International Center for Young Scientists

pp.2-3

─Improving the ability to have discussions beyond the borders of countries and research areas─　Sukekatsu USHIODA

　pp.4-5

　Yoichiro UEMURA×Taketoshi FUJITA×Toshio SASAKI　p.5

Enhancement of the NIMS research support system　蘆English training for NIMS administrative staff　蘆Orientation and laboratory tour programColumn: An administrative intern from Poland

　pp.6-7

　蘆Leading the most advanced research overseas based on what I learned at ICYS　　Dr. Takashi NAKANISHI　蘆An ICYS alumni going for the world standard from Asia　Dr. Ajayan VINU　蘆Excellent Leadership Emerges from ICYS　Dr. Wolfgang SCHMITT

　p.8　蘆ICYS－ICMR Summer School on Nanomaterials 2007　蘆ICYS Events Calendar

National Institute for Materials Science

11No.

InternationalEdition

Executive Talk

Innovative and wild scientists fostered by the fight for survival—Improving the ability to have

discussions beyond the borders of countries and research areas—

Sukekatsu USHIODAPresident, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST)Professor Emeritus, Tohoku University

JAIST President Sukekatsu Ushioda has achieved world-class research results in solid surface properties, including nanostructure measurements with STM light emission spectroscopy. In 2008 he will become President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP).Currently, President Ushioda is working to reform the personnel system of JAIST and is concurrently serving as Executive Advisor at

Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST)JAIST was inaugurated in 1990 as the first national graduate school without undergraduate courses—an unprecedented type of graduate school in Japan. In 2004 JAIST was incorporated as a national university corporation. Having a unique campus and a research and education organization, JAIST has three schools, i. e., School of Knowledge Science, School of Information Science, and School of Materials Science. In 2007 the Research Center for Integrated Science was established as the center of advanced research in multidisciplinary new fields.

A country where profound and broad knowledge for winning debates and a strong personality are essentialHow did you spend your time as a university student in the United States?

I went to the United States in 1960, immediately after graduating from senior high school in Japan. As I was granted a scholarship to cover all of my expenses, I entered Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, which is the northernmost Ivy-League college. At the time the United States was investing heavily in science and technology fol-lowing the Soviet Union’s successful launch of Sputnik in 1957, the world’s first artificial satellite. I had intended to become an engineer, but at Dartmouth I decided to major in physics which I found more interest-ing. If my performance was poor, my scholarship would have been cut, and I would have had to return to Japan, so I studied really hard.

Subsequently, I entered the graduate school of the University of Pennsylvania. At American graduate schools, one takes classes without belonging to a laboratory until completing the two-year master’s pro-gram. As a result, I studied everything, including quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, solid state physics, and elementary particles.

What was your research environment like after you became a university professor?

I was at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). All faculty mem-bers must procure research funds themselves. UCI pays salaries for nine months, and we have to earn money ourselves for the remaining three months. Faculties who cannot obtain research funds cannot hire graduate students as research assistants (RAs), make long-distance phone calls, use Xerox machines, or conduct experiments—they cannot do anything. University professors in the United States are like proprietors of private firms operating tenant shops in a department store. Except for having to give lectures, the university provides us only with a place to work, and lets us get on with it ourselves. Accordingly, I procured research grants from various organizations, such as the United States Air Force (USAF), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Department of Energy (DOE).

What did you notice by comparing university professors and students between Japan and the United States after you came back to Japan?

I returned to Japan in 1985 and became professor at the Research In-stitute of Electrical Communication (RIEC), Tohoku University, in re-sponse to an invitation from a friend of mine at this university. As I was going to conduct research in Japan for the first time in 25 years, I was prepared to encounter difficulties as if I were in a foreign country.

