TOHOKU UNIVERSITY

Events

Memorial ceremony for former President Junichi Nishizawa

A memorial ceremony to celebrate the life of former Tohoku University president Junichi Nishizawa will be held on December 16 at the Westin Hotel. A private ceremony will be held between 2~3 p.m. Members of the public are asked to pay their respects from 3 p.m.

Date: Sunday, December 16
Time: 2 p.m.~4 p.m.
Venue: Grand Ballroom 2F/Hermitage 3F, Westin Hotel Sendai
1-9-1, Ichibancho, Aoba Ward, Sendai

Professor Nishizawa, nicknamed "Mr. Semiconductor," for his trailblazing work in semiconductor development and optical communications, passed away on October 21. He was 92.

Born in Sendai, Dr. Nishizawa began research into transistors after graduating from Tohoku University in 1948. He invented the PIN diode, the static induction transistor and other groundbreaking devices, which won him numerous awards.

He was awarded the Japan Academy Award in 1974, and recognized as a Person of Cultural Merit in 1983. In 1989 he won the Order of Culture. After receiving the prestigious Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)'s Edison Medal, the institute introduced the Jun-ichi Nishizawa Medal, elevating him to the ranks of great inventors such as Thomas Edison or Alexander Graham Bell.

Professor Nishizawa registered more than 1,000 patents during his long, productive life. He earned both his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Engineering degrees from Tohoku University and served as Tohoku University's president from 1990 until 1996.

Information in Japanese

Contact:

Public Relations Office
Tel: 022-217-4816

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