iTHEMS Starter Meeting for FY 2025 on April 4, 2025

On Friday, April 4, 2025, the annual iTHEMS Starter Meeting was held at 12:30 PM in Suzuki Umetaro Hall. Unlike the regular Coffee Meetings that take place every Friday at the same time, the Starter Meeting marks the beginning of the academic year and serves as a special occasion to introduce new members, allow existing members to reintroduce themselves, and share the outlook for the year ahead. This year’s meeting was held on a larger scale than usual to commemorate a major organizational milestone—the transformation of iTHEMS from a program into the newly established RIKEN Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences.

The meeting opened with a commemorative talk by Tetsuo Hatsuda, former Program Director, who reflected on the history of interdisciplinary mathematical science research at RIKEN, beginning with the iTHES program and leading up to the evolution of iTHEMS. He also expressed heartfelt appreciation for the contributions of former Deputy Program Directors Takashi Tsuboi and Takemasa Miyoshi. Following his talk, the new Center Director, Satoshi Iso, provided an overview of the structure and vision for the newly reorganized iTHEMS, including the establishment of new research units and teams designed to further expand and deepen the center’s interdisciplinary mission. Flower bouquets were then presented to Hatsuda-san and Tsuboi-san as a gesture of gratitude, while Miyoshi-san, who was absent, was also acknowledged for his contributions.

After a brief intermission, Tsukasa Tada, Deputy Director, introduced the newly adopted iTHEMS Code of Conduct. He emphasized its core principles—mutual respect, scientific integrity, inclusivity, and responsibility—and explained how the Code reflects the ethical foundation that each member is encouraged to uphold and shape as the community evolves. This was followed by a series of one-minute self-introductions by all members, each using a single slide, continuing the tradition of fostering familiarity and collaboration across disciplines.

The meeting concluded slightly before 5:00 PM, after which participants returned to the Main Research Building to attend a reception in the open space on the third floor. The reception provided an opportunity for further discussion and networking among iTHEMS members and affiliated researchers, marking a warm and promising start to the new academic year under the expanded vision of the iTHEMS Center.