At Tohoku University, Japanese master’s degree students were com-petitive with American doctor’s degree students in the knowledge of their own disciplines; however, American students were more competent and aggressive in challenging and achieving things. Therefore, I always say that students on doctor’s programs in Japan would be crushed immedi-

ately if they graduated in the United States. So far, neither students nor professors at universities in Japan have been interested in other disciplines. If they are indifferent to

what other people are studying, they won’t be interested in interdiscipli-

nary discussions. In the United States, on the other hand, sec-ond or third year students of doctor’s programs become

competitive with their supervisors in debates in their own special-ized areas. When the students become too smart, the supervisors

kick them out elsewhere by giving them a degree (chuckle). In other words, students who become smart enough to beat their supervisors in disciplinary discussions can survive in the outside world.

Promoting the personnel system reform at JAIST to recruit human resources in the American wayYou became JAIST President in 2004 after being Professor at JAIST, concurrently with your professorship at RIEC. Under your presidency, a public invitation was announced for recruiting young researchers as lecturers.

Our proposal entitled “Development of Personnel System for Young Researchers in Nanotechnology and Materials Science” was applied to the “Program for Promotion of Environmental Improvement to Enhance Young Researchers’ Independence and to Make Use of Their Abilities” to be funded by the Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology (SCF) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan, and was successfully accepted. Ac-

cordingly, eight lecturers were employed based on our new personnel system which provides tenure-track positions. Among the ICYS research fellows, we employed Dr. Lee JaeDong from Korea.

Regarding the quality and capability required of young researchers in the future, desirable researchers are those who have dreams and can ex-plain interesting points to people outside of their own disciplines. Of the eight researchers from four countries selected from over one hundred ap-plicants, seven researchers had stayed abroad for more than two years. Those who have experience abroad appeared to be more mature as scien-tists, although this was probably because we interviewed the applicants in English. In a foreign country, one has to survive without one’s network of connections. Recently, I proposed forcing our administrative staff to spend a year or so away, but today’s young people hesitate to go abroad.

Why is mobility of human resources, including going to other countries, important?

Exactly as the proverb says: If you love your child, send him out on a journey. From an educational viewpoint, it is better to move and gain new experience. At American universities, excellent students are encour-aged to move to other universities, and the students themselves want to go out and explore. On the contrary, Japanese universities enclose stu-dents to fill up the student quota of graduate schools. Professors have a deep-rooted policy to let seniors join their laboratory, retain the compe-tent students, make them assistant professors, and eventually make them take over as professor. However, this ties excellent people down.

The problem is the reduced reproduction, in which the caliber of stu-dents gradually weakens. Students who are diligent but not so creative remain, but wild students go out. Accordingly, universities will decline if we continue to overlook the situation. There are many wild researchers in the United States, and there are some crazy ones (chuckle). Being crazy, wild, and creative are probably very closely related to one another.

JAIST headhunted excellent professors by annual salary contracts, like Major Leaguers.

If we want to improve our university, we must recruit good profes-sors. It’s simple. Excellent people gather at universities with established prestige, such as the University of Tokyo, without being solicited. How-ever, newly established universities, such as JAIST, cannot hire good people unless we attract them by offering good incentives. The best in-centive in capitalist society is money. In the case of university professors, however, prioritized working conditions will attract more attention, such that good associate professors will be appointed; several assistants pro-vided; abundant space prepared; lecture duties kept low; and few admin-

istrative or miscellaneous duties assigned. Nonetheless, we offered an annual salary contract that was approximately 1.5 times the ordinary sal-ary of professors because this attracts more worldly interest.

JAIST invited Professor Kiyoyuki Terakura, who is a world-renowned leading researcher in computational science, to take up the position of Distinguished Professor. We also invited Professor Tatsuya Shimoda, who developed the micro-liquid process using inkjet technology at Seiko Epson, based on another channel called the “Faculty recruitment at the discretion of the JAIST President.” Such headhunting cannot be accom-plished, if we have to negotiate in the open involving discussions at fac-ulty meetings, so I instituted a rule that everything can be determined at the President’s discretion in such special cases (although a small number of faculty members are consulted).

A window for attracting talent from various countries to JapanAt ICYS, you often have talks with young researchers, which are affectionately called the Ushioda meetings.

