Mitsui Chemicals Successfully Hosts the Fourth Catalysis Science Symposium
Appendix－1
【Opening Ceremony】
Chairman of the MICS 2009 Organization Committee
President & CEO, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
Kenji Fujiyoshi
Good morning, dear distinguished speakers, guests, and ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to “The Fourth Mitsui Chemicals International Symposium on Catalysis Science,” MICS2009. It is a great honor to host a Symposium with so many distinguished guest speakers and participants – from the industrial, governmental and academic communities of the world.
With the aim of “contributing broadly to society through innovations and the creation of materials, while keeping in harmony with the global environment” and to support the development of catalysis science, a fundamental technology in realizing this aim, Mitsui Chemicals has been organizing “The Mitsui Chemicals International Symposium on Catalysis Science (MICS)” since 2003. The themes of the first, second and third symposiums were “Advanced Catalysts for Polymers”, “Green Catalysts for Specialty Chemicals” and “Polymerization Catalysis – Current Status and Future Prospects”, respectively. Mitsui Chemicals invited world-famous scientists in the field of catalysis science to deliver lectures and to engage in lively discussions.
At this Fourth Mitsui Chemicals International Symposium, MICS 2009, with the theme of “Catalysis Science and Its Contribution to Future Human Development”, we hope to discuss the current status and future prospects of catalysis science, which will play a key role in resolving issues encompassing the environment, energy and resources in the 21st century as well as support sustainable development of humankind in the future.
At this Symposium, we are fortunate to welcome ten of the top leaders in catalyst science, representing both industrial and academic communities.
Today, the Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry for 1981, Professor Roald Hoffmann of Cornell University will deliver a plenary lecture. Following his lecture will be three guest speakers: Professor Yasuhiro Iwasawa of the University of Tokyo, Emeritus Professor Bernard Witholt of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, and Dr. Shin-ichiro Tawaki of Mitsui Chemicals.
Tomorrow, the Wolf Prize Laureate in Chemistry for 2001, Emeritus Professor Henri B. Kagan of Universite Paris-Sud will present a plenary lecture. And we will also have lectures by: Professor Masakatsu Shibasaki of the University of Tokyo, Dr. Robert J. Farrauto of BASF Catalysts LLC, Professor Kyriacos C. Nicolaou of the Scripps Institute and the University of California, San Diego, Professor Barry M. Trost of Stanford University, and Professor Ei-ichi Negishi of Purdue University.
This afternoon, we will be holding the “Mitsui Chemicals Catalysis Science Award” ceremony as well as have commemorative lectures by the award winners. I am confident that all the presentations and lectures will be inspiring and enlightening.
In closing, I wish to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to all those persons and organizations, in particular, six academic societies as well as five local and regional governments and others concerned, who have directed their kind encouragement and support toward making this Symposium a reality.
I sincerely hope that this Symposium would serve as a forum of extensive as well as intensive interchange among researchers from around the world and be an excellent opportunity for creating new knowledge in catalysis science contributing to Future Human Development.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Mitsui Chemicals Successfully Hosts the Fourth Catalysis Science Symposium(PDF:445KB)
