“Science Day Gunma 2025 – The World of Quantum Mechanics” in Collaboration with OIST
On October 28, 2025, which coincided with Gunma Prefectural Day, Gunma University (GU), in collaboration with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), held the event “Science Day Gunma 2025 – The World of Quantum Mechanics” at the Aramaki Campus. The event aimed to foster interest among young generations in cutting-edge scientific research and was attended by over 50 participants, primarily high school students.
At first, President Yasuki Ishizaki opened the event with a message emphasizing that this was the first joint initiative between GU and OIST, marking a significant milestone. He stated, “Providing opportunities for high school students to develop a wide range of interests and learn about various fields from an early age is very important.” Additionally, he introduced the special connection between Gunma and OIST, noting that Mr. Koji Omi, the father of former Deputy Minister Asako Omi, proposed the establishment of OIST in 2001 and played a key role in its development. Following his speech, former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Asako Omi also delivered greetings.
The event began with a presentation on quantum mechanics by faculty members from GU’s School of Science and Technology. Then Dr. Kae Nemoto, the OIST Center for Quantum Technologies, lectured OIST’s overview and the theme of the event, “What is Quantum?”. It was also highlighted that 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of quantum mechanics, making it a commemorative year.
On the Basic Lecture session, four young researchers from OIST, hailing from Japan, Taiwan, India, and the United States, gave lectures in both English and Japanese about their research lives and topics. Participants showed great interest, asking many specific questions related to what motivated their research, whether they excelled in physics high school, and the significance of studying abroad. The researchers answered these questions thoughtfully.
Following this, OIST staff explained quantum algorithms, and Dr. Takeshi Oshima, Director of the Quantum Function Creation Research Center at the Quantum Science and Technology Research Organization (QST), provided an overview of how quantum sensing works.
On the session of Exhibition and Research Career Seminar, the event also featured demonstrations of quantum computing and quantum sensing, along with career consultation sessions with researchers and GU students. Participants had the opportunity to experience the demonstrations firsthand and listen to enthusiastic talks from researchers and students, making it a valuable experience to engage with the forefront of science.
After the event, Participants shared their impressions, such as:
“My understanding of quantum mechanics deepened through lectures and hands-on experiences.”, “The English-language lectures felt fresh and stimulating.”,
“It was fun to hear various experiences and talk directly with researchers and students.” and so on.
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- Audience in the hall
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- Remarks by President Ishizaki
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- demonstrations of quantum sensing
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- Experience in Quantum Computing
