Japanese Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission visits UCL

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London Centre for Nanotechnology

On 8 October, Minister Wataru Nishigahiro, Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) at the Japanese Embassy, London, and Mr. Tomohiko Arai, First Secretary in the Embassy's Economic Section, came to UCL to learn more about the work of the London Centre for Nanotechnology and to attend the William H Bragg Lecture.

The lecture, on the subject of  "17-year-old Carbon Nanotubes" was given by the renowned Japanese physicist, Professor Sumio Iijima, Director of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology at Meijo University, and a pioneer in the development of nanotechnology.

Mr Nishigahiro's visit was hosted by Professor Derek Tocher (UCL Pro-Provost for East and South-east Asia), and Dr. Takashi Matsuura (Technical Director, London Centre for Nanotechnology, UCL).

The Minister was delighted not only to be able to visit the Japanese Pioneers' memorial, and the auto-icon of Jeremy Bentham, but also to meet with members of the UCL Union Hindu Society who were hosting an event in the South Cloister; Mr Nishigahiro has very fond memories of his time spent as a diplomat in India, and of the religious diversity he experienced there.

Mr Nishigahiro met with the Provost, Professor Malcolm Grant, who related UCL's long association with Japanese scholars and discussed some of the current challenges facing UK and Japanese universitites.

The Provost emphasised the continuing importance of our close academic links with Japan and shared some personal reminiscences of his time visiting leading Japanese universities. Following the meeting the Minister was given a tour of UCL's Nanotechnology facilities by Dr Matsuura, before attending Professor Iijima's lecture.

Picture shows Minister Wataru Nishigahiro and UCL Provost Professor Malcolm Grant.