Category: Newsletter 14

FUTI Directors, Masaaki Yamada and Yuichiro Kuwama Elected as the New President and Vice-President, Respectively

At the board meeting held on September 19, 2015, Director of University Relations, Dr. Masaaki Yamada was elected the new president of FUTI, succeeding Dr. Hisashi Kobayashi who has been president of FUTI since 2010. Dr. Yamada will also continue his duties as Director of University Relations. In the same board meeting, Treasurer, Dr. Yuichiro Kuwama was elected to fill the newly established seat of vice-president of FUTI. He will also be continuing his post as Treasurer. Former President, Hisashi Kobayashi will remain involved in FUTI as Advisory Committee Chair. Currently a Distinguished Laboratory Research Fellow at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Dr. Masaaki Yamada received his Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Physics in 1966 and his Master of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering in 1968, both from the University of Tokyo. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois in 1973. His primary field of research is in plasma physics pertaining to nuclear fusion and space-astrophysics. In 1985 he was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), and In 2002 was awarded the Excellence Award in Plasma Physics Research from APS. The following year he was awarded Princeton University’s Kaul Prize for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research and Technology Development. Most recently in 2015 the APS has named him the recipient of the James Clerk Maxwell Prize in Plasma Physics. Since 2000, Dr. Yuichiro Kuwama has been Medical Director at the Japanese Medical Practice Division of Mount Sinai Beth Israel. Dr. Kuwama serves as one of the primary care physicians for the Japanese community in the greater New York Metropolitan Area. He also serves as associate professor of medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, teaching medical students at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and doctors-in-training at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. After graduating from the Faculty of Medicine, the University of Tokyo in 1987, Dr. Kuwama joined the Department of Surgery at the University of Tokyo Hospital. He was certified by the Board of Japan Surgical Society in 1991. In 2006 he was inducted into the Leo M Davidoff Society, which honors teachers who have made significant contributions to the education of students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. President Yamada commented, “Since 2011, under the leadership of Former President Hisashi Kobayashi, Friends of UTokyo, Inc. (FUTI) has grown a great deal, giving summer scholarship support to over 20 distinguished students annually from the U.S. and Japan, and raising awareness of FUTI among UTokyo and U.S. university students in recent years. Furthermore in the last three or four years, scholarships have been given to support student exchanges for research focused on physics at such schools as Columbia University and California State Universities. Starting next year, FUTI plans on supporting exceptional students in mid-to-long term study abroad programs. I hope to further strengthen our efforts in order to encourage students not only at UTokyo but also in the U.S. to leap out into the world and contribute to the international society. I would like to thank all those who have supported FUTI in its endeavor to foster the young global leaders of tomorrow and strive to boost efforts in the future.” Articles in this newsletter:

Two Major Donations Avert Revenue Crisis

The annual fundraising campaign in FY 2014/15 (July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015) concluded with a total revenue of approximately $116,000. This result exhibits a repeating downward trend of contribution revenues in recent years with $139,000, $131,000, and $110,000 in FY 2011/12, FY 2012/13, and FY 2013/14, respectively (see figure below). The substantial decline in trust distributions is largely attributable to two sources. First, FUTI had to accept a reduction in income from Shintech Inc’s Trust Fund, due to the continued erosion in the earnings of U.S. treasury notes, in which this Trust has been exclusively invested. Second, it was not possible to secure stable earnings during the process of renewing the Trust agreement, which expired this year. In addition, the number of individual donors has decreased to 54 this year, in comparison with 73 two years ago and 59 last year. In the midst of these challenges, which were caused by the recent decrease in donations from the general public, we received delightful news. Two generous individual donors granted us $30,000 and $20,000. These two donations not only compensated for the substantial foregone revenue loss from Shintec Inc’s Trust Fund, but also offered optimism for the future of our fundraising. Thanks to the two donations, we were able to maintain a revenue level equivalent to that of last year. We are sincerely thankful to Shintech Inc. for agreeing to extend the Trust agreement for the next five years. We also appreciate many individual donors who continue to support our activities. We cannot emphasize enough the positive impact that these large donations from the two individuals had on FUTI. Their magnanimity allowed us to avoid a revenue crisis. Without such generous donations, FUTI would have had to scale back our programs significantly. Over the past several years, we have made great strides to nurture our programs. We are pleased to see their steady growth, and have now reached a point where our summer scholarship and research grant programs are flourishing. It will be pleasure for us to see UTokyo increase its presence in the global community, which is becoming more and more competitive with many other well-recognized universities across the globe, including those from advanced countries. UTokyo would deeply appreciate your support of FUTI, which enables us to send many highly qualified students into the global community. Yuichiro Kuwama, Fumiko Tamura Articles in this newsletter:

