Events

Tohoku University is always seeking to make science more accessible to the local community and the general public at large. One way in which it does this is through a lecture series called Science Café.

Held once a month at various downtown locations like Sendai Mediatheque and Tohoku University's campuses, the interactive event provides an opportunity for anyone to attend a free lecture on recent scientific research in a relaxing atmosphere. Guests can take part in experiments, chat with like-minded researchers and students, and pose questions to lecturers.

The popular Liberal Arts Salon will also be returning. Event themes stem from the university's wide range of liberal arts subject and provide participants with the opportunity to listen to and partake in lively discussions

All lectures take place in the evening from 6 pm ~ 7:45 pm. Admission is free, and registration is not required. The event is open to the public, and all are welcome to attend.

Science Café

Lecture 169 (ended)

Advanced Care Planning?

In this lecture entitled "Advanced Care Planning," Professor Miyashita will pose the question "what if you had a life-threatening disease?" He will try and get you to think about treatment preference and care via talking with your family and doctors. Although the lecture focuses on the serious notion of health, the talk will lighten the mood by playing the "what if" game with participants.

Professor Mitsunori Miyashita

School of Medicine. Tohoku University

Date: Friday, October 25, 2019
Time: 6pm - 7:45pm
Venue: Open Square, Sendai Mediatheque

Lecture 170 (ended)

Will Plasma Lead to an Improvement in Airplane Fuel Consumption?

The words plasma and ion are things often heard in recent years but their understanding is still incomplete to most people. However, plasma and ion are thought to generate airflow that reduces air resistance in planes and vehicles. Accordingly, Professor Ohnishi hopes to imagine a new type of airplane utilizing this technology.

Professor Ohnishi Naofumi

School of Engineering, Tohoku University

Date: Friday, November 29, 2019
Time: 6pm - 7:45pm
Venue: Open Square, Sendai Mediatheque

Lecture 171 (cancelled)

Nonprofit Organizations

To encourage giving and volunteering for social causes, nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are active in advertising and sending out information to a wide array of media outlets. What piece of information do nonprofits distribute to promote volunteering? How do they frame the information to be presented? Professor Okada will examine these questions from a sociological perspective.

Associate Professor Okada Aya

Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Time: 6pm - 7:45pm
Venue: Open Square, Sendai Mediatheque

Science Café Special (cancelled)

What is a Black Hole?

On April 10, 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration published mankind's first image of a black hole. But what exactly is a black hole? And why do they exist? Professor Toma will seek to answer these questions by reviewing discoveries of famous physicists from Newton to Einstein, diving further into the relationship between life and these mysterious gravitational forces.

Associate Professor Kenji Toma

Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University

Date: Friday, February 21, 2020
Time: 6pm - 7:45pm
Venue: Open Square, Sendai Mediatheque

Liberal Arts

Lecture 61 (ended)

The Liberal Arts of the Italian Renaissance

The Renaissance started in Florence, Italy. But why did art and learning bloom at that period in particular? In this lecture, Professor Kakoo will focus on the philosophy of freedom to explore this mystery.

Professor Kakoo Hiroki

Tohoku University School of Law

Date: Friday, November 1, 2019
Time: 6pm - 7:45pm
Venue: Open Square, Sendai Mediatheque

Lecture 62 (ended)

How is the Tale of Genji Seen?

No matter the period, opinions surrounding the Tale of Genji are curiously split. Whilst there are those who praise it as a masterpiece, there are also those who strongly criticize it. This lecture explores this dichotomy and seeks to ask what raised this tale into a classic. It further thinks about what exactly constitutes a "classic."

Professor Sato Sekiko

Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, Tohoku University

Date: Friday, December 6, 2019
Time: 6pm - 7:45pm
Venue: Open Square, Sendai Mediatheque

Lecture 63 (cancelled)　

What is Test Theory?

"Tests" are carried out in almost every educational situation. However, it isn't well known that there exists a theory to mathematically guarantee the score calculated from such tests. In this lecture, Associate professor Kumagai will discuss this theory.

Associate Professor Kumagai Ryuichi

Graduate School of Education, Tohoku University

Date: Friday, February 28, 2020
Time: 6pm - 7:45pm
Venue: Tohoku University Kawauchi Hagi Hall, Second Floor Meeting Room

※ Lecture themes/lecturers may be subject to change.
※ Please be aware that photographs may be taken at the lectures and used for promotional purposes.