The SKCM² Winter School, open to all interested at no cost, runs from Monday, December 11, 2023, to Friday, January 12, 2024, at Hiroshima University Higashi-Hiroshima Campus and online.

Two special events that may particularly interest the Hiroshima University community are the Career Forum on Monday, December 25, at MIRAI CREA, Higashi-Hiroshima Campus and the Outreach Symposium and Event on Tuesday, December 26, at Miyajima Island. These events are to complement the Winter School's main scientific program, which consists of interdisciplinary tutorials and seminars related to knots and chirality for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. We welcome anyone from the HU community to join any of the events or the scientific program.

On Monday, December 25 at 1 pm, a Career Forum will be held at MIRAI CREA, Higashi-Hiroshima Campus geared towards helping young scientists chart their futures. The first part of the Forum will include talks by SKCM² Director Dr. Ivan Smalyukh about international academic career development, and Dr. Toshiyuki Max Misu and Dr. Keiko Tanaka from the HU Global Career Design Center, specifically discussing job searching in Japan. Following, there will be a panel, where researchers with diverse experiences will share their career stories and advice. To conclude, participants can network and share ideas during a holiday mixer, with food and beverages.

On December 26, SKCM² will host an Outreach Event at Etto Miyajima Community Center on Miyajima Island.  The event consists of two parts: a morning Symposium followed by a “Touch the Knot” outreach event. The Symposium presentations will focus on the theme of “Sharing Science with the Public” and are aimed at researchers with an interest in enhancing the public reach of their work. The speakers have a diversity of knowledge and experience sharing science with the public, including public outreach events, working with the UN, international press, and the 3 Minute Thesis Competition. Speakers will be able to share their experiences with science outreach and some strategies to make scientific concepts more accessible and engaging for public audiences.

Following these presentations, SKCM² will host a “Touch the Knot” outreach event, sharing SKCM² knot and chirality research with the public, enriched with virtual reality experiences and mizuhiki crafting. There will be free time and space for participants, including the public, to connect and engage in discussions, and take some time to explore the beautiful Miyajima Island. For HU members, transportation can be covered for a limited number of participants on a chartered bus leaving HU in the morning.

Please join us for any of the Winter School events. More information can be found at the following links:

** Reservation required for space on the chartered bus to Miyajima from HU