Visiting Professor Michio Kumagai and Professor Tomoko Hasegawa, both of the Research Organization of Science and Engineering at Ritsumeikan University, received the 2024 Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Commendation for Science and Technology for their outstanding achievements in science and technology research and development and for promoting the understanding of the field. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) announced the winners on April 9 and held an awards ceremony on April 17.

　Every year, MEXT awards the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Commendation for Science and Technology to individuals who have made outstanding achievements in research and development, the promotion of public understanding, and other activities in the field of science and technology. MEXT presents Commendations for Science and Technology (Categories: Development, Research, Science and Technology Promotion, Technology, and Public Understanding Promotion) as well as the Young Scientists’ Award, Award for Creativity, and Outstanding Support for Research Award, and in 2024, nine groups (18 individuals) were granted awards in the Public Understanding Promotion Category and 51 groups (59 individuals) were granted awards in the Research Category. Visiting Professor Kumagai received the Commendation for Science and Technology in the Public Understanding Promotion Category in recognition of his achievements in promoting the understanding of environmental science among young people centered around Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. Meanwhile, Professor Hasegawa received the Commendation for Science and Technology in the Research Category in recognition of her work on the interrelationship between climate change and sustainable development as a member of a Kyoto University research team.

　Visiting Professor Kumagai has studied Lake Biwa for many years, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of complete circulation, also known as "Lake Biwa deep respiration," and as part of this research, he has surveyed the lake bottom using an autonomous submersible robot called Tantan. He also cooperates with and supervises a range of projects related to environmental issues in Lake Biwa.

　Professor Hasegawa specializes in the evaluation of climate change countermeasures and the development of simulation models. She is working on elucidating the interactions between climate change mitigation measures and food security, aiming to solve both problems simultaneously. She won the JST 5th Brilliant Female Researchers Award (Jun Ashida Award) and has been selected for the Highly Cited Researchers List published by Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science Group since 2019. In 2021, she also won the Minister of MEXT Young Scientists’ Award in the science and technology field.

Comment from Visiting Professor Michio Kumagai, Ritsumeikan University Research Organization of Science and Engineering

　I have been involved in research on Lake Biwa and other lakes around the world for many years, and I believe this award is a recognition of my achievements. In recent years, the effects of global warming on lakes and marshes have become particularly pronounced, and in Lake Biwa as well, there are concerns about the rapid deterioration of the lake bottom environment. Currently, I am conducting regular observations of Lake Biwa with elementary, junior high, and high school students in the Kinki region, and many research findings are starting to emerge from this work. I hope this can serve as a foundation for the international success of the younger generation going forward.