DATE2026.07.16 #Awards & Prizes
Professor Shin-ichi Ohkoshi was Awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Rennes
Professor Shin-ichi Ohkoshi (Department of Chemistry) was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Rennes, France, on June 19, 2026. During the traditional award ceremony held on the University of Rennes campus, Professor Ohkoshi received the honorary doctoral diploma with a medal and epitoge.
The honorary doctorate recognizes Professor Ohkoshi's internationally acclaimed and pioneering contributions to the fields of chemistry and materials science, as well as his longstanding efforts to promote academic collaboration between Japan and France. Through his original molecular design strategies, Professor Ohkoshi has discovered numerous new phenomena in magnetic metal complexes, including humidity-responsive magnetism, photo-induced spin-crossover ferromagnetism, chiral photomagnetism, and magnetization-induced second harmonic generation. He also discovered a novel titanium oxide, lambda titanium oxide (λ-Ti3O5), demonstrated the first photoinduced phase transition in an oxide material, and proposed the concept of long-term thermal energy storage ceramics capable of storing heat energy over extended periods. Furthermore, he developed epsilon iron oxide (ε-Fe2O3), which is the world's smallest hard ferrite magnet and has unique high-frequency millimeter-wave absorption properties. These materials have been featured in BBC Radio, AFP News, The Economist, and ε-Fe2O3 has been displayed in Science Museum London. His research achievements ranging from basic science to applications have led to 610 original and review papers and 318 patent submissions, among which 132 patents have been registered. His findings have drawn much attention from industry, and through collaborative research with many industrial companies, some of the materials have been commercialized.
Prof. Ohkoshi has actively engaged in academic collaboration between the University of Tokyo and universities in France, including University of Rennes. As the co-director (with Prof. Éric Collet) of an international research laboratory under the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), he has led the International Associated Laboratory (LIA IM-LED) and International Research Laboratory DYNACOM since 2017, involving 55 researchers in France and Japan. In 2018, his outstanding contributions to academic exchange between Japan and France were recognized by the Mayor of Rennes. We sincerely congratulate Professor Ohkoshi on this distinguished honor and wish him continued success in his future research and academic activities.
Doctor Honoris Causa (Honorary Doctorate) award ceremony at the University of Rennes. Professor Shin-ichi Ohkoshi received the honorary doctoral diploma with a medal and epitoge from President David Alis and delivered a commemorative lecture during the ceremony.
(Contributed by Professor Robert E. Campbell, Department of Chemistry)