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Qdai-mail Tsushin #096
The e-mail magazine "Qdai-mail Tsushin" delivers campus news every month.
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Friday, January 23, 2026
Kyushu U's CONNECT Issue 6: Our annual English university magazine is available from the link below!
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/university/publicity/publications/connect
Kyushu U Connect: Keep up to date on how Kyushu U is engaging with society.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/university/connect/
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**Topics
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* Kyushu University Welcomes SYNNEX Corporation Founder Robert T. Huang as Special Advisor to the President, aiming to advance its endowment fund
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Kyushu University is honored to welcome Mr. Robert T. Huang, founder of SYNNEX Corporation and an Honorary Doctor of the University, as "Special Advisor to the President." With his support, the university aims to create an enduring environment that fosters a virtuous cycle between the growth of the "Kyushu University Endowment Fund" and the expansion of support for education and research activities.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/notices/view/521
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* Geiko International Reunion 2025: Event Report
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The School of Design and Graduate School of Design, Kyushu University, held the "Geiko International Reunion 2025" online on December 16, 2025. The event aimed to strengthen networks with alumni living abroad and share insights on diverse career paths and professional expertise.
https://www.design.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/topics/29719/
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* Student club embraces international collaboration as MIRAI Consortium launches new website
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International university collaboration is not limited to researchers—it also thrives on contributions from students. At Kyushu University, the student programming club "GLEAP" has redesigned the website for the Japan-Sweden University Collaboration Consortium, "MIRAI." This cross-border project, led entirely by students—from concept and design to implementation—became a story of challenge and growth.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/topics/view/678
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* Exhibit Report: Geiko International Program's Collaboration with the URC, "Student-Designed Solutions for a Carbon-Free Lifestyle," at Fukuoka City Hall
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From December 17 to 19, 2025, the International Program of Kyushu University's School of Design and the Fukuoka Asian Urban Research Center (URC) held the exhibition "Poster Exhibition: Student-Designed Solutions for a Carbon-Free Lifestyle" at the Fukuoka City Hall lobby (Multipurpose Space).
This exhibition was organized as part of the URC's ongoing research project, "Behavioral Change Toward a Zero-Carbon City Fukuoka," which has been conducted since 2024.
https://www.design.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/topics/29787/
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* Kyushu University Forum "KYUDAI NOW" in Taiwan
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On Saturday, December 20, 2025, the Kyushu University Forum "KYUDAI NOW in Taiwan" was held at the Howard Civil Service International House in Taipei, Taiwan. The forum aims to share Kyushu University's latest research achievements with local and regional communities, promote academic exchange, strengthen ties with alumni, and foster international human networks. This event marked the first "KYUDAI NOW" forum ever held in Taiwan, bringing together approximately 100 participants from Taiwan and Japan, including alumni, students, researchers, and representatives from industry and government.
https://q-aos.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/events/events_view.php?cId=1239
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* AY2026 Inamori Frontier Program Call for Application is open
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Kyushu University operates the Inamori Frontier Program for human resource development, which utilizes the platforms for hiring and developing outstanding personnel at the Institute for Advanced Study and the Inamori Frontier Research Center. The purpose of this program is to strategically produce researchers who can be leaders in their research field. The aim is to hire outstanding young researchers who seek to engage in creative, ambitious research efforts as associate professors (hereinafter referred to as "Inamori FP Faculty Members") and to provide them with the environment and work conditions needed to devote their efforts to their research as independent principal investigators (PIs).
