On 19 July, 18 Visionary Members of the COI Program visited the Tokyo University of Arts (TUA) (Site Visit). The day started with a welcome violin performance by Kazuki Sawa, President of TUA, and a piano performance by Oko Arai, Group Leader of the Research on disabilities and expressions group. Following that, Mr Satoshi Koike, who was newly appointed as the COI Program Visionary Leader in April this year, gave remarks.

Over 50 people participated from TUA, including Koshi Yamamoto, Project Leader, and Masaaki Miyasako, Research Leader (as well as one original android) and reported on the progress of activities and collaborations with COI member companies from the six groups.

For the second part of the Site Visit, we had proactively organized presentations by young researchers in addition to the core members of the project, at many venues including in various rooms of the Arts & Science LAB. and in the Chinretsukan Gallery at TUA where they were preparing for the next exhibition to demonstrate research results, to show the inspectors the young researchers’ talents first-hand.

At the end, Kei Arai, Sub Research Leader / Seeds & Needs Research Manager reported on the future vision for TUA’s COI Site, and based on that, participants had an exchange of views. It became a meaningful day for us.