My duty as an advisor at ICYS is to visit there from time to time and talk with young researchers. I only have a chat with them without teach-ing them anything in particular. Here is an example. Professor Burstein, who was my mentor during my doctor’s course, was a consultant at the IBM Watson Research Center, where he visited researchers’ offices and asked them, “What’s been happening recently?” Through conversations, in which the researchers explained what they were engaged in and Pro-fessor Burstein tried to understand them, some new ideas often came out spontaneously. Professor Burstein said that this kind of interaction was important. So, I am doing the same thing at ICYS. In response to my question, “Are you doing something interesting?,” they explain what they are doing and sometimes notice, “Ah, we haven’t understood this point.” There is a chance for a new collaboration, if I give them advice, “I know a researcher who is doing the same thing at such and such university, so why not contact him?”

What do you expect of ICYS?Rather than closing the Project when the budget ends, ICYS should

continue its activities somehow and contribute to globalization through-out NIMS. They can change their style, but they should not cease their activities. In global competition, it’s disadvantageous to compete only within the confines of Japanese brains. The best people gather in the United States, where the wages are higher and research can be conducted in English. Even if they wish to do the same thing in Japan, they face the language barrier and their results in Japan will have lit-tle impact on the global stage. Therefore, few Americans come to Japan to develop their careers. Nevertheless, at ICYS, this was achieved among the youngest gen-eration of researchers. I expect ICYS to continue serving as a win-dow for attracting talents to Japan from all over the world.

JAIST President Ushioda with Professor and Mrs. Burstein: He has kept in touch with his mentor for over a half century.

2 No.11, Nov. 2007 3No.11, Nov. 2007

—ICYS accepts young researchers for fellowship from all over the world to engage in advanced research assisted by TSS, whose sup-port system, which is unparalleled in terms of caring attitude and attention to detail, is highly evaluated by research institutions and universities both in Japan and overseas. How do you assist re-search fellows?Fujita: My main job is to look for necessa-ry experiment equipment. I record informa-tion on who uses what equipment so that the right equipment can be provided to young research fellows who need it. When suitable equipment is not available within NIMS, I contact other research institutions, universities, and agents.Uemura: I assist experiments, ranging from giving advice on a suitable mask to be used, to procuring expensive new equipment. For the latter, I help decide the specifications and then negotiate with the budget staff. If the request for buying the equipment is accepted, I compile a specification document and reasons for choosing the equipment in Japanese. Subsequently, when the equip-ment is delivered, I explain how to use it in English. One of the ICYS characteristics is that English is an official language. Life is much easier for non-Japanese research fellows if we help eliminate the language bar-rier.Fujita: Sasaki-san, it must be tough to allocate electron microscopes be-cause so many research fellows want to use them.Uemura: And also because the electron microscopes at ICYS/NIMS are among the best in Japan, aren’t they?Sasaki: Our electron microscopes have a linear resolution of 0.1 nm. Re-search is dependent upon the knowledge of researchers and the capacity of the equipment used, so I think our research fellows can get good re-sults and papers published if we can provide them with the best equip-ment. But we must ensure experimental equipment is used safely because not all ICYS research fellows know how to use it, and because such equipment is usually expensive. I also help analyze experimental data.Uemura: In general, Japanese tend to handle experiment equipment carefully.Sasaki: That’s true. Non-Japanese tend to be carefree or adventurous (chuckle). If the equipment breaks, it’s prohibitively expensive to repair.Fujita: Repair expenses are a serious problem, but it’s even more serious for experiments to be suspended during repairs.Uemura: Incorrect use of experiment equipment could be more serious than just an injury.Sasaki: As support staff, we carry a heavy responsibility for safety.

—Do you notice any differences in the attitudes of research fel-lows from overseas in conducting research depending on their na-tionality?

Uemura: Of course individuals differ, but in general European researchers tend to take their time in conducting research, whereas those of Chinese origin tend to hurry to get results.Fujita: Research fellows from China in par-ticular tend to concentrate on trendy re-search fields, and the same applies to their papers. They seem to be joining the band-wagon of the American standard. Research fellows from small and rapidly developing countries come here filled with ambition.

