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Following the proposal to hold the conference alternately in Asia and North America in order to promote scientific exchanges between the two continents, it was decided that the next conference in Asia will be held in Hong Kong. This time it will be chaired by Professor Nancy Ip, who is a professor of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology as well as the Director-General of the Biotechnology Research Institute.
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As I am currently studying the Neuregulin, a multifunctional division/increase gene which is regarded as playing an important role in synapse formation and this subject being close to the research theme of Professor Ip, I had occasion to talk with her on many matters. What I would like to stress about her is that she is a very rare phenomenon in scientific circles, being an excellent researcher operating at the highest level of world research while at the same time being a devoted wife (her husband is not a scientific researcher) and mother at home. At the conference I met with U.S. based female researchers who had achieved independent manager status but I was particularly impressed by the presence of Professor Ip who has acquired independence and a world-leading position in Asia.
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With Nancy, at the Gordon Research Conference
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What I discovered was held in common among the female researchers at the forefront of research is that they have both the tenderness of women and a professional commitment based on a full understanding of the necessity of producing satisfactory results in their work.
I was once in the United States with a baby of less than a year old, working as a visiting fellow in NIH (National Institutes of Health) while at the same time attending to the feeding of the baby. I realized then that continuing to work while maintaining a family is basically very hard regardless of country or nationality. Although it is not easy to compare the importance of work and the feelings for a baby, I had to pass many moments weighing these considerations in order to establish the priorities of each moment. Now, I can't stop respecting my senior researchers who had followed such a similar path before me.
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In a park near NIH ( USA)
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It was a great pleasure for me to talk with many female researchers who were striving hard as the organizers or discussion leaders of sessions in the conference and who revealed their personal philosophy through their work We were able to discuss topics not only restricted to the present research subjects but also covering more general matters such as the way that science should be, or on aspects of its orientation.
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Although I feel gloomy when I think about the present status of female researchers in Japan, the encounters with female colleagues at the conference made me more positive in my approach to hard work so that I will now be able to accomplish better work in the future.
Another strong impression I felt at the conference was that of the energy of China. The attitude to change by adopting rational ideas more and more and the flexibility to accept changes are upgrading the scientific level of China at an increasing tempo. I felt that China would occupy a top position in the world in the very near future. On the other hand, in Japan, the Brain Science Institute (BSI) of RIKEN has begun the first steps in adopting some very unique systems that have not previously existed in Japan. An environment which greatly facilitates our research is being set up by the steering committee led by Professor Masao Ito.
Every research paper presented at the Gordon Research Conference was of a first class standard, and many of the presentations which were approved as particularly excellent by all the participants were made by the Japanese researchers, making me feel that Japan won't be far behind the leaders (though the path may be very narrow and precipitous). It was a touching experience which I had not had for a long time to be so impressed by the proceedings, regardless of the barriers of nationality, race and language.
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