In 2025, Tohoku University and University College London (UCL) will support eight collaborative research projects through their matching fund.
The matching fund was established by UCL and Tohoku University following the conclusion of an agreement between the two universities to promote and encourage joint research. The first call for projects to be supported by the fund was made in June 2019.
There were 13 applications for funding in the 7th round. Following a joint review carried out by the two universities, the following 8 interdisciplinary joint research projects have been approved.
The fund will provide financial support to the 8 projects for up to one academic year beginning in April 2025.
| Research Areas | UCL Lead | Tohoku University Lead | Project |
| Space/Architecture,
HCI (Human-computer interaction), AI |
Prof. Ava Fatah
(Bartlett) |
Dr. Kazuyuki Fujita
(Research Institute of Electrical Communication) |
The Intelligent Workplace: human and cyber workplace interaction in hybrid and liquid environments. A cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural examination |
| AI,
Neuromorphic computing, Spintronics, Material science |
Prof. Hidekazu Kurebayashi
(Maths & Physical Sciences) |
Dr. Aakanksha Sud
(Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences) |
Exploring Innovative Spintronic Systems for Enhanced Reservoir Computing in Artificial Intelligence Applications |
| Social neuroscience,
Cognitive psychology, Cross-cultural psychology, Science of the performing arts |
Assoc. Prof. Guido Orgs
(Brain Sciences) |
Assoc. Prof. Chia-huei Tseng
(Research Institute of Electrical Communication) |
Reading from Body Motion: the role of culture and expertise in the performing arts for emotion recognition and expression |
| Education,
Disaster science, Neuroscience |
Dr. Ana Pellicer-Sanchez
(Institute of Education) |
Dr. Takumi Uchihara
(Graduate School of International Cultural Studies) |
Examining the neuro-cognitive representations of disaster-related vocabulary in a foreign language |
| Disaster science,
Community resilience, Social innovation |
Prof. Davide Ravasi
(Engineering Sciences) |
Specially Appointed Assoc. Prof. Mika Sakai
(Head Office of Enterprise Partnerships, Startup Incubation Center) |
Integrating Tradition and Innovation: Enhancing Disaster Recovery and Community Resilience through Cultural Heritage and Social Innovation in Japan |
| AI,
Disaster science |
Prof. Mohammad Shamsudduha
(Maths & Physical Sciences) |
Prof. Daisuke Sano
(Graduate School of Engineering) |
Application of AI Technology for Mapping of High-resolution Surface Water Storage Using Earth Observation Satellite Data via Google Earth Engine (AI-WATER) |
| Geotechnical engineering,
Earthquake engineering, Disaster Engineering, Machine Learning (AI) |
Dr. Susana Lopez-Querol
(Engineering Sciences) |
Dr. Anawat Suppasri
(International Research Institute of Disaster Science) |
Assessment of liquefaction and its effects in infrastructures at the Noto Peninsula in Japan, through Machine Learning techniques |
| Ophthalmology,
AI |
Prof. Pearse Keane
(Brain Sciences) |
Prof. Toru Nakazawa
(Graduate School of Medicine) |
Validation and Enhancement of AI-based Systemic Disease Detection with Retinal Imaging from Asian Cohorts at Tohoku University |
Contact:
Global Engagement Coordination Team, Global Engagement Division
Tel: +81 22 217 6311
Email：kokusai-c grp.tohoku.ac.jp