Message from President and Chief Executive Officer Naoto Ohtake
"I would like to offer my deepest condolences upon learning about the sudden passing of Professor Hideki Shirakawa. Professor Shirakawa was an alumnus of Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), one of Institute of Science Tokyo's predecessor universities. He was also an honorary professor at Science Tokyo and a joint recipient of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
During his many years as a faculty member at the former Chemical Resources Laboratory at Tokyo Tech (now the Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science, Institute of Integrated Research), Professor Shirakawa - in his lab on Ookayama Campus - was the first to successfully produce polyacetylene film, which garnered attention as an 'electrically conductive plastic.' This led to the discovery and development of conductive polymers, an achievement that was acknowledged with the Nobel Prize.
Professor Shirakawa was also deeply committed to nurturing future generations. When we requested that he provide lectures as part of the Frontiers of Science and Technology course, launched in 2016 as part of the former Tokyo Tech's educational reforms, the professor graciously agreed. Even after Tokyo Tech became Institute of Science Tokyo, Professor Shirakawa continued to teach this course to all first-year students. I will never forget how he patiently answered questions from students after his lectures, and strove to improve the course content every year.
The Science Tokyo community would like to thank Professor Hideki Shirakawa for his immeasurable contributions to the Institute, and to offer our heartfelt prayers. May he rest in peace."
Message from President and Chief Academic Officer Yujiro Tanaka
"I would like to express my deepest condolences on the sudden passing of Professor Hideki Shirakawa.
While Professor Shirakawa's outstanding achievements speak for themselves, I would like to emphasize his role as a mentor to our students. Once a year, the professor took time to give a one-hour lecture followed by a thirty-minute question-and-answer session with students. The auditorium was always packed, and those who could not find a seat would stand along the walls. What the professor shared went beyond simply explaining his research findings. He also spoke about the proper way to approach academic pursuits. The sight of recently enrolled students listening intently remains deeply etched in my memory.
Professor Shirakawa once highlighted three essential elements of a university - excellent faculty members, outstanding peers, and a library. Today, with the advent of AI, all forms of knowledge are suddenly at our fingertips, and the very purpose of universities is being called into question. He, however, quietly demonstrated the core values of the Institute by encouraging people to gather in the same place, exchange questions, and then delve into the accumulated body of knowledge actively.
I believe that this spirit will live on in every student who attended his lectures. I am deeply grateful for Professor Shirakawa's many years of guidance and humbly offer my prayers for his eternal rest."
