Science Tokyo and Imperial College London Deepen Partnership Through Strategic Visit
On December 8, 2025, a delegation from Imperial College London (Imperial) visited the Ookayama Campus of Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo). The delegation was led by Professor Mary Ryan, Vice Provost for Research and Enterprise, and included Professor Ricardo Martinez-Botas, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering; Dr. Jing Pang, Head of Partnerships and Impact (Innovation Ecosystem); and Angela Kedgley, Reader in Orthopaedic Biomechanics in the Department of Bioengineering.
They were welcomed by Science Tokyo’s leadership team, which included President and Chief Executive Officer Naoto Ohtake, President and Chief Academic Officer Yujiro Tanaka, Executive Vice Presidents for Global Affairs Tomohiro Morio and Jun-ichi Takada, Executive Vice President for Education Hidetoshi Sekiguchi, Vice President for Startup Support Toshiya Watanabe, Vice President for Growth Strategy Kenji Wakabayashi and Vice President for International Strategy and Internationalization Patrick Foss.
This visit built on a series of earlier meetings held in Japan, the United Kingdom, and online, where both institutions explored ways to expand their collaboration. On this occasion, discussions centered on student and early-career researcher exchanges, startup incubation, and research matching in the expanding field of convergence science.
In the 2025 academic year, Science Tokyo launched its Visionary Initiatives (VIs)—a cross-disciplinary, research framework designed to co-create new value with society while advancing science and human wellbeing. The six initial VIs aim to shape the future through shared visions for societal transformation based on three pillars: “Better Life,” “Better Society,” and “Better Planet.” The framework aligns closely with Imperial’s Schools of Convergence Science, providing a strong foundation for even deeper research collaboration.
Professor Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise) at Imperial College London, said: “This visit reinforced the strength of our long-standing partnership with Science Tokyo and the shared ambition behind it. Their Visionary Initiatives align closely with Imperial’s approach to convergence science, particularly in how interdisciplinary research and early-career support come together. We see clear opportunities to deepen collaboration across research and innovation, and to build programs that address global challenges through sustained partnership.”
The morning session concluded with a presentation by Professor Yasuhito Sekine, Director of the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) and Program Director of the VI Space Innovation. Professor Sekine outlined the VI’s goals and activities, while also presenting ELSI's mission, organizational structure, and key achievements.
The delegation next met with Professor Asa Ito, Director of DLab+ at the Institute of Future Science, Professor Takeo Fujiwara, Director General of the Institute of Future Science, and other institute members at Moshimo, a newly established off-campus co-creation hub.
Designed to foster interaction between the university and the wider community, Moshimo, offers a shared bookstore, a mini-library curated by researchers and students, a podcast recording booth for public sessions, and other collaborative spaces. The meeting also brought in representatives from Toyota Konpon, who contributed to an engaging exchange of ideas on community-centered collaboration—an area of shared interest and an important focus at Imperial’s White City Campus.
In the evening, Professor Julie McCann and Professor Matthew Santer, Co-Directors of Imperial’s School of Convergence Science for Space, Security, and Telecommunications, joined the Imperial delegation and Science Tokyo representatives for a casual dinner. Conversations ranged from efforts to increase the number of women in engineering, to expand student exchange programs, supporting promising early-career researchers, and exploring deeper collaboration in healthtech and AI.
This visit marked another significant step in strengthening the long-standing, strategically oriented partnership between the two universities.
Professor Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise) at Imperial College London, said:
“This visit reinforced the strength of our long-standing partnership with Science Tokyo and the shared ambition behind it. Their Visionary Initiatives align closely with Imperial’s approach to convergence science, particularly in how interdisciplinary research and early-career support come together. We see clear opportunities to deepen collaboration across research and innovation, and to build programs that address global challenges through sustained partnership.”
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- This article was updated on January 9, 2026.
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