[Interview] Professor, Professor Emeritus Ohsumi, Yoshinori No. 3

SOKENDAI is a gateway and a palace to researchers ? It is important to keep your long-term perspective.

Okada May we have your message to the students and the faculty of our university.

Ohsumi Nowadays, I no longer hear students saying they would like to do research under certain professors. SOKENDAI has many researchers who work worldwide, and it has good equipments and facilities. So, I hope it would be a university all researchers, at least once, think about enrolling to. It should let the public know more that SOKENDAI takes the high road of basic science. I hope it would be the academia for those who truly love researches would yearn.
In Kanagawa prefecture where the main campus of SOKENDAI is located, there are many universities and large research institutes. For instance, Kawasaki Citizen's Academy was founded more than 20 year ago as a continued learning institute, and the environment is ideal for researchers. So, I think that SOKENDAI also should value the cooperation with those institutes in Kanagawa prefecture.

Okada We are promoting the local cooperation and PR activities these days as well.
Incidentally, one of your four papers that were subjects of Nobel Prize has the names of students of SOKENDAI as its first and second authors.

Nagayama SOKENDAI is functioning as a provider of researchers nationwide. They may leave this university, but I would like them to come back and get engaged in educational activities someday.

Ohsumi Today, you can't tell what would happen to even those large corporations that keep appearing in newspapers. The number of one child will increase and parents' willingness can certainly not be ignored, but there is only one life, and I want them to have dreams, and to pursue what they want to do. I, myself, did what I wanted to do, thinking it would be what it would be. Time has changed, but I would like to support the young generations from now on.

Nagayama As Donald Trump has become the President of the United States of America against the odds, it appears that we are entering into an unpredictable, fluid time.

Ohsumi I certainly think so. That is exactly why I would like, not only researchers, but also business people and politicians to have visions of Japan, not 10 or 20 years, but 100 years ahead.

Nagayama I share that with you. I think that your words today would certainly encourage young people.

Okada What is your intention in your research from now on?

Ohsumi In terms of autophagy, I feel that only 30% of it has been revealed, and there are many areas to be researched. I also want to advance its quantitative analysis by specializing in physiology. At the same time, I will prepare to pass onto the new blood. Personally, I don't feel I am ending something, but rather, I would like to raise some issues.

Okada Thank you for many of wonderful stories, today. We also heard aspiring ideas that would further improve research activities from now on. We all wish you a further success.
Thank you again for being with us, today.

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