Delegation of representatives from five leading Chinese universities visits RIKEN

The dignitaries included Nanning Zheng, president of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Chen Xiao Man, vice president of Fudan University, Li Xiaohong, president of Chongqing University, Jian Chu, vice president of Zhejiang University, and Jianguo Hou, president of the University of Science and Technology of China. Issues discussed included the management of research institutes, support for young research personnel and the status of ongoing internationalization efforts.

The delegation’s visit to RIKEN stems from cooperative efforts in joint graduate school programs coordinated by RIKEN. Fifteen Chinese universities are involved in the joint programs, including Peking University, Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Nanjing University, the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) and Xi’an Jiaotong University. The overall aim of the visit to Japan, which also included visits to The University of Tokyo, the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Keio University, Waseda University and Kyoto University, was to discuss with Japanese universities and research institutes various issues surrounding education and personnel support.

In discussions with the Chinese dignitaries, questions focused on RIKEN’s flexible management style, its fluid employment system and its systems for supporting young research personnel, as well its internationalization strategy in particular in relation to China. Discussions also touched on technology transfer efforts, support policies for RIKEN venture businesses, thoughts on how to assess individual researchers, and RIKEN’s strategy for attracting talented young researchers.

For their part, members of RIKEN focused their attention on the current state of science and technology in China. Questions to the Chinese visitors touched on the increasing level of Chinese state investment in science and technology, on measures for attracting Chinese researchers based in Europe and the US back to China, and on the growth in the number of Chinese foreign exchange students in the US.

Following the discussion period, the group of university presidents visited RIKEN’s world-class Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF), where they learned about ambitious research to uncover new chemical elements and explore the origins of the universe. A two-week school for undergraduate students that hosts 15 students every year, organized jointly by the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science (the center that operates RIBF) and Peking University, also attracted a great deal of interest.

Following the tour of RIBF, the group visited the research laboratory of Chief Scientist Hou Zhaomin, who is himself originally from China. Hou explained specifically how research funds are used in laboratory management and the rules that come into play, and also delved into the issues of how topics are selected for research and how lab members are recruited.

With 25% of its international researchers arriving from China and more than 500 exchange students visiting from China over the past 30 years, RIKEN’s connection with China remains strong and will only grow stronger in the future. The visit of dignitaries from five leading Chinese universities further supports this connection, contributing to deeper collaboration in research while also strengthening ties at the national level between Japan and China.