MRS-J NEWS　Vol.21 No.1  February 2009

■Hello menbers!!

What is Needed to Create New Materials?

Dr. Akiba Etsuo, Deputy Director. Energy Technology Research Institute, Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)

　Young researchers must overcome the pressure to produce quick and “safe” results with “high impact” and assume the challenge of engaging in long-term research leading to the discovery of new materials and new functions which in turn booster the development of Materials Science. This year I am among the organizers of which may become the largest symposium in history at the Fall Meeting of MRS 2009. I specially encourage our young colleagues to attend this meeting and to give themselves the opportunity of attending an epoch-making lecture, to draw inspiration from the interaction with other researches, or to become themselves source of inspiration for others. I have strong expectations towards the role that the learned societies will play nurturing this exchange of knowledge and experience.

■IUMRS-ICA2008 Conference Report

IUMRS-ICA 2008 ―The IUMRS International Conference in Asia 2008 December 9 to 13, 2008 Nagoya

Fig.1　Nagoya Congress Center

The IUMRS International Conference in Asia 2008 (IUMRS-ICA2008) was successfully held in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan from December 9 to 13, 2008. The conference was organized by the Materials Research Society of Japan (MRS-J) in coordination with International Union of Materials Research Societies. Thirty eight symposia attracted a total of 1,843 presentations, both oral and posters, and a total number of 1,754 participants from 35 countries. Advances in basic research and applications of advanced materials, with emphasis in energy and environment applications, were highlighted. The “Young Researcher Award” was given to 67 young researchers that made a significant contribution to the different symposia.

▽SYMPOSIUM A　Reactivity of Solids

▽SYMPOSIUM B　Development of Oxide Nanocomposites　―Bulk, Thin Films and Nano-structures

▽SYMPOSIUM C　Design of Green Energy Materials

▽SYMPOSIUM D　Liquid Crystals and Ordered Soft Materials

▽SYMPOSIUM E　Materials for Living―Environment, Energy and Medicine

▽SYMPOSIUM F　Science and Technology of Smart Hydrogels

▽SYMPOSIUM G　Self-Assembled Materials

▽SYMPOSIUM H　Advances in the Application of Biomass

▽SYMPOSIUM I　Structure Induced Giant Nature

▽SYMPOSIUM J　Joining Technology for New Metallic Glasses and Inorganic Materials

▽Symposium K　Frontier of Biointerfaces

▽SYMPOSIUM L　New Analytical and Assessment Methods in Material and Environmental Technologies

▽SYMPOSIUM M　Innovative Material Technologies Utilizing Ion Beams

▽SYMPOSIUM N　Fullerene Nano Materials

▽SYMPOSIUM O　Non-equilibrium Plasma Processing in High Density Media

▽SYMPOSIUM P　Advanced Ferroic Materials: Processing, Characterization and Device Application

▽SYMPOSIUM Q　Frontiers of Nano-materials Based on Advanced Plasma Technologies

▽SYMPOSIUM R Carbon Nanotubes: Synthesis, Characterization and Application

▽SYMPOSIUM S　Nature Technology

▽SYMPOSIUM T　Bio-inorganic Devices

▽SYMPOSIUM U　Thermoelectric Energy Conversion

▽SYMPOSIUM V　Ceramic Materials for Biomedical Applications

▽SYMPOSIUM W　Liquid Phase Processing and Self-assembly of Inorganic Nano Materials

▽SYMPOSIUM X　Applications of Synchrotron Radiation and Neutron Beam to Soft Matter Science

▽SYMPOSIUM Y　Frontiers of Polymeric Nano-Soft-Materials―Precision Polymer Synthesis, Self-assembling and their Functionalization―

▽SYMPOSIUM Z　Material Science and Process Technologies for Advanced Nano-Electronic Devices

▽SYMPOSIUM AA　Rare-Earth Related Material Processing and Functions

▽SYMPOSIUM BB　Advanced Superconducting Materials―From Basic Physics to Processing Technologies―

▽SYMPOSIUM CC　Innovation in Metal Forming

▽SYMPOSIUM DD　Electrochemical Processing for Tailored Materials

▽SYMPOSIUM EE　Mesoscale Design of Materials

▽SYMPOSIUM FF　Preparation, Characterization and Application of DLC Films

▽SYMPOSIUM GG　Chromic Materials and Applications

▽SYMPOSIUM HH　Synthesis of Nano Porous Ceramics for Thermal Insulation/Barrier Technology

▽SYMPOSIUM II　Frontiers of Surface Technology

▽SYMPOSIUM JJ　Smart Processing Technology

▽SYMPOSIUM KK　Nano-Biotechnologies on Interfaces

▽SYMPOSIUM LL　Materials Frontier

Fig.2　Chairman of organization: Prof. Osamu Takai (Univ. Nagoya)(left) and Chairman of MRS-J: Dr. Naoki Kishimoto（NIMS）

Fig.3　General lecture meeting hall

General lecture 1　 December 9, Prof. Sumio Iijima （Meijo University）: Carbon Nanotubes

General lecture 2　 December 9, Prof. Suk-Joong L. Kang（KAIST, Korea）: Toiloring Microstructure by Use of Interface Structure Transition

General lecture 3　 December 10, Prof. Akihisa Inoue（Tohoku University）: Development of Bulk Glassy Alloys as New Engineering Materials

General lecture 4　 December 11, Prof. Akira Fujishima（KAST）: TiO2 Photocatalysis and Related Surface Phenomena

General lecture 5 　December 12, Prof. Baixin Liu（Tsinghua University）: Multi-Scale Modeling of Metallic Glass Formation in the Equilibrium Miscible and Immiscible Binary/Ternary Metal Systems

General lecture 6 　December 13, Prof. Samuel I. Stupp（Northwestern University）: Self-Assembly of Bioactive and Biomimetic Materials

　　　　　
Fig.4 　(from left to right） Prof. Sumio Iijima, Prof. S-J. L. Kang, Prof. Akihisa Inoue, Prof. Akira Fujisima, Prof. B. Liu, Prof. S.I. Stupp

Fig.5 Poster hall

Fig.6　Masao Dohyama (Regular adviser of MRS-J)(left)、Prof. B. Liu (center)、Prof. Osamu Takai (right)

Fig.7　Encouragement prize winner

Table-1　Encouragement prize winner