Events

Friends of UTokyo is pleased to present an online lecture/dialogue by Dr. Yuki Haba, an award-winning evolutionary biologist and currently a Leon Levy Scholar in Neuroscience at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute. Dr. Haba has already received numerous professional awards, despite completing his PhD only recently, in 2023. This is the inaugural talk in a new lecture series created in memory of Professor Takatoshi Ito, a prominent international political scientist formerly at School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. (https://www.friendsofutokyo.org/en/in-memoriam-former-futi-director-prof-takatoshi-ito/) The series aims to highlight promising early-stage professionals and provide opportunities for younger generations of FUTI alumni to learn from their work, perspectives, and career experiences. It also seeks to encourage spirited dialogue, and help foster a supportive professional network. We expect the lecture/dialogue to be held annually, either in person or online. Dr. Iwao Ojima, president of FUTI and University Distinguished Professor, Stony Brook University – State University of New York, will give an opening remark. Following Dr. Haba’s talk, there will be ample time for Q&A. Dr. Haba’s talk will be based on his article recently published in Science. It has been reported widely in major media including Nikkei and CNN. https://reskill.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOLM163L60W5A011C2000000/ いつから蚊は人類の敵に？　進化の定説を覆した生命科学者、サイエンスに論文掲載 https://www.cnn.co.jp/fringe/35239645.html 「ロンドン地下鉄の蚊」の起源、通説より大幅に古い可能性　新研究   ABSTRACT “Ancient origin of an urban underground mosquito,” in Science.  https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ady4515 Date/Time:          January 23, 2026, Friday, 9pm-10.00pm+ (ET) Format:                Zoom invite will be sent to those who RSVP Language:            English for the lecture and English and Japanese for the Q and A. Cost:                      Free RSVP:                    Required. Please RSVP by  Tuesday, January 21, 2026 by emailing info [at] friendsofutokyo.org with 1) your name, 2) email address, 3) major and year of graduation at Tokyo, 4) current affiliation, 5) questions for the presenters. Organizer:           Friends of UTokyo (www.friendsofutokyo.org) Co-sponsors:      Satsuki-kai America, FUTI Alumni Association, and other UTokyo alumni associations Photos:                Photos taken during the session may be used in FUTI’s online and offline publications. Please inform the organizer prior to the lecture if you do not wish to be included in the photos.   Bio of Dr. Haba: Yuki Haba, Ph.D., is an evolutionary biologist passionate about understanding how and why diverse behaviors evolve in nature. He is currently a Leon Levy Scholar in Neuroscience at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute. He aims to take multi-disciplinary approaches, combining genomics, neuroethology, and field-based behavioral ecology to comprehensively understand the evolution of behavior. Yuki completed his PhD at Princeton, MA at Columbia, and undergraduate degree at the University of Tokyo. Personal webpage: https://yukihaba.github.io/  

This lecture is in Japanese 東大友の会では、経済学者の伊藤隆敏氏（2015年―現在、コロンビア大学国際関係・公共政策大学院教授）をお招きし、講演と懇親会を開催いたします。 著名な経済学者である伊藤先生は、金融政策や国際金融論に関する多くの編著書や論文を発表されており、日本経済学会会長、関税・外国為替等審議会会長、大蔵省副財務官、経済財政諮問会議議員、など、さまざまな要職を歴任されています。また、東大友の会の理事も務めていらっしゃいます。

This webinar is in Japanese 東大友の会では、上記の国際機関でご活躍中のアラムナイをお招きして、講演および懇親会を計画しています。 国際環境が急激に変化する今日この頃、日本の国際機関での役割がますます注目されています。一方で、卒業生や在校生の間でも「国際機関で就職やインターンシップを経験したい」という声が高まっています。 しかし、国際機関への日本からの参加者は、中国やインドと比べて依然として少なく、例えば、2022~23年度の国連インターンの参加者は中国から773人、インドから192人に対し、日本からはわずか41名でした。（出典: See Annex, https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4075209?utm_source=chatgpt.com&v=pdf）

Hayato Kume (UTokyo alumnus), First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in the USA, gives a talk titled “Japan’s Coronavirus Policies as Seen from my Perspective Gained in the United States.” This event was hosted by Satsukikai America of D.C. and New York and co-hosted by Friends of UTokyo. In 2006, Mr. Kume joined the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare in Japan. During his tenure at the Ministry he worked at a wide range of areas including policies for healthcare, those for the disabled people, and reforms in employment regulations. After serving as Deputy Director of the Ministry’s Headquarters of COVID-19 Response, in September 2020, he was placed in charge of the department overseeing COVID-19 and global health as the First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in the USA. In this lecture, he shares his own experience serving in the Headquarters for the COVID-19 Response in Japan and his reflections on Japan’s coronavirus policies after observing the US coronavirus policies on a first-hand basis. The following five main topics are covered: 1) a statistical comparison of Japan with other G7 countries regarding coronavirus infection numbers and rates of vaccinations, 2) the circumstances surrounding the Japanese government’s initial response to the pandemic, 3) the conflict in prioritizing economy and medical resources, 4) the Japanese government’s progression from vaccine procurement to inoculation of the populace, and 5) discoveries made in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.