2025 Activity Report vol.36:The University of Osaka

The University of Osaka (UOsaka) hosted a short-term exchange program from January 26 to 31, 2026, inviting six students and two faculty members from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia, and the University of North Bengal (NBU), India. Under the program concept “fostering innovation based on science research”, the program provided participants with an opportunity to experience the research environment, research facilities, and actual practices of academic exchange at the Graduate School of Science.

In the first half of the program, laboratory and research facility tours were conducted. The participants visited four laboratories in the Department of Chemistry and gained experience in the experimental environment and research facilities that support scientific research. Then, they visited shared analytical instruments (NMR, SQUID, SC-XRD etc..), the Mass Spectrometry Center, the Research Center for Thermal and Entropic Science (RCTES), and the Radioisotope Research Center, where the participants learned about the shared research facilities and educational environment that underpin advanced research activities in UOsaka.

Furthermore, the participants joined an ultra-short-term internship program, during which they were affiliated with chemistry laboratories and experienced research discussions as well as instrumental analysis of chemical compounds. Using compounds prepared by the participants themselves, they took part in hands-on training in the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for determining the oxidation state of the elements, the MicroED measurements for determining the solid-state structures of microcrystalline powder samples, the gas adsorption measurements for determining specific surface area, and the X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for elemental analysis. To reduce the waste of time, time-consuming procedures such as warming up and standard measurements were arranged by the UOsaka members in advance. Through these efforts, the participants were able to intensively learn the methodology and way of thinking involved in scientific research.

As the concluding event of the program, a hybrid research exchange symposium entitled “The 2nd SSP-NEXUS Workshop in GSS-UOsaka” took place. The symposium opened with two invited lectures by Professor Biswas from NBU and Assistant Professor Zi Lang Goo from GSS-UOsaka, followed by short presentations by all invited participants. In addition, staff members from the Core Facility Center gave a lecture on the use of analytical instruments by overseas researchers. A Malaysian-style High Tea networking session was also held during which two NEXUS Y-Tec projects (Young Talents Exchange Course https://www.jst.go.jp/aspire/nexus/y-tec/en/theme/2024/vol029.html, Leadership Exchange Course https://www.jst.go.jp/aspire/nexus/y-tec/en/theme/2024/vol030.html ) being promoted by the GSS-UOsaka were introduced. Participants from a total of five countries, Japan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia joined the hybrid event, which provided a valuable opportunity to recognize the expanding network of international exchange centered at GSS-UOsaka.

Through this program, the participants experienced multiple activities to understand the research environment, advanced analytical technologies, and active research exchange at GSS-UOsaka. These experiences will lead to further development in student exchanges and collaborative research in the future.