Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences
Tohoku University

Tohoku University's Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS) was established in 2013 through the merger of the International Advanced Center for Interdisciplinary Research, which was established in 1995 to promote interdisciplinary research, and the Advanced Fusion Research Laboratory, which has a new mission to foster young researchers. Since then, the Institute has been active with the missions of promoting advanced interdisciplinary research, fostering early-career researchers through the "FRIS Shoshi Program," and discovering interdisciplinary research within the University, and is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. To commemorate this anniversary, the 10th Anniversary Ceremony and Lectures of FRIS were held on Monday, February 19, 2024, at Katahira Sakura Hall, Tohoku University. The event was attended by approximately 120 people, including those who have supported the Institute in various ways, as well as current and former faculty members.

 

At the beginning of the ceremony, Tohoku University President Hideo Ohno opened the event with remarks on the role of FRIS at Tohoku University. He expressed his gratitude for the generous support from all quarters and stated, "The Institute has nurtured many researchers and serves as the foundation of our efforts to promote early-career researchers at Tohoku University. After a congratulatory address by Mr. Yasuyoshi Kakita, Director General of the Science and Technology Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Prof. Toshiyuki Hayase, Director of FRIS, gave an overview of the history and prospects of the Institute.

 

In the commemorative lecture, Dr. Hiroto Yasuura, Deputy Director General of the National Institute of Informatics, gave a presentation titled "Support for Early-Career Researchers and Transformation of Academic Information Infrastructure," in which he introduced Japan's efforts to foster early-career researchers. He concluded his lecture with the expectation that Tohoku University and FRIS will continue to be cutting-edge organizations in academia, even with new trends in data-driven research and open science.

 

In addition, Prof. Hiroshi Masumoto and Prof. Kenji Toma of FRIS gave talks on "Advanced Interdisciplinary Research at FRIS and the Future of Nanocomplex Materials" and "Interdisciplinary Exchange, Astrophysics Research, and their Future" respectively, and Assoc. Prof. Yui Arimatsu of Hiroshima University, a former FRIS faculty member, gave a talk on "Humanities at FRIS: What I Think as a FRIS's Alumnus and the Future of Western Asian Archaeology". They talked about the unique activities, roles, and various memories of FRIS from the viewpoints of both current and former Institute members.

 

It was noteworthy that about 30 researchers, who had previously been part of FRIS and are now active both inside and outside of the University, gathered at the event. The fact that these former members are now active in their respective fields truly testifies to the role and impact that FRIS has had in the past. Following the commemorative lecture, a poster session was held, featuring more than 60 presentations by both current and former members of FRIS. Afterward, a lively social gathering was held, during which attendees reflected on the history of the Institute and discussed their hopes for the future, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of FRIS.

Photo: The ceremony celebrating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of FRIS.