(In UK-3) Visit to the University of Manchester

IROAST Director Takashi Hiyama and Chief Manager Junichi Kumagai visited the University of Manchester’s School of Chemical and Analytical Science - National Graphene Institute in the UK on the 3^rd of July 2019.

The University of Manchester is a prestigious red brick university and is also a member of the Russell Group: a select network of research-intensive universities in the UK. In its present form, the University of Manchester was created in 2004 by the amalgamation of the Victoria University of Manchester and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). After 100 years of working closely together both institutions agreed to form a single university, and in 2004 they officially combined to form the largest single-site university in the UK. The University is helping to sustain its incredible history of innovation, with 25 Nobel Prize winners among its current and former students and staff.
(The University of Manchester: 27^th in World University Rankings 2020 - QS, 9^th in European Teaching Rankings 2019 - THE)

On the day of their visit, Director Hiyama presented Prof. Rahul Raveendran Nair of the National Graphene Institute an appointment letter to IROAST as a Visiting Professor from the President of Kumamoto University for FY2019. They then met to discuss research future collaborations.

After the meeting, Prof. Nair guided them through the world leading labs and facilities of the National Graphene Institute. Built in 2015, it is one of the newest research oriented institutes at the University of Manchester.

This visit by our director and chief manager will almost certainly bring further academic collaboration between Kumamoto University and the University of Manchester.

(From left) Prof. Nair and Director Hiyama	Entrance of National Graphene Institute

Prof. Nair explaining the history of National Graphene Institute to Director Hiyama