JST-ASPIRE Symposium Held in Palo Alto

On July 24, 2026, the JST-ASPIRE Symposium, “Strengthening Japan–U.S. Research Collaboration through International Talent Circulation,” was held at the Japan Innovation Campus in Palo Alto, California.

Organized by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the symposium brought together representatives of the Japanese government, principal investigators of ASPIRE projects, early-career researchers conducting research in the United States, and U.S.-based researchers. The program focused on research activities supported by ASPIRE, the experiences of early-career researchers working abroad, and future opportunities for Japan–U.S. research collaboration. A panel discussion also addressed how international researcher mobility can contribute to strengthening research capabilities and building sustainable international networks.

Four young researchers participating in the RIKEN–Berkeley Mathematical Quantum Science Initiative—Yuuka Kanakubo, Gabriele Di Ubaldo, Haruki Emori, and Shoto Aoki—gave a joint presentation. They introduced their respective research activities and shared experiences gained through conducting research in the United States, as well as their perspectives on future research and career development. Their diverse research areas, ranging from high-energy and nuclear physics to quantum gravity, quantum information, and lattice gauge theory, reflect the broad scope of the RIKEN–Berkeley collaboration.

The symposium provided an opportunity to introduce the activities of the RIKEN–Berkeley Mathematical Quantum Science Initiative within the broader ASPIRE program and to consider the importance of sustained researcher exchange between Japan and the United States.

Reported by Shuntaro Aoki