Ms. Maki Kawai
The University of Tokyo, Japan
Ms. Maki Kawai (Japan), Director General, Institute for Molecular Science, Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo
Ms. Maki Kawai (Japan), Director General, Institute for Molecular Science, Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo Prof. Maki Kawai is the Director-General of the Institute for Molecular Science and Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo. She has been serving as a member of the Japanese government’s committee on science & technology policy planning, and contributed to the drafting of a model plan for intellectual property strategy (2003-2007), as well as for a new system for education as a member of the Prime Minister’s Education Rebuilding Implementation Council (2013- 2021). As a scientist, she has been working on interdisciplinary research in the fields of surface science, physical chemistry, condensed matter physics, materials science and nanoscience. Her research has been highly evaluated by many academic societies, and she has been the recipient of various awards, including the Chemical Society of Japan (CSJ) Award (2008), the Gerhard Ertl Lecture Award from the Fritz-Haber Institute of the Max Plank Society (2015), the Medard W. Welch Award of AVS, U.S.A (2016), and the L’Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Award (2019). In addition to her fundamental scientific research, she is a widely respected leader in scientific management. This activity, involving science in the USA, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan, has made her a highly valued member of the international scientific community, culminating with her former position as the RIKEN Executive Director in charge of research affairs (2010-2015) and former president of the Chemical Society of Japan (2019-2020). She is Fellow of the American Physical Society, and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.