The second HeKKSaGOn x L-INSIGHT programme “Seven Dialogues for Future Research and Science with Early Career Researchers” was held.

On 2 December 2022, the second HeKKSaGOn × L-INSIGHT programme “Seven Dialogues for Future Research and Science with Early Career Researchers ” was held online. Seven L-INSIGHT Fellows, who are young and promising researchers at Kyoto University, set up transdisciplinary themes and held ‘dialogues’ with German researchers on their respective topics. It was organized using the platform of HeKKSaGOn, a German-Japanese university alliance, like the first event last year.

The European Center was the connecting point for the German coordinators of Heidelberg University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Göttingen University with the L-INSIGHT programme staff at Kyoto University. The organizers spent a lot of effort on sharing the programme concept. The process of discussing how to attract German researchers to the challenging professional and cross-disciplinary themes raised by the fellows was – in a way – very interesting. It provided an opportunity to show the importance and benefits of the liaison office.

In the end – in addition to the three core German universities of HeKKSaGOn – 40 speakers from 11 German institutions, including the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Charité Medical University, Universität Hamburg and Max Planck Institute, using the networks and contacts the European Center established, took part in the lively dialogue. The event was a great success. About 90 audiences of 25 institutions registered for the event, indicating the high level of interest.

After the discussions and wrap-up of each of the seven dialogues, senior researchers from Heidelberg University, Göttingen University and Kyoto University delivered their comments. Prof. Yasuyuki Kono, Vice President for International Strategy at Kyoto University stated, “the real world we live in is cross-disciplinary itself, and cross-disciplinary enables us to do what we cannot do in a single area.” This message was very encouraging for the young researchers.

Some groups are already in discussions to visit Germany in 2023. The European Center is looking forward to support them and play a more active role as a liaison office for the next programme.

Participants of the HeKKSaGOn × L-INSIGHT 7 Dialogues event 2023