The 14th WPI Science Symposium was held on November 15, 2025, at the Tsukuba International Congress Center (Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture). The event featured booth exhibitions from all 18 institutes of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), poster presentations and exchanges between high school students from across Japan and WPI researchers, and science talks by early-career researchers.
From Bio2Q, Dr. Keiko Matsuda, Jr. PI at Bio2-Core, gave a poster presentation titled “Elucidation of Synapse Formation Mechanisms in the CNS and PNS by C1q Family Molecules and Application Prospects.” She provided accessible explanations to high school students from across the country and general visitors, while engaging in discussions with researchers from other institutes. At the exhibition booth, booklets for junior and senior high school students and newsletters were displayed and distributed to communicate the research being conducted at Bio2Q and the passion of its researchers.
 

On November 15, I attended the Science Symposium at the TSUKUBA International Congress Center, where students proudly presented their research. Their clear explanations of the creative processes behind their work were truly impressive, and several high school students showed remarkable ability to organize observations logically and express them in their own words, highlighting their potential as future researchers. The event also helped me deepen my understanding of initiatives at other WPI institutes. During the introduction of Bio2Q’s research, many students asked insightful and thoughtful questions, demonstrating strong interest in our activities. Their curiosity and enthusiasm were inspiring, and I hope that these experiences will one day lead them to pursue research at Keio Bio2Q, where we can work together to advance science. (Dr. Keiko Matsuda)