IIASA recently welcomed Toshiyasu Ichioka, Director of the RIKEN Europe Office, to Schloss Laxenburg for a half-day program aimed at strengthening scientific ties and exploring potential avenues for future collaboration.
© IIASA
RIKEN is Japan’s largest and most comprehensive research organization for basic and applied science, and Japan has maintained a strong partnership with IIASA since the Institute’s founding in 1972 through the Japan Committee for IIASA.
On the occasion of Ichioka’s first visit to the Institute, Deputy Director General Karen Lips opened the program by providing an overview of the Institute’s mission, international partnerships, and ongoing engagements with scientific and policy communities worldwide.
“It is a great pleasure to welcome RIKEN to IIASA. Our long-standing partnership with Japan provides a strong foundation for expanding collaboration,” said Lips. “In an increasingly interconnected world, multilateral scientific partnerships are essential, and we look forward to exploring new ways to connect our research communities and strengthen our collective contributions to global science.”
Institute representatives presented a cross section of IIASA’s current research portfolio and highlighted some of the key work being undertaken by IIASA across energy, climate, biodiversity, population research, and capacity development, followed by a presentation by RIKEN on its history, ongoing research and current priorities and challenges.
Participants discussed overlaps and potential areas of collaboration between RIKEN and IIASA’s strategic priorities, major research initiatives, and existing areas of international cooperation. Participants emphasized the shared commitment of their institutions to advancing global, interdisciplinary science and noted the importance of deepening international cooperation in an era of evolving challenges.
IIASA looks forward to continued dialogue with RIKEN and to exploring avenues to jointly advance science in service of global wellbeing.
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