On January 30, 2026, the JSPS Global Gathering 2026 was held in Tokyo.

The JSPS Global Gathering is an event launched in FY2024 with the aim of fostering international research networks among international fellows under the JSPS program, Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan, which comprises the Short-term Programs of PE (US, Canada, and Europe) and PA (ASEAN and Africa), who stay in Japan for an extended period. The event is also open to JSPS Research Fellows and Overseas Research Fellows, making it a truly international gathering.

At this second gathering, more than 120 participants from over 40 countries and regions came together. In addition, representatives from several JSPS alumni associations—including those from the German-speaking region, the French-speaking region, India, Thailand, and East Africa—also joined the event, fostering exchanges that spanned across generations.

Following the opening remarks by JSPS President SUGINO Tsuyoshi, two former JSPS International Research Fellows—Professor Easan SIVANIAH from Kyoto University iCeMS and Associate Professor Paul HAIMES from Ritsumeikan University College of Global Liberal Arts—gave talks based on their experiences. This was followed by group discussions among researchers from various fields and talks by researchers working in related areas, all of which fostered lively and dynamic exchanges.
 

The JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan provides opportunities for pre-/post-doctoral researchers from abroad to engage in cooperative research under the guidance of their hosts with leading research groups in universities and other Japanese institutions. Since welcoming its first international fellows in 1979, the program has brought excellent young researchers from across the globe to Japan, where they engage in scholarly exchange and joint research with Japanese colleagues. Through these activities, the program has played a key role in fostering vibrant academic interaction and building international research networks.

Professor KITAGAWA Susumu, Executive Vice-President of Kyoto University and Distinguished Professor at the Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study, who received the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, is one of the researchers who have hosted many international researchers through the JSPS program and advanced their research. Reflecting on his experiences with former JSPS international research fellows who studied under his guidance, he contributed an essay to the program’s 30th anniversary commemorative booklet, which we invite you to read.