FUTI Receives Major Gift from Mixi Founder Kenji Kasahara

FUTI is pleased to announce that it has received one of its largest donations ever. The donation from Mr. Kenji Kasahara of Tokyo, Japan, the amount of which is not publicly disclosed, will be used for grants and awards to expand the scholarship, summer internship and research grant programs this fiscal year of 2015-2016. Mr. Kasahara who is the founder of Mixi, Inc., a Japanese social networking service, and a University of Tokyo alumnus, described the donation as “something that I hope will provide future opportunities to the younger generation who has adventurous spirits and passion for global collaborations.” “As an entrepreneur,” said Mr. Kasahara, a member of the class of 1998, “I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to do things we do not normally do.  I wish that my donation will enable more students to experience something unique that opens their eyes to a new world while on a program offered by FUTI, whether it be an internship, research or studying abroad.” The GLA, the Global Leadership Award scholarship program sponsored by FUTI, has benefited approximately 70 students internationally since it started in 2010. “We are entering the 6th year of the summer scholarship program,” said Prof. Hisashi Kobayashi, FUTI’s former president.  “Thanks to generous donations by both alumni and non-alumni alike, we have been able to continue our activities with the ultimate goal of enhancing the quality of education and research around the University of Tokyo community.  Monetary as well as time donations (volunteers) are critical for us to continue to fulfill the mission of FUTI.” As part of its fundraising campaign efforts, FUTI is now diversifying its donor pool by gaining broader support from various individuals and organizations. Articles in this newsletter:

