Press Release (DWIH Tokyo)

Photo Exhibition “Fascination of Science” by German Artist Herlinde Koelbl for the first time in Japan (Oct 18-23)

Who are the people behind the greatest discoveries of our time? And how would they summarize the essence of their research – in a sketch, formula, or a few words on the palm of their hand? From October 18-23, the photo exhibition “Fascination of Science” by the renowned German photographer Herlinde Koelbl will be shown in Japan for the first time. It features portraits of 38 Nobel Prize Laureates and famous scientists from Japan and abroad.

The photographer Herlinde Koelbl will travel to Japan herself for the event and will add two new portraits to the exhibition – a portrait of Japanese Nobel Laureate Prof. Dr. Shinya Yamanaka (Kyoto University) and a portrait of Jun Ashida Award-winning scientist Dr. Nami Sakai (RIKEN).

Herlinde Koelbl is one of the most famous German photographic artists. Her work has been presented in numerous exhibitions. She has received many awards, including the Dr. Erich Salomon Award and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. More than a dozen photo books bear witness to Herlinde Koelbl’s great work, including “Angela Merkel Portraits 1991 – 2021”, “Fascination of Science”, “The German Living Room”, “Strong Women” and “Jewish Portraits”. Her biggest project to date is the long-term study “Spuren der Macht” (Traces of Power), in which she photographed and interviewed personalities from politics and economics from 1991 until 1998.

Admission to the exhibition is free, registration is not required. Information will be available in Japanese, English and German at the venue.

„Diversity in Science - How to promote Inclusion & Empowerment in Japan”

Panel Discussion during the Exhibition //  October 19 from 18:00 JST (JAP/ENG)

Japan faces great challenges when it comes to diversity in science: In the Gender Gap Report Japan ranks last among the G7, a scientific career has become unattractive for many young researchers, and during the pandemic the number of international students dropped to a minimum due to closed borders. What can universities do to promote inclusion and empowerment to create an environment where diversity and innovation truly thrive?

This question will be addressed in a panel discussion organized by DWIH Tokyo and OAG on Oct 19 by these renowned speakers from Japan and Germany:

  • Dr. Kaori Hayashi (Executive Vice President “Diversity and Global Affairs“, The University of Tokyo)
  • Nora Kottmann (Principal Researcher and Head of Research Group “Methods and Methodologies”, German Institute for Japanese Studies)
  • Dr. Yuko Harayama, former Executive Director at RIKEN in charge of international affairs, promotion of young researchers, and diversity
  • Axel Karpenstein, Director DAAD Regional Office Tokyo
  • Herlinde Koelbl, Photographer & Artist, Creator of the project “Faszination Wissenschaft”
  • Nami Sakai, Chief Scientist, Director of Star and Planet Formation Laboratory RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research

The panel discussion will be streamed live on Youtube.

Details & Registration (until Oct 15): https://www.dwih-tokyo.org/en/event/diversity-in-science/

Contact (English / German / Japanese): info.tokyo@dwih.org