National Sol-Gel Societies: A Short History of the Japanese Sol-Gel Society Professor Kazuki Nakanishi (JSGS President)
The Japanese Sol-Gel Society (JSGS) was established in July 2003 in the same year as the birth of the International Sol-Gel Society. The Foundation President was Professor Sumio SAKKA (2003-2008), who was also the first Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology. He was succeeded as President by Professors Masayuki NOGAMI (2009-2012), Kazuyuki KURODA (2013-2014), and Hiromitsu KOZUKA (2015-2018), with the current President being Professor Kazuki NAKANISHI (2019-).
As of 2019, the membership of JSGS includes 172 individual (academic/industrial), 35 industrial and 63 student members. In addition to the President, the JSGS Board consists of three Vice-Presidents, 26 Board Members and four Supervisors, with its administration office being located at The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Chubu, in Nagoya. Dr. Kazumi KATO, one of the current vice presidents, has served as a chief secretary of the JSGS for many years. Every year, the JSGS holds a one-day Technical Seminar and two-day Annual Meeting. In the seminar held in May-June, leaders from either Academia or Industry present lectures on 5-6 cutting-edge technological topics. The JSGS Annual meeting is held in July-August, and includes an Introductory Lecture for early-career scientists, five invited academic lectures, three invited industrial lectures, and contributed poster (60-70) and short oral presentations. Best-poster awards are given to the best five presenters.
The JSGS has grown together with the ISGS since its establishment, with strong relationships having been established between thetwo societies. For example, ISGS Lifetime Achievement Awards have been conferred upon Professors Sumio SAKKA, Tsutomu MINAMI and Kazuyuki KURODA, who all contributed significantly to the foundation and leadership of JSGS. The six Japanese Ulrich Awardees since 1997 remain active within JSGS as well as in related fields and societies worldwide. In all, five JSGS members have served on the ISGS Board of Directors, including Professor Masahide TAKAHASHI as ISGS President. The first International Sol-Gel Conference in Japan was held in Kyoto (1987, chaired by Professor Sumio SAKKA), followed by Yokohama (1999, chaired by Professor Masayuki YAMANE) and again in Kyoto (2015). The latter was organized in close collaboration between ISGS and JSGS. The official journal of the ISGS, JSST, is also supported by efficient and critical reviewing by experienced JSGS members. Currently one Co-Editor, one Assistant-Editor and seven Editorial Board members belong to JSGS.
As a result of the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, JSGS was unable to hold an Annual Meeting in 2020, and the Technical Seminar was transformed to an online event. We look forward to seeing our ISGS Colleagues again in Lyon in August 2021 and maintaining the active connections and exciting and fruitful exchanges that underpin Sol-Gel Science and Technology.