Uemura: That’s true among Eastern Europeans. They come here with pride at being the best in their country.Fujita: Some ICYS alumni have achieved success at ICYS and moved on to higher positions after returning to their home countries. ICYS alumni will become university professors or directors-general of research insti-tutes in due course.

—What are the challenges or rewards as support coordinators?Uemura: Some research fellows have transferred to NIMS after com-pleting their fellowship at ICYS, where they strive for practical applica-tion of their exploratory research. Meanwhile, collaborative research

with Japanese researchers has become increasingly active year by year. It is a pleasure to work at a place where I can see successful results being obtained and human networks being expanded. I feel stimulated by inter-acting with young research fellows (chuckle).Sasaki: Those from overseas generally be-lieve that Japanese equipment is the best in the world. Japanese electron microscopes, for instance, are of high resolution, excel-lent quality, and easy to handle. ICYS alum-ni in the Czech Republic, U.K., France, and other countries sometimes send me speci-mens and ask me to view them under an electron microscope at ICYS. Although metals and ceramics can be handled easily, sophisticated skills are required for observ-ing organic matter, such as biogenic speci-mens, with an electron microscope.Uemura: Yes, because electron beams of 200 kV are irradiated. Re-search fellows from overseas are impressed by the skills of Japanese who can handle the equipment smoothly, in addition to the excellence of the equipment itself.Fujita: Incidentally, I once repaired the wheels of a baby buggy of a for-eign researcher, and in return he gave me a bottle of wine from his coun-try (chuckle). But returning to the subject, both researchers coming to ICYS from other countries and we support staff had a hard time at the start of the ICYS Project, although the support system is solid now. For instance, to use a huge radiation experiment facility called SOR at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) in Tsukuba, users must undertake radiation safety training in advance. When a non-Japanese research fellow wanted to use it, I had to search all over Japan for a facility which could give such training in English until I finally found one, as there was none nearby. It’s challenging to open new paths, but also a pleasure, being rewarded by a sense of fulfillment.Uemura: The duties of support coordinators range from calm assistance to patient efforts, so we need to have a personality that enjoys getting things done.

Sasaki: I think international projects like the ICYS Project, in which you can meet researchers from all over the world and improve your English skills, will become increasingly important in the future.Uemura: Ideally, the research outcomes of ICYS research fellows would be compiled into papers and connected to obtaining patents, eventually making NIMS the core of global communication.Fujita: I think the support system of TSS at ICYS is excellent because bilingual experts provide all-inclusive technical assistance both in Japa-nese and English to meet the needs of young research fellows concerning experiments.

—The prestige of ICYS will continue to spread worldwide through the dedicated assistance of the behind-the-scenes supporters at TSS.

Column: An administrative intern from Poland

Yoichiro UEMURA× Taketoshi FUJITA× Toshio SASAKI

“Behind-the-scenes supporters”of ICYS research activities

ICYS attracts attention from researchers and research institutions overseas for its outstanding level of research and solid research support system. Today, we look at the work of three research support coordinators from the Technical Support Station (TSS) of ICYS, who are also researchers and engineers themselves.

I am Karolina Statkiewicz from Poland. I am working as a secretary at the Warsaw University of Technology, while studying at the Department of Japanese and Korean Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, Warsaw University, where I ma-jor in Japanese studies, which includes the Japanese lan-guage, culture, literature, and history. As the Warsaw Univer-sity of Technology collaborates with the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), I became interested in the on-going bilateral activities in the field of materials science, so I applied for the internship position at the ICYS Administration Office, and worked there from July to September 2007.

This was my first visit to Japan and so there was much to learn. At ICYS, I gained useful knowledge about bilateral co-operation between Poland and Japan for the future, while lis-tening to natural Japanese and observing the workstyle and lifestyle of the Japanese people. Having worked with ICYS re-search fellows, I now understand more about the ways of liv-ing and thinking of Japanese people.

Life in Tsukuba is convenient, and Ninomiya House is a very comfortable place for foreigners. I enjoyed staying at ICYS because I could make friends with not only Japanese people but also non-Japanese research fellows.

Things that impressed me most during my stay in Japan included the clean towns and the remarkable politeness of the Japanese who express respect to others using various honorific and humble forms. I also noticed that the Japanese are very interested in the people and culture of other coun-tries.

I like Japan very much and found many fascinating things every day. In the future, I would like to become involved in cooperative activities between Poland and Japan, using my internship experience at ICYS, and to keep on learning many more things so that I can act as a bridge between our two countries.(Note: This article was translated from the original Japanese written by the writer herself.)

Round table talk

Taketoshi FUJITA

Yoichiro UEMURA

Toshio SASAKI

Enhancement of the NIMS research support system

English training for NIMS administrative staffOne means of promoting internationalization at NIMS is English training

for administrative staff, which ICYS implements in cooperation with the International Affairs Office of NIMS.

In fiscal 2006, three staff members attended three- to four-week courses at a language school in California. Although the participants commented that they would have liked to stay longer to acquire the necessary skills for actual administrative work, they certainly picked up good English during the training.

“The time spent with my host family greatly improved my listening ability, and I learned colloquial expressions and the ordinary lifestyle of people.” (Hiroko Inoue, International Affairs Office)“I’m pleased with the remarkable progress of my English conversation skills, particularly my listening ability, since the start of the training course, and my improvement was clear through conversations with my host family and other people.” (Shinsuke Matsumoto, Integrated Strategy Office)For fiscal 2007, three other staff members have already been selected for

the upcoming English training courses. Based on the feedback of participants in 2006, the training program has been enhanced, including a longer training period and training of business practices. We will continue to offer substantial English training courses for developing skilled human resources who can contribute to the internationalization at NIMS.

Orientation and laboratory tour programWe have been providing an orientation and laboratory tour program since

January 2006, mainly for foreign researchers on fixed-term contracts to help them carry out research smoothly at NIMS.

ICYS is in charge of implementing this program on behalf of the International Affairs Office of NIMS. This program comprises about a two-hour orientation and a tour of major laboratories, and is held monthly so that researchers can attend it soon after arrival. Usually, five staff are assigned to this program, and they provide detailed information on the processing of samples, overview of experiment facilities, management of toxic substances and wastes, handling of intellectual property, working regulations, and healthcare.

This program had been held 15 times by the end of August 2007, with 90 par-ticipants in total. Although participants have already said that the program is very helpful, we will contin-ue to improve it to help non-Japanese researchers focus on their research, as part of our duty to create a good re-search environment.

Next PhaseJam Session

4 No.11, Nov. 2007 5No.11, Nov. 2007

Achievement Report ICYS fosters young leaders. Young ICYS alumni scientists are taking the lead and thriving internationally, drawing on their extensive experience acquired at ICYS.

An ICYS alumni going for the world standard from Asia

With his research group members. Second from the right is Wolfgang Schmitt.Third from the left is Joseph Govan, who participated in the NIMS Internship Program for 3 months last year.Fourth from the left is John Breen, who participated in the NIMS-ICMR summer school 2007.

Dr. Takashi NAKANISHIGroup Leader, Supramolecular Nanomaterials Group, MPI-NIMS International Joint

Laboratory, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (Max-Planck-Institut für

Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung (MPI-KG)), Germany

Dr. Ajayan VINUSenior Researcher, Nano-ionics Materials Group, Fuel Cell Materials Center, NIMS

—Conducting research and fostering young scientistsOur Supramolecular Nanomaterials Group is a new organization

inaugurated in April 2007, working on the fabrication and practical implementation of supramolecular soft materials which are formed in the

self-assembly process of functional organic molecules, particularly the nanocarbon material, fullerene. The group focuses particularly on

the fabrication of supramolecular materials (polymorphs of self-aggregates, liquid crystals, gels, and ultrathin

films) through experiments and theoretical analyses of molecular organization and soft matter on mesoscopic scales.

To foster young scientists, I have accepted one postdoctoral fellow as an advisor, and another postdoctoral fellow will join our group in December 2007. I am also in charge of part of the education of several PhD students in the group of Dr. Dirk G. Kurth at MPI-KG.

Regarding the financial status of our project management, MPI supplies basic research funds. However, as I have been accepted to be a designated researcher in the area of “Structure Control and Function” of PRESTO, which is a proposal-oriented research promotion program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), I will conduct a research project from October 2007 funded by an annual research subsidy of about 10 million yen.

—My current position based on experience at ICYS,

and my career visionAs a Japanese conducting research at a research institute overseas, I inevitably

feel foreign. I am thus learning from the other side about the feelings and difficulties of non-Japanese ICYS research fellows conducting research in a foreign environment where they face language and cultural differences. At ICYS,

many people, including the staff of the Administration Office and the Technical Support Station (TSS), provide great support to foreign research fellows, but there is no preferential treatment at MPI because an international mix is nothing unusual. To overcome this, one has to move without hesitation, such as seek advice from people around you, make them listen to you, and speak out if you need help. This stance overlaps how non-Japanese ICYS research fellows are getting along with their Japanese colleagues around them.

My experience at ICYS where I could talk with non-Japanese research fellows at any time has turned out to be excellent preparation for conducting research and managing the group in my current position. As I am in Germany, I can often hear German around me, but I can only communicate in English. But I can cope, thanks to my time at ICYS.

Regarding my career, I should remain in research by securing a position where I can fully use my present experience as Group Leader of this leading research institute overseas, so that I can help improve the research system in Japan in which global collaboration will become increasingly important.

　 Excellent Leadership Emerges from ICYS

Figure 1 Figure 2

Dr. Wolfgang SCHMITTLecturer in Inorganic Chemistry, Trinity College, University of Dublin

Upon leaving ICYS, I was appointed as a lecturer and faculty member in the School of Chemistry at Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland and have now been here two years.

I have been building my own research group during this time, and current-ly am supervising four graduate students and one postdoctoral researcher. I

was also able to obtain funding for two summer students this year, one of whom is an exchange student from Princeton, USA.

My main research interests are still in the fields of supramolecu-lar and materials chemistry. Hybrid organic-inorganic coor-

dination assemblies represent a class of supramolecular compound whose prepara-tion is a very active area in chemical and materials research. We have developed concepts for crystal engineering that have yielded a unique type of coordination compound. Our research addresses the question of how these exceptional organic-inorganic frameworks can rationally be optimized to possess gas storage capabili-ties superior to conventional materials. A second important aspect of our research investigates thermolysis processes of supramolecular compounds that contain vast separated organic and inorganic areas. These compounds can serve as templates for the preparation of nanomaterials - porous carbonates and oxides whose mor-phologies are not accessible using conventional synthetic methods.

I am happy to still be collaborating with NIMS researchers, especially with my former advisor, Dr. Izumi Ichinose, who visited me in Dublin this year. I expect further visits of NIMS collaborators in the future. Last December, I enjoyed a busi-ness trip to NIMS, with Prof. John Corish, the head of my department. We signed an MOU between Trinity College and NIMS-ICYS and the Fuel Cells Materials Centre. Last year, two of our students completed their final research projects at NIMS in the NIMS internship scheme, and one of my own PhD students, John Breen, has just returned from the ICYS-ICMR summer school speaking enthusias-

tically of his experience at NIMS. We hope to have even more collaborations with NIMS in the future.

I found my experience at ICYS invaluable in preparing myself for managing my own research group. At ICYS, I was able to develop my research topics inde-pendently while learning how to manage a research budget. I also learnt a lot from the excellent leadership of the ICYS executive team led by Professor Bando and my advisor Dr. Ichinose. Since arriving in Dublin, I have realized how fortu-nate the NIMS researchers are to be able to concentrate purely on research with-out worrying about the teaching and administrative load of a university! The time I spent at ICYS was very fulfilling, and I also made many lasting friendships.

Among the ICYS research fellows accepted for the first fellowship term was Dr. Ajayan Vinu from India. When he joined ICYS, he was just 26 years old, his eyes filled with determination to succeed and his mind overflowing with ideas that he wanted to challenge. Having made remarkable achieve-ments in publishing numerous papers on his research on novel nanopore mate-rials in the liberal research environment supplied by ICYS, he was employed as a senior researcher and assigned to the Nano-ionics Materials Group at the Fuel Cell Materials Center of NIMS in April 2006.

Having learned at ICYS how to fulfill oneself in the cultural and social en-vironment in Japan which is different from India, and how to maintain one’s individuality in Japanese society which tends to be homogeneous and discour-ages individualism, Dr. Vinu threw himself into his research at NIMS with his

strong vitality and personality.To serve as a bridge between Japan and India, Dr. Vinu successively concluded

memoranda of understanding (MOU) for bilateral collaborative research with An-na University, the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), and other prominent re-search institutes in India. This was featured many times in the national press in In-dia (Figure 1), and the contents were translated into English and disseminated worldwide.

It has gradually been shown that the performance of platinum electrodes re-mains constant when the proprietary nanopore material developed by Dr. Vinu is used as the carrier of the electrode materials for fuel cells, even if the quantity of platinum is greatly reduced (to around half) from that used in conventional plati-num electrodes (Figure 2). This occurs because the aggregation of platinum nano-particles is inhibited on the surface of the nanopore material which is crystallized systematically in three dimensions, and so the platinum surface can be fully used.

Based on these achievements, Dr. Vinu’s nanopore material was authenticated as one of NIMS standard reference materials, which NIMS designates for materi-als that it considers should be continuously developed and enhanced to meet glob-al standards.

Furthermore, the research team led by Dr. Vinu applied for the Special Coordi-nation Funds for Promoting Science and Technology provided by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan, with a re-

search proposal entitled the “Development of a novel nanostructured catalytic ma-terial for fuel cells.” Their proposal was accepted, and so a new research project led by Dr. Vinu was started in fiscal 2007. This marks the first research project to be led by a foreign NIMS researcher at NIMS. Upon completion of this research project, it is planned to set up a NIMS Laboratory in India to serve as a center for research in the Asian region and thus continue to develop the results.

While overcoming various difficulties, ICYS has fostered young scientists based on its unique method of encouraging unique individuals who shine, al-

though this approach has long been considered difficult in Japan. Dr. Vinu’s achievements reflect the success of this ICYS method to foster excellent young leaders regardless of nationality. Dr. Vinu is expected to play a piv-otal role at the NIMS Laboratory to be established in India.

From left to right: Dr. Nakanishi, Dr. Kurth, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD students. Three other PhD students not in this photo are also enrolled in the MPI-NIMS International Joint Laboratory.

Author responsible for the content: Toshiyuki Mori, Deputy Managing Director, Fuel Cell Materials Center, NIMS

Leading the most advanced research overseas based on what I learned at ICYS

Figure 1: Expansion of bilateral collaborative research with India(A close-up photo of Dr. Vinu is in the upper right corner.)

Figure 2: The electrocatalytic material using nanocarbon for fuel cells

6 No.11, Nov. 2007 7No.11, Nov. 2007

ICYS－ ICMR Summer School on Nanomaterials 2007

May 14-June 11●

May 18●

June 1●

July 4●

July 23-28●

June 12●July 31●

August 27●

August 20●

Pot & Pot

Summer School instructors (affiliation)

1. Anthony K. Cheetham (ICMR/UCSB) 9. Morinobu Endo (Shinshu University)

2. C.N.R. Rao (JNCASR, India) 10. Hideki Ichinose (RIKEN (Institute of Physical and Chemical Research))

3. Ram Seshadri (UCSB) 11. Samuel I. Stupp (Northwestern University)

4. Kazuyuki Hirao (Kyoto University) 12. Atsushi Oshiyama (University of Tsukuba)

5. Akira Fujishima (Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology) 13. Seizo Morita (Osaka University)

6. Kazue Kurihara (Tohoku University) 14. A. Ajayaghosh (NIST, India)

7. Hideo Hosono (Tokyo Institute of Technology) 15. Dmitri Golberg (NIMS)

8. Uzi Landman (Georgia Institute of Technology)

ICYS Events Calendar

Research fellows leaving ICYS

A research fellow newly joining ICYS

Interviews with the applicants for the new ICYS research fellowship positions were implemented. A public invitation for this fellowship was announced ahead of schedule, because a new organization (new ICYS) is scheduled to be inaugurated in April 2008, immediately following the close of the present ICYS Project, to continue developing the ICYS achievements. Seven young researchers successfully passed our selection (out of 60 applicants in total), and have been taking up their posts since last August.

Professor Tomoji Kawai, Director of the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (ISIR), Osaka University, visited ICYS as an invited lecturer for an ICYS special seminar.Title of the lecture: “High resolution SPM for Nanobio-Science and Technology — Single-nucleotide detection of DNA base molecules —”

The 4th ICYS Steering Committee Meeting was held. Based on the Progress Report for Fiscal 2007, the progress of ICYS activities was reported, followed by questions and answers, as well as an exchange of opinions concerning problems to be resolved in the future.

ICYS and the NIMS Organic Nanomaterials Center signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.K.-based London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) and the University College London (UCL). Dr. David Bowler, who is an ICYS alumni, contributed greatly to arranging this MOU by acting as the contact of our LCN and UCL counterpart.

The 2nd ICYS-ICMR Summer School was held (for details, see the article herein).

Dr. Cesar Gomez (New ICYS)

Dr. Henrik Lindstrom, for NTERA Inc., IrelandDr. Pance Naumov, for the Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka UniversityDr. Yung Yuan Hsu, for the National Taiwan Normal University

Jointly with the International Center for Materials Research at the University of Cali-fornia, Santa Barbara (ICMR/UCSB), which is an all-inclusive research collaboration insti-tution, ICYS held the ICYS-ICMR Summer School on Nanomaterials 2007 at the NIMS Sengen site from July 23 to 28, 2007. This was the second time since last year for foster-ing young researchers and building interna-tional networks among them.

This year, 15 prominent researchers in nanomaterials were invited as lecturers, and a total of 58 graduate students and young re-searchers were invited from 14 countries (26 from Japan; 15 from the United States; 2 each from Ireland, Czech Republic, Canada, Puerto

Rico, India, Thailand, and Korea; and 1 each from Singapore, Vietnam, and China). The

participants at-tended lectures on most advanced researches, made oral and poster p r e s e n t a t i o n s , and joined in lively discus-sions. Seventy-nine ICYS re-search fellows and NIMS re-searchers also participated. Hav-

ing stayed in shared rooms at Ninomiya House for a week, the participants got to know each other well. Several entertainment pro-grams were also offered during the Summer School, e.g., laboratory tours, Japanese cul-ture lessons (tea ceremony, Origami (paper-folding), and Wadaiko (traditional Japanese drums)), and a beer party.

The results of a questionnaire survey of the Summer School participants were as follows: 1) The overall satisfaction averaged 4.7 points (5 = “Very satisfactory”, 1 = “Very unsatisfac-tory”); 2) 74% expressed interest in either working at or conducting collaborative re-search with NIMS in the future; 3) 85% want-ed the Summer School to be held again; 4) Other favorable comments included the launch of collaborative research plans among the Summer School participants and the for-mation of strong friendships with other young researchers from various countries.

Thus, our Summer School has successfully given young researchers, who will be leading the scientific community in the future, the op-portunity to build international networks.

At the MOU signing ceremony

The ICYS is operated with support from the Program for Promoting Establishment of Strategic Research Centers from the Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology Project of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Melting pot No.11 Issued on November 1, 2007Person in charge: Yoshio BandoIssued by: International Center for Young Scientists, ICYS

National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, 305-0044 Japan蕁 029-860-4709 http://www.nims.go.jp/icys/

Editing assistance, production, and printing: Tsukuba Information Lab. Inc.

: The term “melting pot,” a device which uses intense heat to create unique materials, is applied here to mean a creative space where young, enthusiastic researchers from different nations and cultures gather together to discuss and create new ideas.

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