Activities

Graduate Major in Materials and Information Sciences Interim Reports & TAC-MI Research Findings Presentations held in June 2026

Students from the Graduate Major in Materials and Information Sciences and the Academy for Convergence of Materials and Informatics (TAC-MI) presented their research findings at a joint event held on June 18, 2026 at the Multi-Purpose Digital Hall on Ookayama Campus. Students registered in the graduate major gave their interim presentations, while those in the TAC-MI program delivered their research findings presentations. Held in a hybrid format that combined in-person attendance with Zoom, the event drew 118 participants from both inside and outside the Institute, including TAC-MI program staff members, faculty members, students, and industrial collaborators from partner organizations.

Part 1: Research presentations by first-year doctoral students

Professor Takeo Yamaguchi, Head of the Graduate Major in Materials and Information Sciences, delivered the opening remarks. Following this, presentations began under the facilitation of second-year doctoral students who served as session chairs. Seventeen first-year doctoral students from the Materials and Information Sciences graduate major and one first-year doctoral student from TAC-MI gave presentations on the progress of their research and future prospects to integrate materials and informatics into their work. Each student was allocated seven minutes for their presentation, followed by four-minute Q&A sessions. The lively discussions with industrial collaborators, faculty members, and senior students provided a valuable opportunity for the presenters to showcase their work. Furthermore, because the event brought together participants from a wide range of specialties, it served as an excellent opportunity for the students to practice explaining their research clearly to a diverse audience and to receive feedback from various perspectives.

Part 2: Research presentations by second-year doctoral students

In the second part of the event, chaired by TAC-MI’s Specially Appointed Associate Professor Kazuaki Kuwahata, second-year doctoral students gave presentations in English. Two second-year doctoral students from the Graduate Major in Materials and Information Sciences gave presentations on the progress of their research and future prospects based on the fusion of materials and informatics, and one second-year doctoral student gave presentations on the progress of their TAC-MI Self-Designed Thesis.

For the Self-Designed Thesis, TACTAC-MI students choose a topic different from that of their dissertation and conduct independent research. Through this process, students acquire the ability to conduct unique research independently based on new ideas supported by knowledge of materials and information science, transcending their individual specializations. They then present these findings in English in June or December during the second year of their doctoral program, and must compile their research results into a thesis by the time they graduate.

Three students receive TAC-MI Special Award for Excellence

At the end of Part 1 and Part 2, students who have attained remarkable achievements in their educational and research activities received the TAC-MI Special Award for Excellence. This award, presented once a year to a carefully selected group of students, comes with additional financial support as a supplementary prize. As a result of rigorous screening, three students were selected for the award this year.

<TAC-MI Special Award for Excellence recipients>

• Tomoki Nakagawa, first-year doctoral student in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at the School of Materials and Chemical Technology
• Rei Hamaguchi, second-year doctoral student in the Life Science and Technology Department at the School of Life Science and Technology
• Shinji Kawaguchi, third-year doctoral student in the Chemical Science and Engineering Department at the School of Materials and Chemical Technology

Part 3: TAC-MI students’ interviews with industrial mentors

In the third part of the event, TAC-MI students conducted meetings with and received advice from their industrial mentors in the Collaboration Room and the Media Hall. Throughout the duration of this program, each student has an industrial mentor who continuously guides the student from enrollment to program completion. During this event, fifty-two TAC-MI students conducted meetings with their industrial mentors. These consultations help students identify their own strengths and weaknesses while receiving valuable guidance on their research, presentations, and career paths, which they can directly apply to their ongoing research and future career development.

Part 5: Exchange Meeting

At the end of the event, a networking meeting was held. This meeting saw approximately 90 attendees, including faculty members of the graduate major, TAC-MI program staff, industrial collaborators, TAC-MI students, as well as TAC-MI alumni and prospective master’s students planning to join the graduate major. The gathering provided a valuable opportunity for networking and deepening connections among attendees.

Additionally, feedback sheets from industrial collaborators and faculty members were shared with the presenting students after the event. The opportunity to receive advice from industrial collaborators through meetings, networking, and feedback sheets after presentations was a valuable experience for the participating students.

Through exchange events with corporate partners, this program continues to cultivate multi-talented individuals required by industry who apply a broad, global perspective to understanding new social services and innovating new ideas.