Activity Report

The 6th Amano Forum Full Account

2023/12/25

Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2023, from 11:00 to 19:00
Venue: Hotel Crown Palace Hamamatsu, Fuyo-no-Ma, 4th Floor

There were approximately 55 participants on-site and 20 participants who joined remotely. The first part of the meeting featured presentations by doctoral course graduates from the second half of 2023, research grant presentations for the 2021 fiscal year, and a special lecture. The second part of the meeting consisted of a reception.

In the presentations by students who completed their doctoral courses in the second semester of the year, select students from four universities gave presentations, primarily focusing on their doctoral dissertations. Toyohashi University of Technology did not participate because its graduating international students had returned to their home country. The banquet room on the fourth floor, where the event was held, featured a higher ceiling and a larger screen compared to the previous venue on the third floor. Research grants were presented for the synthesis of carbon dioxide separation membranes and the design of a small satellite for seismic wave observation.

The special lecture was delivered by Professor Kotaro Takayama from Toyohashi University of Technology, focusing on smart agriculture. He presented his research findings, demonstrating how the relationship between photosynthesis and carbon dioxide levels can be quantified and correlated using crop yields. A notable point of discussion was on whether continuous photosynthesis at night could induce stress in plants. He emphasized the importance of controlling air composition, light intensity, and trace elements in the environment of greenhouses. His eloquence was captivating, and I found myself listening to his dissertation with an intense interest. In his concluding remarks, Professor Takayama imparted the words of the late Shuichi Amano, the founder, as a farewell gift to the graduating students: “Luck, Stolidity, and Perseverance”.

The participants then moved to the reception hall to interact. Notably, several attendees had traveled from distant locations, and representatives from various universities chose to stay overnight. Feedback received during the event included suggestions for improving the screen arrangement at the venue and reducing the length of the 25-minute lectures given by alumni, indicating a preference for shorter presentations. Additionally, it was observed that the power supply for the Zoom relay camera ran out, suggesting the need for a spare battery.