On 3 October 2023, President & Provost Dr. Michael Spence AC of University College London (UCL), one of Osaka University (OU)’s strategic partners, visited OU to deliver a special lecture titled “UCL’s disruptive thinking: How UCL fosters it among students and early-career researchers.” Over 200 students, faculty, and staff from OU, including President Shojiro NISHIO, were in attendance for the lecture.

In his speech about disruptive thinking, which is UCL’s philosophy and ambition, President Spence delivered a powerful message to young people responsible for the next generation, urging them to ask difficult questions, challenge norms, and create innovation. During the following Q&A session, early-career researchers and students at OU were able to ask President Spence questions to deepen their understanding of his lecture.

During a meeting prior to the lecture, President Spence and his delegation from UCL had discussions with executive members and researchers from OU, including President NISHIO, Executive Vice President Yasufumi KANEDA, Executive Vice President Toshihiro TANAKA, Executive Vice President Manabu TANAKA, and Executive Vice President Beverley Anne YAMAMOTO.

They confirmed achievements in joint research by researchers from both universities, exchanging opinions about deepening their collaboration and expanding into new collaborative areas. This meeting will further exchange between the two universities toward tackling global issues through collaboration in cutting-edge research.