discussion regarding the future direction of the NYO, UTokyo’s hope was to assess the current state and further develop its use such as for joint research projects between UTokyo and US universities. When asked whether NYO would be used for promoting projects collaborating in the US through the “University of Tokyo Edge Capital,” a venture capital firm that started at UTokyo and actively promotes domestic startups that originate at UTokyo, the response was that UTokyo’s current plan is to go through a separate corporation in the case of expansion into the US. After the meeting with President Fujii, discussions continued with leaders of External Relations at the subsequent meeting in the adjacent Vice President’s Reception Room, including Vice President Tsuda, Mr. Hiroshi Hirano (Director), Ms. Yasumi Tezuka, (Manager) and Ms. Ikue Shiraishi (Associate Director) and Senior Director Asuka Sakai. Director Hirano and Ms. Tezuka are invaluable supporters to FUTI as they set up the FUTI booth at the annual Study Abroad Fair at UTokyo. Thus, Director Matsushita and President Ojima expressed sincere appreciations for their support. Discussions covered various topics in a cozy atmosphere, including a new organization, GlobE (Center for Global Education globe.u-tokyo.ac.jp). GlobE was launched in April this year as the “university-wide platform for globalized education”, and Vice President and Director of the Global Education Center, Professor Yujin Yaguchi, is central to the program. In addition to the existing system supporting study abroad programs, 24 “Global Liberal Arts Courses” relating to SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are offered in English by 30 or so specially appointed lecturers and professors. The program is open to sophomores and above who have already decided on their major, graduate students, and exchange students, and providing credit for the courses will be decided by each department on a case-by-case basis. Meeting with Mr. Hsun Kwei Chou In the evening of October 24, Dr. Chou and his wife (of “Hsun Kwei & Aiko Takizawa Chou Scholarship”) and their daughter (Ms. Trina Whiteley) came to the Ito International Research Center to receive an award from UTokyo for their significant contribution to the University. Thanks to arrangements made by Senior Director Sakai, President Ojima and Director Matsushita were able to meet with them before the award ceremony. Director Mishima (Director, External Relations) also joined the meeting. Despite his advanced age of 87, Dr. Chou was in good health and looked happy with his family. At this meeting, President Ojima expressed his deepest appreciation for the “Hsun Kwei & Aiko Takizawa Chou Scholarship” which was established using a portion of their generous donation to the NYO, providing scholarships to five recipients this year. Dr. Chou was delighted that the donation is being put to good use and asked for FUTI’s continued support. Dr. Chou graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and then went on to the University of Tokyo Graduate School, where he received a Ph.D. degree in engineering. Then, he made the foundation of his successful career at Stanford University. He is well known as a serial entrepreneur and investor, and as an avid philanthropist has donated a great deal mainly to education. When asked about the secret to his continued success, Dr. Chou said, “I have never started a business in a field that I know.” This statement clearly indicates his courage and exceptional talent to sense opportunities and invest in and help forge new businesses. Dr. Chou also said, “The future of Japan’s semiconductor business is promising. This is because Japan is a rarity in the world in that it has everything domestically available, including design, manufacturing, and application, as well as materials and facilities.” The meeting with Dr. and Mrs. Chou and their daughter went in very warm atmosphere, which is reflected nicely in a group photo. Ito Foundation In the morning of October 30, President Ojima, Director Matsushita, Advisory Committee Member, Professor Miwako Hosoda, and UTokyo Senior Director Sakai, visited the Ito Foundation. The Foundation supports Japanese high school students through four years of college, some through graduate school. Its US counterpart, ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A., sponsors the “ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A. – FUTI Scholarship” for Japanese students studying in the US. Both foundations were established with assets in Japan and the US of the late Mr. Masatoshi Ito, former Honorary Chairman and Founder of Seven & i Holdings Co. With the passing of Mr. Masatoshi
FUTI Board Member, Dr. Shohei Koide, Inducted into the 2022 Class of Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors
Dr. Shohei Koide, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at New York University Grossman School of Medicine, and Director of Cancer Biologics at Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, was inducted into the 2022 Class of Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors. NAI-Fellows include 51 Nobel laureates and 63 recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation and U.S. National Medal of Science. Japanese NAI-Fellows include Prof. Shuji Nakamura 2014 (UC Santa Barbara, Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014), Prof. Iwao Ojima 2014 (SUNY Stony Brook), and Prof. Shohei Koide 2022 (NYU). Dr. Koide is a leader in protein engineering and design, and has made fundamental contributions to the establishment and advancement of the field of synthetic binding protein development and its application in biology and medicine. Learn more about his research at his profile on the NYU website. Dr. Koide holds 30 granted and 20 pending US patents in the field of biotechnology, 35 of which have been licensed. Two of his therapeutic programs have advanced to clinical trials. In 2022, Dr. Koide co-founded Aethon Therapeutics which develops a new therapeutic strategy to effectively kill drug-resistant cancers. He also co-founded Revalia Bio, an early-stage startup company which formulates a new model of drug development using monobody technology.