https://ias.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/recruits/
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* Durham University faculty member holds public seminar on transposon research at Kyushu University
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On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, Kyushu University held a public seminar under the framework of RENKEI, the UK–Japan partnership of research-intensive leading universities of which Kyushu University is a member. This seminar was organized by Associate Professor Eriko Sasaki of the Faculty of Science at Kyushu University. With support from the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, a faculty member from Durham University visited Kyushu University.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/topics/view/684
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**Research
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* A new way to map how cells choose their fate
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Understanding how cells decide their fate is a central challenge in biology, complicated by the fact that single-cell RNA sequencing captures only static snapshots of highly complex and dynamic changes in cell state. In a recent study, researchers from Japan developed a computational method, called ddHodge, that can accurately reconstruct cell state dynamics, shedding light on how genes drive cell fate decisions. Their technique could be useful in developmental biology, regenerative medicine, and cancer research.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/364
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* Researchers propose a new model to study developmental dyslexia
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Developmental dyslexia is characterized by persistent literacy difficulties despite typical intelligence, yet causal links between regional brain activity abnormalities and specific symptoms remain unclear. Kyushu University researchers propose a novel approach in this hypothesis paper, integrating neuroimaging-based subtyping with non-invasive brain stimulation to study dyslexia. Researchers expect this framework to clarify causal brain behavior relationships and to contribute to personalized educational support and treatment strategies in the future.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/366
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* Doing good pays off: Environmentally and socially responsible companies drive value and market efficiency
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Researchers at Kyushu University provide new evidence that strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices enhance both corporate intrinsic value and overall market efficiency. Their findings also show that ESG performance has a greater impact than disclosure alone, particularly in advanced economies, and highlight the importance of high-quality, transparent ESG reporting.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/365
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* New synaptic formation in adolescence challenges conventional views of brain development
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Researchers from Kyushu University discovered a previously unrecognized synaptic "hotspot" that forms during adolescence, challenging the long-held view that adolescent brain development was dominated by synaptic pruning. This hotspot fails to form in mice carrying a schizophrenia-associated gene, pointing to a potential link between adolescent synaptic formation and psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/368
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* Toward energy-efficient information technology with magnetic skyrmions
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As AI and IoT drive explosive global data growth, energy-efficient information devices have become critical for sustainability. Kyushu University researchers demonstrate that inserting an atomic-scale gadolinium layer into multilayered magnetic materials enables skyrmions—nanoscale magnetic structures—to achieve high storage density, high speed, and low power consumption simultaneously while maintaining stability. Their results open up new possibilities for exploring new materials in next-generation information devices.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/370
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**Notice
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* Kinmemai Campaign featuring rice from the University Farm
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The University Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture is pleased to announce the "Kinmemai Campaign" in collaboration with Nihon Brice Co. and Kyushu University CO-OP. Rice grown on the on-campus farm at Ito Campus was polished into 'Kinmemai' by Nihon Brice Co. in Fukuoka and featured on the "Gohan" menu at Agri Dining and Big Dora cafeteria (CO-OP) from January 7 to 30.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/notices/view/520
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**Event
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* Kyushu University Energy Week 2026
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Date: 2026.01.26 [Mon] 10:00 – 2026.01.30 [Fri] 18:00
Kyushu University will host "Kyushu University Energy Week 2026" from January 26 to 30, 2026, under the theme "The Future of Supply Chains in a New Era of Global Competition." This year's event will feature lectures by prominent speakers from Japan and abroad, as well as research presentations by young researchers and doctoral students, offering diverse programs throughout the week.
We hope that you will join many of the programs to connect with other participants and gain new insights into research findings.
**About Kyushu University Energy Week***
This annual energy-focused event begins in the last week of January. Departments related to Energy, both within and outside the university, collaborate to hold symposia and workshops on the central theme of "Future Energy," serving as an international hub where researchers can exchange ideas. Each year, experts from universities, research institutes in Japan and overseas, as well as industry and government, participate in these events.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/events/view/606
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* I²CNER Seminar "Development and application of spatiotemporally-resolved multiphysics measurement methods to phase-change and reacting flows."
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Date: 2026.02.06 [Fri] 14:30 – 16:00
International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I²CNER) will hold the 7th I²CNER Seminar for FY2025, featuring Professor Christos Markides from the Clean Energy Processes (CEP) Laboratory at Imperial College London, U.K. We look forward to your participation.
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/events/view/616
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* Q-AOS Brown Bag Seminar Series
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Date: Every Wednesday 12:10 – 12:50
Every Wednesday during lunch, learn about research related to SDGs in Asian and Oceanian regions and expand your research network at the Q-AOS Brown Bag Seminar Series. The webinar is free, available in English and Japanese, and open to everyone!
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/events?tag_id=2
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** Introduction to Alumni Platform "Kyudai PAL"(Free registration)
"Kyudai PAL" (abbreviated as KyuPAL) is a closed online platform where alumni and current students can easily connect with friends and the university
In addition to interacting with other members in communities organized by graduation department, industry, and club, members can receive news about the university and information about alumni events, send direct messages, and participate in group chats with other users.
*Registration application, Kyudai PAL details here(Free registration)
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/university/graduate/kyupal
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** Stay Connected
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https://www.facebook.com/KyushuUniv.en/
https://x.com/KyushuUniv_en
https://www.instagram.com/kyushuuniversity/
https://www.youtube.com/user/KyushuUniv
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