TOHOKU UNIVERSITY

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Tohoku University Fund Hosts Annual Donor Event

The Tohoku University Fund held its annual donor appreciation event on August 31 at Kawauchi Hagi Hall. The approximately 200 attendees included top tier donors as well as regular supporters of the Tohoku University Fund.

At a pre-event lunch hosted by University President Teiji Tominaga, 15 new donors who had contributed more than a million yen individually (or more than 10 million yen through their company) to the Fund last year, received special recognition and an award.

They were also treated to Travelling Gelato, a collaborative project between Gelateria Natu-Lino and Tohoku University students supported by the Fund.

At the main event, President Tominaga thanked all the donors and collaborators for their continued support, and highlighted the work of the Tohoku University Fund.

He was followed by Vice President for Social Outreach Tetsuya Nagasaka, who gave an update on the Fund's activities and reported on the income and expenditures for the last fiscal year.

Two student groups then gave presentations on how the Tomoni crowdfunding challenge (TomoPro), which is supported by the Fund, helped to get their then-fledgling projects off the ground.

The ARES Project, in which students designed and developed a Mars rover with life-exploration capabilities, was selected for TomoPro funding in 2023. The group took part in the 2024 University Rover Challenge along with 102 teams from 15 countries, and became the first Japanese entry to reach the final.

Rerax, an aromatherapy promotion project for nurses, got TomoPro funding in 2022, and has since become very successful. The project, which aims to improve the quality of life of cancer patients through aromatherapy, provides free training for nurses and care givers.

In the day's anchor lecture, President Tominaga gave an update of the Japanese government's Universities for International Research Excellence initiative, in which profits from a 10 trillion JPY investment will be used to support the research of qualifying institutions.

President Tominaga outlined Tohoku University's strategic plans as it prepares for final accreditation. These plans revolve around the three key commitments of impact, talent and change. "We want to create social value that will have a significant impact, we want to foster brilliant minds and talent, and we want to reflect global readiness in our governance style," he said.

The event ended with several campus tours.

Participants had the opportunity to learn more about the NanoTerasu Light Source, which had its official opening ceremony earlier this year, the Botanical Gardens, Tohoku University Museum and the Main Library.

For more information about the Tohoku University Fund, and how to donate, please visit:https://www.bureau.tohoku.ac.jp/kikin/english/index.html

Contact:

Tohoku University Alumni and Outreach Office
Tel: +81 22-217-6290
Email: kikingrp.tohoku.ac.jp

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