A Japanese Center of Excellence: The Institute for Advanced Materials Processing (Sozaiken) of Tohoku University

Abstract

It has been stated that the Japanese society is effectively closed to foreigners. During our four-month stay in Sendai and our trips throughout Japan by train and car, we found that such was certainly not the case, neither in social nor professional terms. We think fondly of our time there and of the many friends that we made and hope to see again. U.S. faculty who have, or can create, an opportunity to visit the universities of Japan should do so. They will not be disappointed, and the effort may help build bridges that dispel mistrust and foster collaboration among nations. This is true for graduate students who want to broaden their horizons and are not intimidated by so-called language barriers.

Finally, it is interesting to note that Japan, which in comparison to the United States has few mineral resources, continues to nurture academic research on the recovery and processing of metals. In contrast, government support to U.S. universities in this area was practically extinguished in the eighties, and one of the last remaining flickers, the Mineral and Mining Resources Research Institutes program of the U.S. Department of the Interior, is in danger.