Technion and Tokushima University in Japan sign an agreement for academic cooperation

The new agreement will encourage research collaboration among top Japanese and Israeli researchers by expanding scholarly ties, facilitating academic cooperation, increasing educational opportunities, and promoting international and inter-cultural understanding. One of the main components of the agreement is the establishment of a track for doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers from Tokushima University to come to Technion on long-term programs, and vice-versa.

Nichia Corporation, which is located in Tokushima prefecture (Japan) and has close ties with both Technion and Tokushima University, is playing a key role in the new agreement. The company will sponsor joint research projects and support scholarships for PhD students and postdocs on long-term exchange programs between Technion and Tokushima University.

Tokushima University in Tokushima, Japan, was established as a national university in 1949. It is famous as a comprehensive university with a wide range of specialties. Tokushima University comprises eight graduate schools: Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Integrated Arts and Sciences, Medical Sciences, Oral Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nutrition and Bioscience, Health Sciences, and Advanced Technology and Science. Undergraduate programs are offered through six faculties: Integrated Arts and Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Science and Technology, and Bioscience and Bioindustry. In addition, Tokushima University has research-oriented institutes, including the Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences and the Institute of Post-LED Photonics. It is also home to the Industry-University R&D Startup Leading Institute, promoting academic-industrial collaboration and facilitating the formation of startups.

Nichia Corporation initiated the collaborative agreement between Technion and Tokushima University and will sponsor activities involving both universities. Nichia Corporation, headquartered in Tokushima, Japan, is a manufacturer of functional chemicals and opto-semiconductors. The company is a research and development-oriented company with two main business divisions: optical semiconductors, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and semiconductor lasers (LDs), and functional chemicals, such as cathode materials and phosphors for lithium-ion batteries. The company maintains one of the world’s top market shares in each field of manufacturing. The company was founded in the manufacture and sale of pharmaceutical raw materials and has expanded into the manufacture of phosphors and other products by utilizing its reaction, purification and powder control technologies. Through the phosphor business, the company entered the optical semiconductor business and established the world’s first mass production technology for blue LEDs and blue-violet LDs. These technologies are applied to white LEDs in cell phones, televisions, automobiles and lighting. The company also has research institutes and a technical center in Anan (Tokushima Prefecture), Yokohama (Kanagawa Prefecture), and Shimosuwa (Nagano Prefecture), where it conducts cutting-edge research in the field of light and engages in  research and development to drive innovation. Nichia and Tokushima University have a long and close relationship that spans decades of joint research and Nichia frequently hires Tokushima graduates.

The academic cooperation between the Technion and Tokushima University will be partially funded by the Tokushima International Science Institute (TISI), administered jointly by Tokushima University and Nichia. Both Technion and Tokushima University stand to benefit significantly from this new relationship. Japan is a global leader in technology and Technion students pursuing advanced degrees will enjoy new opportunities to engage with students and researchers from this important country.