Event Report

On Wednesday, 4 March 2026, Kyushu University held the second KYUDAI NOW Forum in Singapore. The forum attracted approximately 140 registrations from a wide range of participants, including Kyushu University alumni, local university stakeholders and students, and representatives from Japanese and Singaporean companies, and was successfully conducted with strong attendance and engagement.

The forum consisted of two parts: an afternoon symposium and an evening networking reception. In the opening session of the symposium, welcome remarks were delivered by Vice President Shuji Shimizu of Kyushu University, followed by an opening message from Associate Professor Christian Boucharenc (Former Head of the Division of Industrial Design) at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Mr. Toru Hotta, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Singapore, joined us at the beginning of the second session and delivered honored guest remarks.

Following this, Associate Professor Kun Qian from Kyushu University’s Institute for Asian and Oceanian Studies (Q-AOS) introduced Kyushu University and the activities of Q-AOS. The program then moved into two sessions showcasing Kyushu University’s research and practical initiatives. In Session I, Associate Professor Kim Schumacher (Q-AOS) delivered a talk on greenwashing, and Associate Professor Kiho Muroga from the Faculty of Economics (online) presented on gender equality. Next, Assistant Professor Leon Loh Wei Leong from the Faculty of Design introduced research and educational practice using design thinking.

In Session II, Professor Shigenori Fujikawa from the International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research presented cutting-edge research on direct capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Associate Professor Shoko Miyauchi from the Faculty of Information Science and Electrical Engineering discussed the potential of AI to support healthcare and parenting. Associate Professor Yoshihito Yagyu from the Faculty of Engineering Sciences then spoke on an engineering approach to environmental and agricultural challenges. Finally, Dr. Scott Rowan from Kyushu University Open Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. introduced Kyushu University’s industry–academia collaboration activities and startup co-creation initiatives. The symposium concluded with closing remarks by Mr. Shin Ueda, the local president of Kyushu University’s Singapore alumni association “Shokunkai.”

At the evening networking reception, many additional participants joined beyond those who attended the talks. After opening remarks by Ms. Reiko Oshima of Shokunkai, lively networking took place across different sectors and affiliations. In addition to discussions on research topics, participants engaged in concrete conversations about possibilities for industry–academia collaboration and researchers exchange, creating valuable opportunities to form new networks. The reception concluded with closing remarks by Mr. Hiroshi Watanabe, President of Shokunkai.

On the day following KYUDAI NOW (5 March), the delegation visited local partner organizations. In the morning, we visited the NUS i³ Building and received an introduction to NUS Enterprise’s initiatives and its entrepreneurship and industry–academia collaboration frameworks, followed by a discussion on potential future collaboration. In the afternoon, we visited the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Singapore, where we gained valuable insights into the situation surrounding Japanese companies in Singapore. We then visited Idemitsu International (Asia) and exchanged views on their initiatives, particularly in the carbon-neutral domain, and shared perspectives on potential collaboration with Kyushu University.

Through this forum, Kyushu University was able to widely showcase its diverse research and practical initiatives to stakeholders from academia and industry in Singapore, while also building a foundation for concrete dialogue toward future joint research, industry–academia collaboration, and talent exchange.

Group photo at the opening of KYUDAI NOW Singapore (4 March 2026)


Networking reception (4 March 2026)


Visit to the i³ Building at NUS Enterprise, National University of Singapore (5 March 2026)


Visit to the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Singapore (5 March 2026)

Visit to Idemitsu International (Asia) (Idemitsu Kosan Group)