RIKEN President visits Xi’an Jiaotong University in China

On 21 February 2012, RIKEN President Ryoji Noyori visited the Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU) in China to attend the opening ceremony for the RIKEN-XJTU Joint Research Center.

RIKEN and XJTU have already been collaborating on joint research in the three areas of environmental fluids, ubiquitous intelligence systems, and biomaterials, and the Joint Research Center aims to further collaborative research between the two institutions.

In his speech at the ceremony, Noyori proclaimed, “As Japan’s leading institution for comprehensive scientific research, RIKEN is eager to forge strong ties with the international scientific community, particularly in Asia.” Noyori also called for the up-and-coming generations of Asia to take an active role in overcoming the challenges of the 21st century. Through this joint endeavor, RIKEN and XJTU will expand their collaboration to include other research areas that will enhance the globalization of both institutions.

In the afternoon, Noyori presented a commemorative lecture titled “Science and Technology for Future Generations”. Over 400 XJTU students attended the lecture, which was followed by an engaging Q&A session. Noyori thoroughly enjoyed the exchange and tried hard to answer each and every query.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. It is hoped that the RIKEN-XJTU Joint Research Center will serve as a bridge of cooperation and friendship between the two countries.