Japanese text: https://www.shinshu-u.ac.jp/topics/2024/08/post-550.html

On Monday, August 19, 2024, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Masahito Moriyama, and House of Representatives Member, Yousei Ide, visited the International Center for Science and Innovation at Shinshu University (AICS) at the Faculty of Engineering.

First, President Soichiro Nakamura explained the university's mission and vision as a core regional university, triggered by its selection for the Program for Promoting the Enhancement of Research Universities (J-PEAKS). He also detailed the university's past efforts and achievements related to the program, including the Aqua-Regeneration initiative.

After the briefing, the group moved to the 7th and 1st floors of the center to visit the laboratories of Professors Katsuya Teshima, Morishige Endo, and Kazunari Domen, which are central to the J-PEAKS project. Representatives from each lab explained their research, which aims for early social implementation, and a Q&A session followed.

Finally, at the Faculty of Engineering library, the minister and Mr. Ide tasted drinking water purified by a "swee" water purification device, which uses "Shindai Crystal" technology.

Minister Moriyama praised the university, stating, "I am deeply impressed by your research and development efforts to detoxify contaminated water without using electricity, which addresses the global issue of water shortages. We cannot live without water, and I have high hopes that Shinshu University's research achievements--in efficiently recycling precious water to make it drinkable--will be utilized in more countries around the world."