From left to right, front row: Prof. Jun OKUDA (Aachen), Prof. Andrij Pich (Aachen), Prof. Maria Fyta (Aachen), Prof. Takashi HAYASHI (OU), Prof. Ulrich Schwaneberg (Aachen), Dr. Mio KONDO (OU), Dr. Yu-I HSU (OU)
From left to right, back row: Prof. Michiya MATSUSAKI (OU), Prof. Mamoru TOBISU (OU), Prof. Sonja Herres-Pawlis (Aachen), Prof. Kohsuke HONDA (OU), Prof. Shigeyuki MASAOKA (OU), Dr. Shunsuke KATO (OU)

A kick-off meeting was held on 30 and 31 March 2023 at RWTH Aachen University for the project, “Unified catalysis concepts from molecular design to sustainable chemicals and materials (UniCAT),” which was selected for the FY 2022 Grants-in-Aid for International Leading Research funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Led by principal investigator Professor Takashi HAYASHI of Osaka University’s Division of Applied Chemistry at the Graduate School of Engineering, international joint research will be promoted for seven years through short and long-term assignments of young researchers.

The Grants-in-Aid for International Leading Research is a new project introduced in FY2022 in which top groups of Japanese researchers aim to play leading roles in international academic networks and produce outstanding international research achievements, as well as promote the internationalization and academic advancement of relevant research fields.

A group of chemistry and bioengineering researchers launched the UniCAT project based on the foundation of joint research and human resources development under the Japanese-German Graduate Externship, which has been conducted since 2010. Professor Ulrich Schwaneberg of the Institute of Biotechnology and Professor Sonja Herres-Pawlis from RWTH Aachen University in the Japanese-German Graduate Externship will lead the project together with Professor HAYASHI. There are great expectations for the development of innovative catalysts, the establishment of a new study field, and the dissemination of achievements through the collaboration of two leading universities in catalytic chemistry and biotechnology.