Disclaimer: machine translated by DeepL which may contain errors.
Report on the "2025 Faculty Council of Graduate School of Science and Emeritus Professor, The University of Tokyo
Kaoru Sato（Associate Dean / Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences）
The 2025 School of Science Emeritus Professors' Association meeting was held in a hybrid format (in-person and online) at Koshiba Hall starting at 4:00 PM on Friday, September 26. The Honorary Professors' Meeting is an annual autumn event where the Graduate School of Science and the Faculty of Science invite honorary professors who have long cultivated the school's free and open academic culture and sincere commitment to scholarship. It provides an opportunity to hear reports on the current state of the graduate school and engage in friendly conversation. This year, 16 members attended in person, including Professor Koichi Yazaki, Professor Kaiki Hotta, and Professor Atsushi Koma, the Association's Secretary-General, all of whom retired at the end of the 1999 academic year. Three members participated online. Fourteen current faculty and staff members attended, including the Dean of the Graduate School, other executive members, department chairs, and administrative section chiefs.
First, Dean Shinichi Ogoshi introduced the current status of the Graduate School. In addition to personnel and financial matters, he introduced various academic and educational initiatives, including doctoral program support such as the new SPRING-GX, the establishment of an international observation network centered on the Atacama Observatory, the launch of the Quark and Nuclear Physics Research Organization, and the establishment of a marine education joint-use center utilizing the biodiversity of the Miura Peninsula. He also presented the current status of diversity, including the progress of internationalization through the establishment of degree programs in English, the Global Standard Science Education Division, and the enhancement of the double degree system, as well as the ratio of female faculty and students. Finally, he called for cooperation in a series of publications commemorating the 150th anniversary of the University of Tokyo in 2027.
This was followed by a lecture titled “Why Do Animals Sleep?” by Professor Yu Hayashi of the Department of Biological Sciences, which was followed by a lively question-and-answer session. After the lecture, the venue moved to the foyer for a face-to-face gathering, where each professor emeritus gave a greeting and reported on their recent activities.
We were greatly inspired by the valuable insights and encouragement shared by the professors, some of whom continue to be active on the front lines even after becoming Emeritus, and others who are enjoying life after retirement. We look forward to welcoming many participants again next year.
CIn the foyer in front of Koshiba Hall, Building 1, Faculty of Science
Professor Yu Hayashi (Department of Biological Sciences) delivering a lecture