Second HOPE Meeting Held on “Art in Science”

JSPS’s second HOPE Meeting, themed “Art in Science,” was held over the three-day period from 28-30 September in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Its organizing committee was chaired by 2001 Nobel laureate in chemistry Dr. Ryoji Noyori, president of RIKEN. The meeting brought together about 100 doctoral students majoring in chemistry and related fields from 14 countries and regions of the Asia-Pacific.

Beginning with Dr. Noyori, altogether seven Nobel laureates participated in the HOPE Meeting: JSPS executive director Dr. Makoto Kobayashi (2008 laureate in physics), Dr. Yuan T. Lee (1986 laureate in chemistry), Dr. Peter Agre (2003 laureate in chemistry), Dr. Leo Esaki (1973 laureate in physics), Dr. Susumu Tonegawa (1987 laureate in physiology or medicine), and Mr. Koichi Tanaka (2002 laureate in chemistry). On the rostrum, they were joined by Dr. Svante Lindqvist, president of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and director of the Nobel Museum. The lectures delivered not only conveyed cutting-edge scientific content, but also offered insightful messages on such topics as the mission of science and advice on how the young researchers can develop themselves into leading scientists. Following each of their presentations, the lecturers received volleys of questions.

Featured also were discussion sessions that divided the participants into small groups, where they engaged the lecturers in face-to-face discussions and paved the way for network building among themselves. In addition, lunch and dinner times also gave the young participants opportunities to freely exchange views with the Nobel laureates or to seek their critique of the poster presentations made earlier.

In line with this meeting’s concept of “Art in Science,” the participants attended a mini harpsichord concert and enjoyed a lecture by Prof. Shuji Takashina, director of Ohara Museum of Art, on a comparison between Western and Japanese art.

At the closing ceremony on the 30^th, the young researchers received a certificate of HOPE Meeting participation from the chair, Dr. Noyori. The next day, they took an observation tour to RIKEN. Though a short three days in duration, the HOPE Meeting allowed the participants to share intensive, quality time with each other before returning with a wealth of new colleagueships to their respective countries.

It is expected that the HOPE Meeting stimulated the young participants, giving them a jump along their paths to becoming full-fledged scientists, while offering them an optimal opportunity to create and expand their networks with peers in the Asia-Pacific region.

- Asian Program Division