Japan Research Institute of
Material Technology

Greetings

Valuing the vitality that comes from the collaboration of many people

Noboru SUZUKI
Professor Emeritus of Utsunomiya University

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all our members for your continued support and cooperation in the activities of the Japan Research Institute of Material Technology (JRIMT).
I am Noboru Suzuki (formerly of Utsunomiya University), and I will be taking over the role of president of our institute, taking over from former president Setsuko Koura of Chiba Institute of Technology. I would like to extend my greetings to you on my appointment.
The former president worked hard to reform our institute, revitalizing various events and contributing to the development of the institute. I would like to do my best, even if it is only in a small way, to carry on that will and move our institute further forward.
Established in November 1983, our institute aims to promote the progress and practical application of materials science and technology by fusing and synthesizing a vast amount of scientific and technological knowledge in a wide range of materials-related fields and broadly developing it into practical knowledge. The aim is to contribute to the further development of Japan's industry and the improvement of the lives of its people.
The main events of our institute are the annual meeting (around early December), and the "International Student Symposium (ISS) ~Developing the next generation of scientists~", which has been held around summer every year since 2018. is. The latter, in particular, is aimed at nurturing the next generation of young people, and consists of oral and poster presentations for high school and university students, covering not only materials technology but also a wide range of natural sciences in general. We also received a grant from the Tokyo Ohka Science and Technology Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation, and the cooperation of co-sponsoring organizations, for which we would like to express our gratitude.
Over the past three years, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we have taken measures such as holding the above discussions online (remotely), but thanks to the efforts of the former president and the cooperation of our members, we were able to proceed smoothly. I did. From this year onwards, it is thought that it will be possible to hold face-to-face meetings, so we hope to see you all at many events. At that time, we would appreciate it if you could provide us with your honest opinions for the development of our institute.

For the future

Under the former president, the "future vision concept" was finalized and the institute is becoming more active. I believe it is my role to take this further. At the web seminar, we hope that not only external people will give presentations, but also our members will make presentations and use them to disseminate information. Also, if you have a good system for corporate consultation, I would like to hear your suggestions.
Thanks to the efforts of the editorial committee, Material Technology, an academic journal published by the institute, will be published on J-STAGE from Volume 44, Issue 1 in 2022, and can be viewed for free. Since it is now possible to disseminate research results to the world, we look forward to active contributions not only from our members but also from many researchers, engineers, and even students.
In addition, we would like to make efforts for further development, including committee activities and technical consultation, so we would appreciate your suggestions and cooperation.

Power of young people

I'm already retired, so I'm not young, but I have plenty of time. On the other hand, there is information that universities have become busier in recent years, making it increasingly difficult to devote time to academic conference activities, but the efforts of young people are absolutely necessary for the development of the association. Rather than relying on the efforts of a limited number of people in various events and committee activities, many young people can participate in each committee and share their duties, so that we can move in a better direction without increasing the burden. Going online will also help. I would like to ask as many young people as possible to participate.

To members

I think that society is currently in a situation where there is a mixture of expectation and fear due to the extreme development of AI technology. Will we enter an era in which issues related to research and technology development can be solved using AI? It may be possible to make effective use of it in part by searching for existing technologies, but new creations related to material technology are a gift given to humans. I imagine that techniques developed through repeated experiments and new ideas based on equipment are not easily created. We believe that it is important for you to continue to actively participate in events such as seminars and lectures to obtain new information. The Japan Research Institute of Materials Technology should play an important role in this regard. Starting this year, it will be possible to hold face-to-face events, which will allow for more in-depth discussions. In addition, online events will allow researchers, engineers, and students from far away locations and companies to participate, who have previously had difficulty participating. The institute also aims to further digitize information and move seminars and lectures online, with the aim of delivering useful content to as many members and engineers as possible.
We would like to continue working with you to further increase the number of student members and regular members, and to hold attractive research discussions and seminars. We appreciate your continued support and cooperation.
　　

March, 2023