Singaporean ambassador, university and A*STAR representatives visit Tokyo Tech

A delegation that included the Ambassador of Singapore to Japan Eng Chuan Ong, Professor Andy Hor, who is deputy chief executive for research at Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and representatives from the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) visited Tokyo Tech on May 21.

The group were welcomed on Ookayama Campus by Tokyo Tech President Kazuya Masu, Provost and Executive Vice President for Institute Strategy Isao Satoh, Executive Vice President for Research Initiatives Osamu Watanabe, Vice President for International Affairs Nobuhiro Hayashi, and Senior Aide to the Executive Vice President for Institute Strategy Noriko Ito.

During the initial discussions, the delegation shared an overview of A*STAR and each of the four universities, and expressed their desire to deepen collaboration with Tokyo Tech at multiple levels, including student exchange at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as among researchers. Tokyo Tech then gave an introduction on the upcoming merger with Tokyo Medical and Dental University to form Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) in October 2024. This was followed by a lively exchange of views on the progress of interdisciplinary research involving both medicine and engineering in Singapore and Japan.

Following the warm talks, Assistant Professor Hidehiro Ito from Tokyo Tech's School of Life Science and Technology took the delegation on a tour of the laboratory of Professor Toshiaki Kamachi of the same School, where Ito also focuses on bioinorganic chemistry research.

Next, an information session was held on the various universities, scholarship programs, and other opportunities available in Singapore. During the coffee break, Tokyo Tech students, faculty members, and corporate collaborators were keen to exchange words with members of the Singaporean delegation.

This was a particularly special visit by the Singaporean delegation as Ambassador Ong is an alumnus of Tokyo Tech's School of Engineering. The Institute has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with Singapore, and several faculty and other members at the four visiting universities, such as SUTD President Chong Tow Chong, also graduated from Tokyo Tech. The Institute looks forward to further strengthening ties with these valued partners.