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Kyoto-Swiss Symposium 2016

Kyoto-Swiss Symposium 2016

Date:

General Info

Objectives

The 1st Swiss-Kyoto Symposium was held in November 2013 in cooperation between Kyoto University, ETH Zurich (ETHZ), the University of Zurich (UZH), and EPF Lausanne (EPFL). The event was a precursor to the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Japan in 2014. The topics of its academic sessions spanned such diverse fields as philosophy, biology, energy, economics, and regenerative medicine. Through sharing advanced knowledge in those fields, the symposium facilitated the launch of joint research teams focused on strategically addressing issues of common concern to both Japan and Switzerland.

Three years have now passed since that first symposium, and while we continue to benefit from the advancement of science and technology, our information-oriented and global society continues to give rise to new problems, and we face a reality in which the number of issues that we must address is increasing. In view of that situation, Kyoto University and the University of Zurich are organizing the 2nd Swiss-Kyoto Symposium as an effort to combine the of knowledge and advanced research expertise of Japan and Switzerland to promote collaboration and exchange in academic fields with the potential to contribute to the welfare of global society.

Date

30 October – 1 November, 2016

Venue

“Center of Innovation Building” in Yoshida Campus, Kyoto University

Sessions

1. Healthy Aging
2. Primate Morphology and Behavior
3. Plants in Changing Environments: Systems in Action
4. Digital Society and Big Data Era
5. Investigations into the Disciplines of Japanese and East Asian Art Histories:Exchanges between Japan and Europe, wit h a Focus on Switzerland
6. Regenerative Medicine for Cardiac and Neural Diseases

Acknowledgement

The organizers of the Kyoto – Swiss Symposium 2016 would like to express their profound gratitude to the faculty, staff, and students of the two participating institutions for their tremendous efforts and dedication towards making the symposium possible.

We hope that this symposium will be a significant step in advancing academic cooperation between Switzerland and Japan, and we humbly ask for your continued support and collaboration in the future.

University of Zürich
Kyoto University

Program

Overall Program

Day 1

Venue: “International Science Innovation Building” in Yoshida Campus, Kyoto University

9:30-10:00 Bus Transfer from Hotel to the Main Gate of Yoshida Campus
10:00-10:55 Opening Ceremony
10:05-10:10 Opening Address Juichi Yamagiwa, President, Kyoto University
10:10-10:15 Opening Address Christoph Hock, Vice President Medicine and Science, University of Zurich
10:15-10:20 Greeting from guest Matthias Frey, Science & Technology Office Tokyo, Embassy of Switzerland in Japan
10:20-10:30 Introduction of Kyoto University Kayo Inaba, Executive Vice-President for Gender Equality, International Affairs, and Public Relations, Kyoto University
10:30-10:40 Introduction of University of Zurich Yasmine Inauen, Director, International Relations Office, University of Zurich
10:40-10:45 Gift Exchange Yasmine Inauen, Director, International Relations Office, University of Zurich
10:45-10:55 Group Photograph
10:55-11:10 Coffee Break
Venue: Lounge in front of Symposium Hall
11:10-12:15 Keynote Lectures
11:10-11:40 “A Breakthrough Human Cancer Therapy” Nagahiro Minato, Executive Vice-President for Research, Planning, and Hospital Administration, Kyoto University
11:45-12:15 “Antibody Therapy of Alzheimer’s Disease” Christoph Hock, Vice President Medicine and  Science, University of Zurich
12:15-13:30 Lunch
Venue: Foyer
13:30-17:30 Parallel Sessions
・Healthy Aging
 Venue: Meeting Room 5b
・Primate Morphology and Behavior
 Venue: Meeting Room F
・Plants in Changing Environments
 Venue: Meeting Symposium Hall
・Digital Society and Big Data Era
 Venue: Meeting Room 5a
・Investigations into the Disciplines of Japanese and East Asian Art Histories
 Venue: Meeting Room E
・Regenerative Medicine for Cardiac and Neural Diseases
 Venue: Meeting Room 1

Day2

Venue: International Science Innovation Building

8:10 Bus departs from Hotel to the Main Gate of Yoshida Campus (The bus will stop near Center for iPS Cell Research and Application Bldg. No.2 for Regenerative Medicine Session. )
9:00 Parallel Sessions
・Healthy Aging
 Venue: Meeting Room 5b
・Primate Morphology and Behavior
 Venue: Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama
・Plants in Changing Environments
 Venue: Meeting Symposium Hall
・Digital Society and Big Data Era
 Venue: Meeting Room 5a, 5th Floor
・Investigations into the Disciplines of Japanese and East Asian Art Histories
 Venue: Meeting Room E and  The Kyoto University Museum
・Regenerative Medicine for Cardiac and Neural Diseases
 Venue: Room 106 in Center for iPS Cell Research and Application Bldg. No.2
12:00-13:00 Lunch
Venue: Foyer
13:00-14:00 Wrap-up Session for All Parallel Sessions
14:00-14:10 Closing Ceremony
14:00-14:05 Closing Remarks Christoph Hock, Vice President Medicine and Science, University of Zurich
14:05ー14:10 Closing Remarks Masao Kitano, Executive Vice-President for Education, Information Infrastructure, and Evaluation, Kyoto University

Report

The 2nd Kyoto-Swiss Symposium (31 October-1 November 2016)

On 31 October-1 November, Kyoto University and the University of Zurich (UZH) jointly held the 2nd Kyoto-Swiss Symposium at the International Science Innovation Building on the Yoshida Campus.

The 1st Swiss-Kyoto Symposium was held in Zurich in November 2013, and researchers from the two institutions have since collaborated in a variety of fields, including life sciences, plant biology, and anthropology. Several of these projects have received support from funding programs, such as Kyoto University’s SPIRITS Program (Supporting Program for Interaction-based Initiative Team Studies) and the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research program of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

The 2nd Symposium aimed to consolidate and build on the existing KU-UZH collaborations, as well as to create new opportunities for researchers to meet, share knowledge, and explore possibilities of cooperation in new areas.

Day one began with remarks by KU President Juichi Yamagiwa and Professor Christoph Hock, UZH’s vice-president for medicine and science. There then followed an address by the honored guest, Dr Matthias Frey of the Science & Technology Office Tokyo of the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan.

Following these speeches, Dr Kayo Inaba, Kyoto University’s executive vice-president for gender equality, international affairs, and public relations, presented an overview of her university, including the status of its recent collaboration with UZH. Dr Yasmin Inauen, director of UZH’s International Relations Office, then introduced her own university.

Dr Nagahiro Minato, Kyoto University’s executive vice-president for research, planning, and hospital administration, delivered a keynote lecture entitled “A Breakthrough in Human Cancer Therapy”, drawing on his twenty-plus years of research experience in the field. UZH Vice-President Christoph Hock then gave a keynote based on his own field of research specialization: “Antibody Therapy of Alzheimer’s Disease”.

Research sessions, held in parallel on the afternoon of the first day and the morning of the second day, investigated the following topics:

Healthy Aging
Primate Morphology and Behavior
Plants in Changing Environments: Systems in Action
Digital Society and Big Data Era
Investigations into the Disciplines of Japanese and East Asian Art Histories
Regenerative Medicine for Cardiac and Neural Diseases
In each session, researchers from both institutions gave presentations, shared their latest findings, and explored possibilities for collaboration. Some of the sessions included laboratory tours, and one featured a trip to the Kyoto University Museum.

On the afternoon of the second day, results of the two days’ parallel sessions were reported in a wrap-up session, and the symposium was brought to a close with remarks by UZH Vice-President Christoph Hock and Professor Masao Kitano, Kyoto University’s executive vice-president for education, information infrastructure, and evaluation.

In total, approximately 150 researchers, students, and staff of the two universities attended the symposium, which is anticipated to lead to significant new developments in research collaboration.

Opening address by President Yamagiwa

Opening address by President Yamagiwa

Parallel session on “Primate Morphology and Behavior”

Parallel session on “Primate Morphology and Behavior”

Symposium participants

Symposium participants

Related link

Kyoto University HP