- Professor Manabu Abe, Ph.D
- Executive Vice President（Research and
Academia-Government-Community Collaboration）
Hiroshima University
ICPOC25
25th IUPAC International Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry
IUPAC International Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry (ICPOC25)
The IUPAC International Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry takes place every two years in various parts of the world as a forum for the exchange of information on research in the field of physical organic chemistry. It was in May 2016 that the IUPAC's International Headquarters approached me about hosting ICPOC25 in Hiroshima, which was initially planned to be held in 2020. The conference had not been held in Japan since the 8th meeting held at the University of Tokyo in 1986. As it is truly significant that the world-leading researchers in physical organic chemistry gather in Hiroshima to discuss the development of chemistry that would contribute to global harmony, I decided to run to host this conference.
At a meeting held during the 23rd conference, after our proactive presentation, Hiroshima was unanimously selected to host the 25th conference ahead of other candidate cities, Shanghai, and San Francisco. The Hiroshima Convention & Visitors Bureau (HCVB) supported us in many ways, with not only materials featuring tourist attractions for our presentation but also with approved grants and an invitation message from the Mayor of Hiroshima.
After being postponed for two years from 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19, ICPOC25 was held in a hybrid format in July 2022. It was a very successful meeting with about 300 in-person participants in total, including participants from 15 foreign countries as well as 260 domestic participants. In addition, there were 60 domestic online participants.
During the conference, the HCVB provided support such as dispatching volunteer guides in foreign languages, a welcome letter from the Mayor of Hiroshima and helping with procedures to exempt admission fees to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
We are sincerely grateful for the strong support of the HCVB and other related parties that enabled us to hold such an international conference despite challenges due to COVID-19.
Actively promoting international conferences can enhance the international reputation of the university, build research networks, increase international collaborative research projects and papers, and ultimately strengthen the international competitiveness of the university. For individual researchers, the event is also very meaningful because it is a good opportunity for people from different cultures, languages, skin colors, appearances, genders, and diets to get together and discuss the common theme of chemistry, broaden their research, make new friends and collaborators, and give students an international perspective.
We would like to continue encouraging our researchers and staff members to make active efforts to hold conferences, symposiums, research meetings, etc., in cooperation and collaboration with related parties, making the most of the support provided by various organizations.
- Norimune Kawai, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
- Professor
Department of Special Needs Education, Graduate School of Education
Department of Educational Development and Cultural and Regional Studies,
Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation (IDEC)
Hiroshima University
The 2018 Inaugural Joint World Congress of Stuttering and Cluttering
For someone holding an international conference for the first time in one's life, one would not have been able to achieve such preparations without the assistance of the Hiroshima Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Hiroshima Convention & Visitors Bureau provided various forms of support for attracting conventions, such as providing videos and photos introducing Hiroshima, as well as preparing written invitations from the mayor of Hiroshima City for us, resulting in the decision to hold the conference in Japan (Hiroshima). The bureau also provided various types of support for the holding of the conference from the use of subsidy programs for convention venue promotions and venue costs to restaurant guides that give consideration to the religious beliefs and allergy conditions of conference attendees. Many persons from other countries told me that they wanted to come to Hiroshima precisely because it is known around the world as a city of peace. We have created exchange programs for during the conference that highlight various unique locations and aspects of Hiroshima such as traditional performing arts and tours of the Peace Memorial Museum. We are working hard to make preparations so that all participants, from Japan and abroad, can enjoy a conference that will make them glad that they have visited Hiroshima.
- Mr. Arjun Narne
- Director, KW Conferences Pvt Ltd
One of fam trip guests of 2018 IAPCO Annual Meeting and General Assembly
I want to take this opportunity to let you know what a fantastic experience our recent Fam trip to Hiroshima organised on the sidelines of the recently concluded 49th IAPCO Congress was. Throughout all the pre-planning and information sharing, the HCVB team was incredibly professional. The entire team was extremely dedicated and ridiculously hard working! KWC has been managing conferences as India's pioneering PCO for more than 25 years and your CVB is one of the most efficiently managed one I have personally interacted with. The entire itinerary was very well planned so as to let the visitor get a holistic feel of what Hiroshima has to offer for the global meeting planner. The way in which the venues, sights, restaurants and public transport facilities were woven into the itinerary was commendable. Everything was covered crisply and no effort was spared not only by the HCVB team, but also the venues in the city and the neighbouring CVBs. In a nutshell: It was hospitality at its best!
- Mr. Ajay Bhojwani
- Managing Director, MCI Middle East
One of fam trip guests of 2018 IAPCO Annual Meeting and General Assembly
Visiting Hiroshima was a wonderful experience – to understand the Japanese culture and the learning about the rich history the city has. Also, to visit the museum and learn on how the city has rebounded and strengthened itself from the bombing shows real belief of people and the strong culture the people have. And of course not to forget the beautiful sights of Japanese garden, the shrine and some great infrastructure in terms of hotels and convention facilities Hiroshima has to offer for meetings makes it a strong MICE destination.
