On Thursday, May 19, 2016, Yamaguchi University's Tokiwa Campus welcomed Professor Shuji Nakamura from the University of California, Santa Barbara as an instructor, and held an academic lecture and seminar.
　In 1993, Professor Nakamura invented the world's first double heterostructure high-efficiency blue LED with InGaN as an active layer. In 1995, he achieved the world's first successful pulse oscillation of blue-violet semiconductor laser. The commercialized LEDs are widely used in all kinds of displays, vehicle lighting, indoor and outdoor lighting and more, while blue-violet semiconductor lasers are used as light sources for high-density optical recording on optical disks. He has received numerous awards for these achievements, including the Nobel Prize for Physics, the Order of Culture and recognition as a Person of Cultural Merits in 2014, and induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2015. Since 2000, he has been a professor at the Materials Department of the University of California, Santa Barbara.
　In the morning, in classroom D 22, Professor Nakamura gave a special seminar, "Global Frontiers in Solid State Lighting & Energy Electronics Research," for the Opto-Energy Research Center, one of the research hubs of the Advanced Science & Innovation Research Center of the Organization for Research Initiatives, Yamaguchi University. The seminar welcomed about 130 participants, including students, faculty members and people involved with companies.
　First, Vice President Kenji Hori (in charge of academic research) opened the proceedings with the greeting, "I hope this seminar will help everyone participating in it with their research."
　Next, Professor Nakamura delivered a lecture in which he introduced the University of California, Santa Barbara and activities and future prospects at the SSLEEC (Solid State Lighting & Energy Electronics Center), the research institute where he serves as director.
　In the Q&A session after the lecture, he had this message for the participants with regard to the difference between Asian students and European and American students: "Great discoveries are born from fervent experimentation. Asian students are passionate about experiments and make lots of great discoveries, but struggle to write them up into papers. It is important to store up more theoretical knowledge, the way that European and American students do."
　In the afternoon, with classroom D11 as its main venue, the 5th "Place of Wisdom" academic lecture, "Young Scientists, Flap Your Wings and Go Out into The World" was held, and welcomed about 500 participants, including students, faculty members and people involved with companies.
　First, university president Masaaki Oka opened the proceedings with the greeting, "This lecture is a great chance for students to get a spirit of challenge. I am also very excited myself."
　Next, Professor Nakamura gave a lecture in which he spoke with humor about his life as a university student and how he struggled when he was developing the blue LEDs, the inside story from when he received the Nobel Prize, and his own future prospects. He also had an encouraging message for the participants: "I definitely want young people to go overseas. By going overseas, they can improve their English, something which Japanese people find difficult, and can take a look at Japan from the outside."
　In the Q&A session after the lecture, participants asked many questions, including about the differences between the systems of support for researchers in Japan and America, and Professor Nakamura's own attitude as a researcher. Besides Tokiwa Campus, the lecture was also relayed live to Yoshida Campus. The high level of interest toward the lecture could be seen for example from the many media organizations that visited to cover it.
　At the end, President Oka gave a letter of appreciation to Professor Nakamura, and the 5th Place of Wisdom academic lecture ended on a high note.

The Opto-Energy Research Center special seminar

The 5th "Place of Wisdom" academic lecture

Commemorative picture with university president Masaaki Oka (2nd from the left in the front row) and others