Tag archive: Japan
3 December 2009
The research program at High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) is facing a grave possibility of a severe budget cut, as recommended by the recently issued Public Budget Review by Japanese government. This affects Japanese renowned research programs including the ones hosted by KEK, such as elementary particle physics and related fields in astrophysics, material and life sciences. More than 260 universities and laboratories attend these programs. I would like to take this opportunity to explain to you what KEK is doing to enhance its research and education programs, and also would like to solicit your opinions. Science has played a crucial role in our society, contributing to our understanding of the world around us, and supplying knowledge bases to develop innovative technologies. The Japanese science community has made remarkable contributions to this effort. This is clearly seen in the Nobel Prize-winning works by Yukawa and Tomonaga in the past, and by Nambu, Kobayashi, Maskawa and Shimomura in 2008. These achievements have only been possible through public understanding of the importance of basic research and the support by our government. KEK is an "Inter-University Research Institute" that supports research programs with an emphasis of advanced, large-scale particle accelerators as the primary research platform. KEK has engaged in a wide range of research activities, such as the studies of the missing antimatter and the neutrino mass, the search for new materials for industrial applications, the structural protein analysis of influenza virus, the development of catalyst to be used for clean automobile engines, and others. KEK hosts around 6,000 visiting scientists annually from more than 160 universities and 100 laboratories, as well as 1,000 scientists from more than 50 countries. KEK is one of the major accelerator laboratories in the world to host global-scale, collaborative research programs in accelerator related science. KEK also provides more than 5,000 young students annually from elementary, mid-high and high schools as well as from colleges and universities with opportunities to acquaint themselves with the cutting edge research environment at the leading particle accelerators. KEK’s accelerator has provided the experimental confirmation of the Nobel Prize-winning Kobayashi-Maskawa theory, which continues to inspire young generations. It is a place for future scientists and engineers to get hands-on experience with the ongoing science by attending lectures and trying experiments. These experiences stimulate their interests in science, and help them think about their career. Needless to say, the wise use of funding and time available is our responsibility of utmost importance. It is particularly so in the difficult economic situation that we all face now. Unfortunately, the public review of the Japanese national budget in November, 2009 resulted in a recommendation that the "Special Educational and Research Fund" is to be significantly reduced. This funding accounts for more than 50% of the KEK's annual budget. If this reduction happens as per the recommendation, scientists at and around KEK would lose the research opportunities and a major outflow of research talent to overseas might ensue. Future recovery from this set-back could easily take years, and require greater amount of budget than the amount cut next year. Neglect of the importance of fundamental research could result in a long-term stagnation of our national competitiveness. We do our best to serve scientists from across the nation and around the world, to carry out the high-quality research programs with cutting-edge technologies by maintaining the world-class research facilities. We would like to hear your thoughts on our research programs. Please use the form below to tell us that you think by December 10.
Category:
Around the World | Tagged:
Japan, Japan budget, KEK
Rika Takahashi | 13 August 2009
A total of 182 high school and university students from 19 Asian countries and regions relished the life-changing opportunity to learn directly from eminent scientists, including seven Nobel laureates in the fields of physics and chemistry: the Asian Science Camp 2009 was held from 2 to 8 August at Tsukuba International Congress Center, Ibaraki, Japan. It was hosted by the Heisei Foundation for Basic Science, KEK and the International Center for Elementary Particle Physics (ICEPP) at the University of Tokyo.
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Around the World | Tagged:
Asian Science Camp, ICEPP, Japan, Tokyo
Rika Takahashi | 6 August 2009
On 7 July, while the Emperor and Empress of Japan were visiting Canada, Nigel Lockyer, the director of TRIUMF, gave a lecture at the Canada – Japan Particle Accelerator Science Symposium at the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Canada. Today, Canada and Japan are partners in numerous international groups and organisations such as the G8, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Organisation for Co-operation and Development (OECD). This symposium showcased one of many Canada-Japan collaborations: the active partnership in accelerator science.
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Feature | Tagged:
Canada, Canada-Japan collaboration, Japan, TRIUMF
Rika Takahashi | 23 July 2009
"Uchu (宇宙)" is the Japanese word that can be translated as either "universe" or "space." The Advanced Accelerator Association Promoting Science and Technology (AAA) in Japan has been on tour with their symposium series on "uchu" – observing by telescope, exploring by spacecraft and re-creating by accelerator – and the second event was just held in Hiroshima on 4 July.
Category:
Around the World | Tagged:
AAA, Accelerator Association Promoting Science and Technology, Japan
Rika Takahashi | 28 May 2009
A new website called Asian Accelerator Plaza (AAP) was officially launched on 27 May, and is aimed to be a comprehensive reference tool for anybody who is interested in Asian accelerator-related activities. This website was developed by collaboration among several Asian accelerator science research institutes, and is being operated in four languages: traditional and simplified Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean. “I first thought it will be very challenging to translate the contents into different languages, but with the help from our Asian colleagues, it went quite smoothly,” said Tsunehiko Omori, KEK physicist and editor-in-chief of this website.
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Around the World | Tagged:
AAP, Japan
Kaoru Yokoya | 30 April 2009
(...) One of the most important plans for the ILC project is to build a new superconducting radiofrequency (rf) cavity production facility on KEK premises, aiming to gain experiences for industrialisation and future mass-production.
Category:
Director's Corner | Tagged:
cavity production, industrialisation, Japan, KEK
Rika Takahashi | 16 April 2009
On 23 March, the 2008 Nishikawa Award Ceremony was held in Tokyo, and awards were given to three ILC scientists: Yoshihisa Iwashita (Kyoto University), Hitoshi Hayano (KEK) and Yujiro Tajima (Toshiba Co., Ltd).
Category:
Feature | Tagged:
accelerator R&D, award, Japan, Kyoto camera
Rika Takahashi | 26 March 2009
On 26 February, in the middle of an important Diet discussion (equivalent to members of congress in Japan) on the supplemental bill, the Advanced Accelerator Association Promoting Science and Technology (AAA) held a symposium entitled “Departing from Japan to Universe – Toward the realisation of International Linear Collider (ILC)” in Akasaka, central region of Tokyo with over 150 participants from industry, academia and the political community. AAA, established in June 2008 with a total of about 100 companies, universities and laboratories, has discussed issues on R&D, intellectual property rights and other related areas concerning the ILC as a model project. The primary aim of this symposium was to review AAA’s activities for fiscal year 2008 and to gain a better understanding of the advanced accelerator – the significance of promoting the R&D and the expected impact to the society.
Category:
Around the World | Tagged:
AAA, Accelerator Association Promoting Science and Technology, Japan
Hitoshi Yamamoto | 19 March 2009
There will be a joint ACFA Physics and Detector Workshop and GDE Meeting 17 to 21 April. (...) In this note, let us focus on the physics and detector part of the workshop...
Category:
Research Director's Report | Tagged:
ILC physics, Japan, TILC09, Tsukuba
Rika Takahashi | 15 January 2009
Toshihide Maskawa is one of the most popular public figures in Japan at the moment. He has charmed many Japanese people with his humour and pure passion for the science that he showed at the press conference after he won the 2008 Nobel prize in physics, together with Yoichiro Nambu, professor emeritus at Chicago University, and Makoto Kobayashi, honorary professor emeritus at KEK.
Category:
Feature | Tagged:
Japan, Nobel prize
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