Annual Board Meeting Held

The Board of Directors Meeting, September 19 (Sat), 10 am-1 pm Board members present: Hisashi Kobayashi, Ken Furuya, Yuichiro Kuwama, Masaaki Yamada, Sumiko Ito, Koichi Hamada, Shigenori Matsushita Others present: Shuta Kobayashi, Masako Osako, Fumiko Tamura FUTI’s Annual Board of Directors meeting was held at the UTokyo New York office in New York, commencing at 10 am on September 19, 2015. After President Hisashi Kobayashi’s welcome greeting, Mr. Shuta Kobayashi, Secretary, presented the minutes of the Annual Board meetings held on September 28, 2014 and March 10, 2015. The minutes were unanimously approved by the Board. Prof. K. Furuya provided updates on various topics related to UTokyo, including: the policy declaration of President Makoto Gonokami, 30th president of UTokyo, the new academic calendar year starting from AY2015, and the University’s globalization efforts such as academic exchange programs, overseas offices in UTokyo, and construction of a global campus model (See slides “UTokyo Today”) Dr. Yuichiro Kuwama, Director and Treasurer, assisted by Ms. F.Tamura, reported the financial results for FY 14/15 based on the materials presented to the board members (including a draft of the current year financial statements).  The analysis is summarized as follows: The total amount of individual donations increased to $93,830 in FY14/15 from $ 56,660 in FY 13/14 due primarily to two large donations of $30,000 and $20,000 in FY14/15. Without these two gifts, individual donations would have decreased sharply to $43,830. Total revenues increased to $116,886 from $109,906 in FY13/14, even though the distribution from Shintech’s Trust Fund decreased from $52,956 in FY13/14 to $22,642 in FY14/15. Total Expenses decreased slightly to $100,283 in FY14/15 from $107,537 in FY13/14. The cash position changed from $173.938 to $191,147 between the two fiscal year-ends. Dr. Kuwama reported that FUTI’s agreement with the Shintech Trust was renewed for another five years beginning in 2015 The budget report and analysis were unanimously approved by the Board. Dr. Masaaki Yamada, Director of University Relations, reported an overview of the 2015 recipients of FUTI Research Collaboration Funds, the IPMU program and the Columbia-UTokyo exchange program as well as the FUTI Scholarship Awards. FUTI’s Scholarship program has progressed to a steady phase of 20+ short term students to provide highly qualified UTokyo and US college students with opportunities to become global leaders. FUTI’s Education & Research Funds continue to provide supports for U. Tokyo students and young researchers to collaborate with world leading institutions. Appropriate size of budget, potential expansion to non-science funds, timing of the award selection, awareness of the FUTI program among UTokyo students. It was generally agreed that the scope of the FUTI Research Collaboration Fund should be expanded to other academic disciplines. He also reported the status of a new proposal which aims for support of long term visiting and exchange studies. More detailed reports and discussions were made during the joint Board-Advisory Committee meeting in the afternoon. General Discussions: FUTI’s effort to open a bank account in Japan has been stalled, because the Japanese bank requires a hard-copy original of the Certificate of FUTI’s incorporation which FUTI has not been able to provide. The Treasurer will mail such a copy to the bank in order to complete the bank account opening process. Mr. S. Matsushita is serving as resident representative for the account. The principal offices of the Corporation was changed from 30 West Street #24A, New York, NY 10004-3059 to 115 East 34th Street, #416, New York, NY 10156 effective September 19, 2015. Plans for FUTI’s lecture series in New York using the UTokyo New York office facility were presented. Appointment of Directors and Officers, Advisory Committee Members and Award Committee Members, etc. The Board unanimously approved the following appointments: Directors: Masaaki Yamada, Ken Furuya, Koichi Hamada, Sumiko Ito, Yuichiro Kuwama, Shigenori Matsushita Officers: Masaaki Yamada – President, Yuichiro Kuwama – Vice president and Treasurer, Shuta Kobayashi – Secretary President Emeritus: Hisashi Kobayashi Advisory Committee Members: Hisashi Kobayashi (chair), Nobuko Sakurai, Shunichiro Kishioka, Geeta Mehta, Ko-Yung Tung, Yasuo Okamoto, Fumiko Tamura, Yasuyuki Sugiura, Motomu Takahashi Award Committee Members: Shigenori Matsushita (chair), Masaaki Yamada, Hisashi Kobayashi, Masako Osako, Nobuko Sakurai Jimukyoku cho (the Managing Director of Operations): Masako Osako The Board and Advisory Committee Joint Meeting: September 19 (Sat), 1 pm-5 pm Participants: Board of Directors; M. Yamada, K. Furuya, S. Ito, H. Kobayashi, Y. Kuwama, K.Hamada, and S. Matsushita: Advisory Committee Members; Nobuko Sakurai, Shunichiro Kishioka, Geeta Mehta, Fumiko Tamura; Other participants; Shuta Kobayashi, Masako Osako Report on FUTI Award Recipients’ Experience During lunch, Dr. M. Osako presented a slide presentation titled, “FUTI Award Recipients’ Reports.“ She also revisited the 2014 Kokusai Koryuka survey’s findings: 68% of survey UTokyo students agreed, ”I was unaware of the existence of FUTI” and 59% , “I thought my chance of winning would be too slim.” She proposed more intensive outreach efforts (including direct mail to UTokyo professors) for the first issue. Regarding the second issue, she reported that FUTI does not require any specific score level for TOEFL or other English language proficiency tests, even though it requires the applicant’s score to meet the requirement imposed by the program he or she is applying to. She also suggested we may re-evaluate our selection criteria regarding the weight we assign on the course grades from the perspective of our mission, ”fostering of global leaders.” Board members voiced the importance of incorporating “Ningen ryoku,” (roughly translated into strength of character) in the selection process in certain types of program. A good part of the joint meeting was dedicated to briefing the Advisory Committee members on the topics reported by Mr. K. Furuya, Mr. M. Yamada, Mr. Y. Kuwama, and Ms. F. Tamura at the Board meeting in the morning. Then a sizable amount of time was dedicated to discussions regarding a a new proposed long term scholarship Objectives: Provide scholarship primarily to 1) UTokyo students who study at US universities and to 2) US students who study at UTokyo. Long term study for an undergraduate and graduate degree Long term exchange of students/post-docs…
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President Yamada to Receive the Prestigious Maxwell Prize

Dr. Masaaki Yamada, FUTI’s newly elected president, will be awarded the highly prestigious James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics in November. The Maxwell equations which appear at the start of any study in electromagnetism, are originally formulated by the well-known 19th century Scottish mathematical physicist James Clerk Maxwell for whom this award is named. The Maxwell Prize is awarded to those who have made extraordinary contributions in the field of plasma physics. Prof. Yamada has been given recognition “for fundamental experimental studies of magnetic reconnection relevant to space, astrophysical and fusion plasmas, and for pioneering contributions to the field of laboratory plasma astrophysics.” Dr. Yamada is currently Distinguished Laboratory Research Fellow at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) located in the Princeton University campus. Aside from not-yet-detected dark matter, most visible matter in the universe is in the plasma state in which positive ions and electrons are torn apart from atoms. The flow of this plasma interacts with magnetic field lines in space, causing a phenomenon called magnetic reconnection. In this process magnetic field lines change their topological configuration and convert the magnetic energy to various plasma energy by accelerating and heating plasma particles. While magnetic reconnection is considered to play some role in the creation of the galactic system, it is known for being responsible for generating solar flares and the aurora. Furthermore, in nuclear fusion experiments where plasma is confined by magnetic field, magnetic reconnection often disturbs the control of the fusion plasma. Such magnetic reconnection is being investigated in the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX) device at PPPL, the world-class machine which studies this phenomenon. As principal research physicist of MRX, Dr. Yamada has been instrumental in the planning, constructing, and managing the MRX. Dr. Shigenori Matsushita, Chair of FUTI’s Scholarship Review Committee remarks, “Truthfully, the significance and subject matter of the prize was beyond the comprehension of a layman like myself, but when I had a chance to talk with several UTokyo professors, they enthusiastically explained that receiving this award was the highest of honors in the world of physics.” The award given to Dr. Yamada for his profound impact on the advancement of plasma physics, gives great joy to FUTI. Congratulations, President Yamada. Written by Shigenori Matsushita, Scholarship Committee Chair Articles in this newsletter:

