Message from the Director (Kunio HIGASHI)

The Institute of Advanced Energy (IAE) in Kyoto University was established on May 11, 1996 by reorganizing the former Institute of Atomic Energy. The IAE has three divisions consisting of twelve research sections, two guest chairs and one research center in affiliation. Its mission is R&D towards advancement in sciences and technologies for generation, conversion and utilization of energy.

The stable energy supply is essential for a sustainable development of human society. Today, however, the energy management must address the issues of global environmental destruction, rapid growth of world's population and limiter availability of natural resources. Therefore, an integrated activity for advanced energy research is urgently required to ensure the quality of life in coming generations.

Advanced functional materials and biological structures are important from the advanced energy perspective. Beams of photons and particles are examples of highly directed, selective, and concentrated forms of energy whose applications are extending rapidly to various fields. These are part of important research topics for the mission of IAE.

This is the first Annual Report published by the IAE, which summarizes the research activities during the fiscal year of 1966. It is expected to play an important role in mutual exchange of information and promotion of cooperative works with outside societies.

March 1997
Kunio HIGASHI

1996.5 - 1998.3