Leadership meeting advances Purdue partnership with Tohoku University
2026-09-18
Tohoku University leadership, faculty and officials, along with participants of ASPIRE Hydrogen Workshop at Purdue University Reception in Sendai, Japan. (Photo provided by Dr. Radha Somaiya)
Leadership and faculty from Purdue University met in Sendai, Japan with leadership and faculty from Tohoku University for establishing a strategic partnership between the universities. On August 19-20, 2026, the teams held a reception and a leadership meeting as an important step toward such a strategic partnership.
Faculty from Purdue included Guang Lin, College of Science Associate Dean of Research and Innovation, Yulia Pushkar, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Jian Xie, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Zhenhua Zeng, Assistant Professor of Chemistry. This cross-continental collaboration is sponsored by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)'s Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for Innovative Research Ecosystem (ASPIRE) program, along with Purdue Office of Research, Office of Global Partnership, College of Science, College of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute, Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering and School of Materials Engineering.
“The primary purpose of this visit is to advance the Purdue-Tohoku partnership, particularly in Hydrogen Energy and AI, through the proposed establishment of the Joint Institute Initiative,” says Zeng. “Tohoku University was selected as the first university in Japan for its International research excellence, is undertaking a major reform to strengthen its global research impact. A strategic partnership with Purdue could help support this transformation,” says Lin. "At the same time, this partnership would position Purdue as a leading U.S. university partner in Japan at a time when U.S.–Japan research collaboration and funding opportunities are rapidly expanding, creating new opportunities for Purdue faculty and students in high-priority areas such as energy, AI, semiconductors, and quantum technologies.”
Leadership and faculty from Tohoku University advancing this partnership include: Takafumi Aoki, Provost and Executive Vice President for strategic planning, Asako Sugimoto, Executive Vice President for Research, and Masahiro Yamaguchi, Executive Vice President for International Strategy and Global Education Initiatives, Toshiaki Yoshioka, Dean for the Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Naoto Todoroki, PI of the JST ASPIRE project, among others.
“We are interested in establishing an institutional-level strategic partnership with Purdue, beyond current collaboration between a few faculty,” says Aoki. “2027 will mark the 30th anniversary of the Purdue-Tohoku partnership,” says Yamaguchi. “In addition to celebrating this milestone, I hope we take a giant step forward.” Sugimoto further explains, “We are particularly interested in strengthening the collaborations in hydrogen energy, AI, semiconductors, and quantum technologies, among others.”
“I have been collaborating with Japanese researchers for a long time which resulted in joined publications and lab visits,” says Pushkar. “This partnership opportunity should further deepen such scientific engagements."
“We hope to form research centers and teams for joint U.S.-Japan projects, such as those under Genesis mission. For team building, joint internal calls for students and research exchange have been proposed. Our joint JST ASPIRE project and most recently the joint Nature Energy paper have been shown as successful examples of Purdue-Tohoku collaboration,” said Zeng.
Meeting between Purdue University and Tohoku University leadership and faculty in Sendai, Japan. (Photo provided by Tohoku University)
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.
About Tohoku University
Founded in 1907 as the third Imperial University of Japan, Tohoku University has been guided by three core principles: “Research First”, “Open Doors” and “Practice-Oriented Research and Education.” Selected in November 2024 as the first “University for International Research Excellence”, it leads through world‑class research, open academic culture, and strong global engagement. With approximately 18,300 students across undergraduate and graduate programs (as of May 2026), including more than 1,900 international students, Tohoku University maintains a vibrant academic community spanning four campuses in Sendai. Consistently ranked No. 1 in Japan in the Times Higher Education Japan University Rankings, Tohoku University continues its persistent pursuit of innovation and societal impact through interdisciplinary research platforms and expanding international partnerships.
Nature article: https://www.nature.com/articles/d42473-025-00205-8
Written by: Cheryl Pierce, Purdue University College of Science
Contributors: Zhenhua Zeng, assistant professor of chemistry, Guang Lin, associate dean of research, and Yulia Pushkar, professor of physics and astronomy