Former president:
Teruo KISHI
On June 30, 2009, I retired from the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), after reaching the age of 70 and serving for 8 years as President. I feel that I have been very fortunate in my professional and personal life, particularly in recent years, thanks to the generous support of many people in NIMS, as well as countless other friends and colleagues. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to all those who made this day possible.
The mission of NIMS as an Independent Administrative Institution, or IAI, is to "create advanced research facilities and conduct research of a different type from that at universities in constant awareness of innovation." This has been my guiding principle for the past 8 years and 3 months since NIMS was launched as an IAI. One direction for research at NIMS in the future will be "problem-solving research and development" in areas such as the environment, energy, and safety. For this, the introduction of organic and polymer materials will be essential. On the other hand, because Japan has made nanotechnology a key part of its national policy for the future, we have also put great effort into "promotion of nanotechnology and nanotechnology-based materials development."
In constructing the research organization/research system at NIMS, we have been particularly mindful of the establishment of graduate school programs, internationalization, and industry-IAI collaboration. Because youthful vitality is needed in public institutions, I am pleased that we have been able to create joint graduate schools with a number of universities in Japan and other countries. Our successful operation of the International Center for Young Scientists (ICYS) helped to create a multicultural "melting pot," and this led to the selection of NIMS for the MEXT* World Premier International Research Center (WPI) Initiative in 2007 and the establishment of the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) at NIMS under the WPI program. We have also promoted a wide range of cooperation with industry involving both domestic and international companies, and have carried out many joint research projects. This work is ongoing, as NIMS continues to build a system that can contribute to society.
Research achievements must be highly evaluated from both the viewpoints of materials science and engineering (innovation). Because the two are interrelated, a constant circulation between basic research and applied research is essential. During these past 8 years, research at NIMS has gained considerable recognition in the international scientific community. Before NIMS became an IAI, we ranked 31st in the Citation Index for scientific papers in materials science published by Thomson Reuters. I am very happy to say that our Citation Index has risen dramatically and we now rank 3rd in the world (1st in Japan) in this field. In the future, I hope that NIMS will make further efforts to ensure that these remarkable scientific results escape the "Valley of Death" and reach fruition in practical applications. Moreover, by crossing the Rubicon, the buds of even more outstanding basic research are born. It may be that serendipity – which can also be considered one of the true pleasures of materials research – is found in this kind of research cycle.
What is important for NIMS now is to realize a free research environment while keeping its gaze fixed firmly on its targets, including those in national policy. From this perspective, I feel that the future of NIMS can be seen in the "young independent researchers".
Finally, on retiring from NIMS, I would like to express my sincere respect for all those concerned, both in and outside NIMS, as well as my very best wishes for the continuing development of this wonderful organization as a core institute in materials research.
MEXT: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology