I have accepted the Presidency of National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) effective on July 1, 2009, succeeding the previous President, Professor Teruo Kishi. On this occasion I would like to introduce myself and also to indicate my thoughts regarding the management of NIMS.
My research field is solid state and surface physics, and I have studied physical and chemical surface phenomena by means of optical and electronic spectroscopy. Before coming to NIMS as a fellow last April, I served as President of Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. I used to visit Namiki Site as an Executive Advisor for the International Center for Young Scientists (ICYS).
NIMS has made a great progress under the leadership of President Teruo Kishi, after incorporation as an Independent Administrative Institution in 2001. It has become a highly regarded research institute domestically as well as internationally, particularly in terms of the number of papers published and the number of citations. We should be proud of this record. Now it is time to direct our effort to raise the quality of research papers.
NIMS has moved ahead in the internationalization of research environment through the initiatives taken by ICYS. Now it is considered one of the most progressive institutions in the area of internationalization among the universities and research institutes in Japan. However, the real goal is to make NIMS a true global Center of Excellence in materials science research. We still need to continue our effort for further improvement. For internationalization it is certainly important to recruit best talents from abroad, but it is even more important to send our staff abroad. I hope to encourage particularly young research staff to spend extended time in foreign research laboratories.
NIMS is different from universities in being an organization whose main purpose is to execute national policies in the area of materials science research. We must be clearly aware of this primary mission. For our nation, securing sufficient resources for energy and food is of utmost importance. Thus we should carry out research that will answer these national requirements. At the same time it is imperative that we minimize the effects of human activities on the global environment. Thus we must plan a research strategy to minimize negative effects on the global environment. It is my hope that NIMS can contribute significantly toward solutions to these global issues.
The research carried out at NIMS has two aspects, science and engineering. The goal of engineering research is to find ways to produce useful materials, while scientific research seeks to discover the physical principles underlying the properties of matter. In both types of research the most important thing is to think on your own and execute experiments for yourself. My motto in scientific research is "Think for yourself" and "Do it yourself." I hope many of our colleagues will agree with me and practice these ideals in their daily work.
Finally I wish to emphasize that we should enjoy our research. In my career I have been fortunate enough to truly enjoy my work as a physicist. However, an administrative job like presidency is not something to enjoy doing, but rather a job that must help others enjoy their work. I hope to serve the people at NIMS so that they can enjoy their work and accomplish their goals.
My research field is solid state and surface physics, and I have studied physical and chemical surface phenomena by means of optical and electronic spectroscopy. Before coming to NIMS as a fellow last April, I served as President of Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. I used to visit Namiki Site as an Executive Advisor for the International Center for Young Scientists (ICYS).
NIMS has made a great progress under the leadership of President Teruo Kishi, after incorporation as an Independent Administrative Institution in 2001. It has become a highly regarded research institute domestically as well as internationally, particularly in terms of the number of papers published and the number of citations. We should be proud of this record. Now it is time to direct our effort to raise the quality of research papers.
NIMS has moved ahead in the internationalization of research environment through the initiatives taken by ICYS. Now it is considered one of the most progressive institutions in the area of internationalization among the universities and research institutes in Japan. However, the real goal is to make NIMS a true global Center of Excellence in materials science research. We still need to continue our effort for further improvement. For internationalization it is certainly important to recruit best talents from abroad, but it is even more important to send our staff abroad. I hope to encourage particularly young research staff to spend extended time in foreign research laboratories.
NIMS is different from universities in being an organization whose main purpose is to execute national policies in the area of materials science research. We must be clearly aware of this primary mission. For our nation, securing sufficient resources for energy and food is of utmost importance. Thus we should carry out research that will answer these national requirements. At the same time it is imperative that we minimize the effects of human activities on the global environment. Thus we must plan a research strategy to minimize negative effects on the global environment. It is my hope that NIMS can contribute significantly toward solutions to these global issues.
The research carried out at NIMS has two aspects, science and engineering. The goal of engineering research is to find ways to produce useful materials, while scientific research seeks to discover the physical principles underlying the properties of matter. In both types of research the most important thing is to think on your own and execute experiments for yourself. My motto in scientific research is "Think for yourself" and "Do it yourself." I hope many of our colleagues will agree with me and practice these ideals in their daily work.
Finally I wish to emphasize that we should enjoy our research. In my career I have been fortunate enough to truly enjoy my work as a physicist. However, an administrative job like presidency is not something to enjoy doing, but rather a job that must help others enjoy their work. I hope to serve the people at NIMS so that they can enjoy their work and accomplish their goals.
