Events & News
NAIST International Exchange Service Award Presented to Professor Kenneth C. Burtis of the University of California, Davis (September 18, 2026)
On September 18, Professor Emeritus Kenneth C. Burtis of the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), was presented with the NAIST International Exchange Service Award in recognition of his significant contributions to NAIST’s international exchange and academic collaboration.
Professor Emeritus Burtis has played a central role in developing the partnership between NAIST and UC Davis. From 2007 to 2019, approximately 250 NAIST bioscience students visited UC Davis and conducted research in its laboratories for about one month. He also contributed greatly to the NAIST International Student Workshop, which began in 2007 and has continued for nearly 20 years.
At UC Davis, Professor Emeritus Burtis served as the founding Dean of the College of Biological Sciences from 2006 to 2011, and subsequently as Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor. He currently serves as an Advisor to the President of NAIST, continuing to support NAIST’s internationalization and academic exchange.
At the ceremony, Professor Taku Demura, Director of the Division of Biological Science, introduced his achievements, followed by appreciation speech from NAIST President Kazuhiro Shiozaki. Professor Emeritus Burtis then received the award certificate and a commemorative gift.
In his acceptance remarks, Professor Emeritus Burtis reflected on the long history of NAIST–UC Davis exchange, including international symposia, student exchanges, and workshops. He emphasized the importance of internationalization and mutual learning and expressed his hopes for continued collaboration between NAIST and its international partners. He also introduced a waka poem from the Kokin Wakashū and presented an English-translated copy of the collection, published from Stanford University, to President Shiozaki as a token of appreciation for the longstanding relationship between the two universities.
The award ceremony was held in conjunction with the 20th International Student Workshop, bringing together students, faculty, and staff from UC Davis, the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and NAIST. Professor Sean Burgess and Professor Siobhán Brady from UC Davis, as well as Professor Fei He and Professor Chun Xia Zhang from IGDB, were among the participants. Dr. Satoko Maki, who contributed to the establishment and development of the early international exchange programs and continues to support NAIST’s international exchange activities, also attended, along with other colleagues who have contributed to the development of these exchanges over the years. The event provided an opportunity to reflect nearly 20 years of international exchange and collaboration among the three institutions.
The event concluded with a commemorative group photograph in front of the NAIST main gate, bringing together current participants of the student workshop and those who have supported NAIST’s international exchange and collaboration over the years.
（October 26, 2026）
