Official Visit by Vice-President of ETH Zurich (October 4, 2018)

Vice-President Detlef Günther of ETH Zurich, Switzerland, visited the Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, on October 4, 2018.

ETH Zurich, commonly known as Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and located in Zurich, is one of the world's leading universities in science and technology and is known for its cutting-edge research and innovation. It was established in 1855 as the Federal Polytechnic School, and a century and a half later can count over 21 Nobel Prize Laureates as alumni, including the great Albert Einstein himself. The university has 16 departments that conduct academic interdisciplinary research in subjects ranging from architecture and technology to chemistry and physics.  Currently, it has about 500 faculty members and 18,000 students.

There is a long history of academic exchanges with ETH Zurich, since Kyoto University and ETH Zurich commenced an MOU in December, 1989.  Under the umbrella of the comprehensive MOU, the School and ETH Zurich have a steady partnership in research and education. The Agreement on a student exchange program was signed in July, 2010.  Prof. Osamu Tabata, Department of Micro Engineering, conducted a collaborative project with ETH Zurich in 2013 under the auspices of the SPIRITS program by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

The visit was intended to make an official appointment and conduct a site visit as a person responsible for research and corporate relations including the Branco Weiss Fellowship. Because one of the fellows, Dr. Takuya Fabian Segawa, is staying in the School to engage in his research project as Guest Research Associate. This research fellowship is designed to support postdoctoral researchers after their PhD and before their first faculty appointment for full 5 years. Ideally, fellows pursue unconventional projects in new areas of science, engineering and social sciences.

At the visit to the Dean of the School, Vice President Günther dedicated his thanks to Dean Masahiro Ohshima for the collaborative project and fostering young researchers in the field of engineering study which has been conducted for years.  Prof. Shu Seki, in charge of the Committee for International Academic Exchange, and Assistant Dean  Shigeki Takeuchi, joined the meeting.  Afterwards, the group, in the presence of Dr. Segawa, discussed mutual and specific interests for the purpose of promoting further academic and student exchanges.

ETH group photo ETH Vice-President
Dean Ohshima (Right) Vice-President Günther (Left)

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