Prof. Furuya Lectures in New York: The Gifts of the Ocean and its Future

The lecture, “The Gifts of the Ocean and its Future”, was given by Prof. Ken Furuya at 6:00 pm on September 19 at the University of Tokyo New York Office. The talk was presented to 25 attendees including members of the FUTI board and advisory committee, and UTokyo alumni living in and around New York City. Prof. Furuya is a Director and Executive Vice President of U Tokyo, a professor in the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and a Director of FUTI. He was in New York to attend the FUTI meetings. Up-to-date information of academic circles was presented in easy terms with varieties of slides. Lively Q&As and discussion were held during and after the lecture for better understanding of the present and future of the ocean environment. Its important points are as follows: (1) Phytoplanktons in the ocean are much stronger in regeneration than plants on land, both of which are the respective bases of the food chains. Hence the ecosystem in the ocean as a whole is much stronger in regeneration than that on land. This is the reason why the hunter-gatherer society survives today in the ocean while it ceased to exist on land long time ago. Indeed we are blessed with the life resources in the ocean. (2) This may however be changing. Global warming raises the surface temperature of the ocean, making the rise and fall of the seawater more difficult. As a result, rich nutrients in the depths are hampered from rising to the surface to support photosynthesis by phytoplankton. This eventually results in depletion of the whole sea ecosystem. (3) In order for oceanic life resources to be sustainable, it is necessary to classify the vast ocean by environment and ecosystem, and to set forth a system that will enable the ecology to thrive. This requires much needed knowledge and an administering body to oversee the oceans. It is vital to conduct marine biological experiments using observation and data simulation, and to carry out the project with humanitarian alliances across international borders. In the presentation, current advancements in research and action have been introduced. After the lecture, Dr. Kuwama, Vice President of FUTI, thanked Prof. Furuya for the lecture and commented as follows; “We tend to forget the benefit of the ocean, but we have learned today that it is worth $1,500 per capita. Likewise we tend to forget the benefit from our Alma Mater, U Tokyo. Let’s keep it in our minds.” Written by Shigenori Matsushita based on summary by Prof. Ken Furuya Articles in this newsletter:

