The Hokkaido University Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education will hold the 2026 Hokkaido University CoSTEP Public Symposium, "An Unsatisfying Opening Ceremony—Starting Academics and Science and Technology Communication from a Sense of Uncertainty," on Saturday, May 9th.
At the 2026 CoSTEP opening ceremony, we will be inviting Professor Koki Miyano (Associate Professor, Center for Interdisciplinary Education and Research Promotion, Kyoto University), who specializes in theories of academic discipline and universities, to give a presentation titled "An Unsatisfying Opening Ceremony—Starting Academic Discipline and Science and Technology Communication from 'Vagueness'." Professor Miyano has consistently spoken about the importance of continuing to ask questions rather than finding answers.
In this public symposium, we will explore what it means to communicate science and research to society, using themes such as "What is a question?" and "Why do we rush to find answers?" as starting points. Let's start from those unspoken "vague feelings" and think together about the possibilities of academia and science and technology communication.
Date and Time: Saturday, May 9, 2026, 13:00-14:40 (Doors open at 12:45)
Venue: Sapporo Campus, General Education Building (formerly Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education), 1F Sky Hall (Kita 17-jo Nishi 8-chome, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido)
Lecturer: Naoki Miyano
Participation fee: Free
Capacity: 150 people (This public symposium is part of the special inaugural program for the 2026 CoSTEP program and is open to the general public.)
For more details, please click here. *This link will take you to the Hokkaido University Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education website.
