Waseda University Global COE for “Practical Chemical Wisdom”: Enormous achievements in the practical

　   Kazuyuki Kuroda, “Practical Chemical Wisdom” COE Leader
      
　  Our Global Center of Excellence (Global COE) program for “Practical Chemical Wisdom” has been selected as the only private university program amongst the 13 centers of Global COE Programs for chemistry and materials science in Japan. This reflects the high evaluation of many factors, including the outstanding history of education and research at Waseda University and its large number of top-quality graduates, the highly rated 21st Century COE program "Practical Nano-Chemistry" that we developed over the five years prior to establishment of the global COE program, and the high level of educational and research achievements of participating teaching staff.
  “Practical Chemical Wisdom” refers to wisdom and intelligence needed to advance the practically-oriented chemistry -- mesochemistry -- as a starting point for a comprehensive awareness of assorted problems relating to society and mankind. This Center seeks to build wisdom and foster the intelligence of young researchers in chemistry fields.
  Mesochemistry goes beyond the realms of nanoscale chemistry. Designing and creating materials that take into account mesoscale dimension help to realize new properties and functions not found in nanostructures, meaning that new materials and devices can be created.
　  Recent research results include a number of achievements in the practical development of mesochemistry; such as Professor Tatsuta receiving the 99th Japan Academy Award for his achievements in the category of “Total Synthesis of Bioactive Natural Products using Carbohydrates”; a “bendable fuel cell”, which is an applied case of a fuel cell developed from a mesochemistry viewpoint by a Group headed by Professor Osaka and Associate Professor Momma; and the “world’s thinnest wound dressing (nano band-aid)” - a sheet-type nanomaterial for clinical application - developed by Professor Takeoka.

Top page Photo:Bendable Fuel cells