Excerpts of Report by 2015 Summer Scholarship Recipients

As reported in Newsletter 13, nine UTokyo students and 11 U.S. students received the 2015 FUTI Global Leadership Awards (FUTI-GLA). The FUTI summer scholarship award, a.k.a. the “FUTI Global Leadership Award (FUTI-GLA),” is designed to nurture future global leaders of Japan and the U.S. One of the selection criteria is a demonstration of leadership quality. Selected excerpts of their reports are shown in this article. Five out of the selected nine UTokyo students participated in various summer programs at U.S. universities, such as University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, University of Michigan, Princeton University, and Stanford University; three attended English language courses at Yale University, Columbia University, and U.C. Berkeley; and one participated in the Global Summer Program (GSP) at Yale. Six were science or engineering majors, while three were humanities or social science majors. Five were undergraduates (three sophomores, one junior, one senior), and four were graduate students (three M1, one M2) at the time of FUTI application submission. Seven out of the 11 U.S. awardees conducted research as summer interns at UTokyo’s laboratories. Five of these recipients participated in the University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (UTRIP), which was hosted by professors in the School of Sciences at UTokyo. Two participated in the University of Tokyo Summer Internship Program in Kashiwa (UTSIP-Kashiwa) hosted by the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences. In addition, two MIT students took internships at UTokyo science laboratories. The selection process for FUTI awards was highly competitive. For instance, the five UTRIP participants had been selected from over 40 U.S. undergraduates, many of whom were top students from leading universities in the U.S. In addition to these internship students, two Yale students (both Sophomores) were selected to participate in the Global Summer Program (GSP) courses offered by UTokyo. FUTI also awarded travel scholarships to two high school students in travel scholarships to a high school student from California and Oregon who started the PEAK program at UTokyo in October 2015. The list of 2015 award recipients are posted on our website. For full reports, please click here. Highlights from UTokyo Students’ Reports The nine UTokyo students who spent the summer in the U.S. unanimously commented, “We learned a great deal inside and outside classroom. The summer experience helped us expand our intellectual horizon regarding both the world and Japan, and gave us opportunities to rethink our career plans.” Many of them further said that “classroom and lab works were intensive” and “were able to establish close friendship with students coming from many countries.” Natsuki Furukawa, Pharmacology/Biology, Junior: Harvard University Summer School, “Cancer” and “Bioimaging” This summer, I participated in the Harvard Summer School for 7 weeks. I took two courses; one about cancer, and the other about imaging in biology. There are many things going on in cancer cells, and it was very interesting for me. The quality of instruction was high. I could gain profound knowledge about “Cancer” and “Bioimaging”. The class studied data professional scientists actually used in their work. The Summer School encouraged me to study abroad for graduate school to become a world class biologist in the future. Haruaki Tamura, Engineering Dept, MI: UC Berkeley, English Language Course During summer session, One of the two classes I took was “Business Speaking” where I made discussion, presentation in terms of business issues. In addition to classes, I could learn a lot from daily lives in Berkeley. .. My American friends at the dorm were not reluctant to talk to me at all, but they talk with me and share knowledge and feelings. (From this experience) I made up my mind to become more open to international students in my university, (as I had an opportunity to) broaden my understanding of perception and values of people from various background. Yuki Haba, Dept of General Systems Sciences M 1: Columbia University, English Language Course Columbia’s English course is not only about English as a language. Its aim is to let us learn American culture using English. ..I would like to say that the most important part of this summer was to meet my classmates who came from Asian countries (China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan), After every class, we discuss many issues surrounding our countries, and sometimes the discussion was lasting to midnight. English learning is the first step toward my dream of becoming a world-leading scientist. But “that was one small step for a man, one giant leap for me.” Without FUTI’s help, I would not have experienced such great things, which dramatically changed my life. I am currently taking my second and third steps toward this dream by being a graduate student at Columbia University. Highlights from U.S. Students’ Reports The 11 students from U.S. universities invariably report that they gained valuable research skills and experience at UTokyo. Many expressed their desire to go back to Japan because of their positive impression of the Japanese culture and society. Indy Liu, Reed College, Physics, Junior: UTRIP, Prof. Hirofumi Sakai’s Lab As a student of theoretical physics at a liberal arts college, it was eye-opening for me to participate in an experiment that stands at the forefront of its field. I have learned much about the excitements and struggles of being an experimental physicist. I have learned a tremendous amount about both the exciting and the challenging aspects of experimental physics.* The time I have spent in professor Sakai’s lab has further motivated me to continue on in physics, and the time I have spent outside the lab made me all the more eager to live in Japan. So, as I step onto the plane at Haneda airport, Japan, good bye for now, but I will be back. *Taken from Indy Liu’s report on Friends of UTokyo, Inc.’s Facebook page Carolyn Zhang, Yale University, Electrical Engineering, Sophomore: GSP (Nanoscience) The Global Summer Program (GSP) Nanoscience course at the University of Tokyo granted me one of the most memorable summer experiences I have had thus far, filled not only with engaging academic learning but also exciting cultural immersion.The classes, lab tours, and…
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University of Tokyo Establishes a New Office in New York

“The University of Tokyo (UTokyo) New York Office” will open in midtown Manhattan of New York City. As an inaugural event, a seminar and opening ceremony, followed by a reception will be held at the new office on November 6. About the UTokyo New York Office The Nippon Club Tower located in the heart of Manhattan, will be the home of the new UTokyo New York Office on the 21st floor. It is approximately 300 square meters (approx. 3230 square feet), equipped with office space and a conference room which can be utilized for UTokyo related events such as seminars, receptions, and meetings. After nearly two years of careful planning, the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Industrial Science and Institute of Medical Science have decided to jointly build an office intended as a United States East Coast regional hub for transmitting information (through seminars and symposiums) and building a platform for shared research projects with the United States. Official Opening Next Month Although the UTokyo New York Office has informally opened its doors to host lectures, its official opening will be on Friday, November 6. The day will start with an inaugural seminar at noon titled “Open Innovation for Future Medicine” followed by an opening ceremony and reception. This article is from the Todai Shimbun Online, a student press of the University of Tokyo (October 20, 2015 edition) Prepared by Minami Goto Articles in this newsletter: