DATE2025.11.10 #Events

Disclaimer: machine translated by DeepL which may contain errors.

School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Winter Break Lectures for High School Students  (January 7, 2026)

Let's create the future of science together.
The University of Tokyo's Faculty of Science will open its special classes for high school students, taught by faculty members who are conducting cutting-edge research.
Experience the fascination of science through a "One-Day Trial Lesson".
Each lecture will be followed by a 10-minute Q&A session. We look forward to your active participation.

Date, Time, and Program

Wednesday, January 7, 2026, 13:00-15:55 (doors open 12:30)
13:00~13:05 Greetings
13:05~13:45 Lecture 1 "Can You Really Trust Your Computer? The Hidden Technologies Behind It All"
　Professor SHINAGAWA Takahiro, Department of Information Science
13:45~13:55 Q&A for Lecture 1
13:55~14:05 Break
14:05~14:45 Lecture 2 "Challenging Disease Treatment Through Life Science ResearchーContributing to society through science"
　Professor TOYAMA-SORIMACHI Noriko, Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry
14:45~14:55 Q&A for Lecture 2
14:55~15:05 Break
15:05~15:45 Lecture 3 "What happens when you apply pressure to matterials? ~ Chemistry and Earth Science under High Pressure"
　Professor KAGI Hiroyuki, Geochemical Research Center
15:45~15:55 Q&A for Lecture 3
15:55 End

Introduction of Lecturers and  Lecture Content

Lecture 1
Professor SHINAGAWA Takahiro, Department of Information Science "Can You Really Trust Your Computer? The Hidden Technologies Behind It All"
Career Summary
Received a Ph.D. in Information Science from the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, in 2003. After working at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, the University of Tsukuba, and the Information Technology Center of the University of Tokyo, appointed as Professor in the Department of Computer Science, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo in April 2024.
Lecture Content
We use smartphones and personal computers every day without thinking much about how they work. But inside, complex layers of software are running, and ensuring that they always operate correctly and securely is not a simple task. This talk will focus on the technologies that quietly support our digital lives, such as operating systems and virtualization. Although we rarely notice them, these components are essential to maintaining the safety and reliability of our computing environments. By exploring how these hidden technologies work, we will look at current research efforts aimed at building computers we can truly trust.

Lecture 2
Professor TOYAMA-SORIMACHI Noriko, Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry "Challenging Disease Treatment Through Life Science ResearchーContributing to society through science"
Career Summary
Completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo in 1987; appointed as a full-time researcher at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Clinical Medicine the same year; earned a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1995. Served as a lecturer at Tokyo Medical and Dental University and as a project leader at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine before assuming the current position.
Lecture Content
Although our average lifespan continues to increase, numerous serious diseases remain incurable, and we face the threat of new infectious diseases. We aim to discover new disease treatment strategies and contribute to society by applying biochemical and physicochemical methods to understand the mechanisms by which the body maintains health and the mechanisms by which disease arises and recovery occurs.

Lecture 3
Professor KAGI Hiroyuki, Geochemical Research Center "What happens when you apply pressure to matterials? ~ Chemistry and Earth Science under High Pressure"
Career Summary
Withdrew from the doctoral course at Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo in 1991. Received a Ph D in 1994. After serving as a research associate and lecturer at University of Tsukuba, and as an associate professor at the University of Tokyo, assumed current position in April 2010.
Lecture Content
The interior of the Earth is a world of high temperatures and high pressures. You might be able to imagine the high temperatures, but high pressure may be less familiar. For example, water freezes even at room temperature if enough pressure is applied. Ice formed under high pressure is denser than liquid water, so it sinks in water. When pressure is applied to aromatic compounds such as benzene, the molecules can polymerize. In this lecture, I will introduce research in high-pressure science, which lies at the intersection of chemistry and Earth science.

Target audience

Junior high and high school students
*Livestreaming is open to everyone.

Participation Fee

Free of charge

How to apply (advance registration required for on-site participation only)

If you wish to attend on-site, please apply from Forms here (capacity of 150 people, first-come-first-served basis).

Notes

• Please fill out the application in full. There is a section where you will be asked to write a short essay, so please make sure that the essay is filled out by the participant himself/herself. Failure to do so may result in your ineligibility to participate.
• At the registration desk, we will confirm the e-mail automatically sent when your application is accepted or the reminder e-mail sent just before the event date. Please note that if we cannot confirm your e-mail, you will not be allowed to enter the venue. (A printout of the e-mail is also acceptable.)
• The University of Tokyo Faculty of Science provides "Barrier-Free Support". Please contact us in advance if you need facilities, information security, or other considerations due to a disability or other reason.

Venue

Koshiba Hall, Faculty of Science Building No.1, Hongo Campus, The University of Tokyo Access Map

Live Streaming

Anyone can watch the live streaming from the YouTube channel of Graduate School of Science and Faculty of Science without prior registration. We invite the general public, as well as high school and university students, to attend. The lectures will be available on demand until 23:59 on January 8 (Thu.).

Other Information

PDF materials for participants will be posted here around 10:00 a.m. on the day before the event.
Please download and read them even if you are attending onsite.

Each lecture will be followed by a question-and-answer period .
Questions will be accepted via Slido, so please bring your own device to the venue.
Please enter the access code specific to the lecture into the Slido website to ask questions.
The access code is valid only on the day of the event.
Professor SHINAGAWA Takahiro, Department of Information Science: # 3306989 
Professor TOYAMA-SORIMACHI Noriko, Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry: # 7985147 
Professor KAGI Hiroyuki, Geochemical Research Center: # 1415864 

Organizers and Inquiries

Public Relations Office, Graduate School of Science and Faculty of Science, The University of Tokyo
email: kouhou.s@gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp