On October 1, a delegation from the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute, including Director Rachel Brunette-Chen and Foreign Service members training for diplomatic assignment to the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in Japan, visited Tohoku University and met with Executive Vice President Masahiro Yamaguchi and Special Advisor to the President Prof. Hiroaki Kobayashi.
During the meeting, EVP Yamaguchi presented an overview of the university’s key initiatives and its status of cooperation with U.S. universities, particularly in semiconductors and quantum-related fields. Afterwards, both sides engaged in a productive discussion on possibilities for future collaboration between the two countries.
Director Brunette-Chen expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome and admiration for Tohoku University’s distinctive initiatives in education and research with the U.S., such as UPWARDS and the Japan-U.S. Digital Innovation Hub and Advanced Technology Workshop. She also expressed strong interest in the university’s contributions to society in such fields as disaster risk reduction and healthcare, as well as expectations for promoting exchange between Japanese and American early-career researchers and students.
The guests also had an opportunity to interact with students. The students responded to their questions about nuclear power and the current status of the Hamadori coastal area, drawing upon their own experiences and on things learned through classes and activities related to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and recovery efforts.
The delegation also visited the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) and the Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (ToMMo), where they were given overviews of each organization and toured the facilities.
This visit served as an opportunity for both sides to agree to further promote research and personnel exchanges between Tohoku University and U.S. academic institutions.
