Osaka University including IFReC participated in the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS 2020) on February 13-16, 2020 in Seattle, WA, USA.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the largest international non-profit organization in the world for the advancement of science. In addition to organizing membership and activities, AAAS publishes the journal Science, as well as many other scientific books and reports. The annual meeting of the AAAS is a widely recognized scientific event, with various networking opportunities for researchers, journalists, government officials, and citizens.

The main theme for AAAS 2020 was "ENVISIONING TOMORROW'S EARTH." In his plenary address, Bill Gates (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/Microsoft founder) talked about the obligations of the wealthy, including himself, to the global environment.

At AAAS 2020, the staff from Osaka University including IFReC organized an exhibition booth introducing the university's research projects, research environments, recruitment information (e.g., advanced postdoc at IFReC), etc. Between booth activities, we visited a Japanese School in Seattle and the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle. During our visit, we explained to the local staff about a new entrance examination system to be adopted by Osaka University from FY 2020. This system is for high-school students studying overseas, and the staff members at both places seemed to show interest.

IFReC also exhibited a booth at "Family Science Days" at another venue. The event featured a number of hands-on activities and demonstrations for families and kids. IFReC's booth focused on observing cancer tissues and classifying immune cells, and was enthusiastically received by visitors all day. In the past, few organizations from Japan have participated in AAAS "Family Science Days," and the local Japanese people whom we met at the venue were pleasantly surprised to see us.

AAAS 2021 is scheduled for February 2021 in Phoenix, AZ, USA.

(Report: Jun SAKANOUE)

AAAS Meeting