Current President’s Message
Prof. Yuichi Sugiyama, Ph.D.
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
The University of Tokyo
It is a great privilege to take over after Dr. Akira Tsuji, starting January, 2006. Since the establishment of the Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics in 1985, we have come into our 21st year this year. The 20th year celebration we had at the meeting held in Hawaii, is still fresh in our memories.
My first aspiration is to continue in the path of globalization that Dr. Kamataki and Dr. Tsuji had built up. I feel that it is favorable in terms of globalization that I will be president of both the Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics (JSSX) and the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics (ISSX) for the coming 2 years, and would like to make the most of this opportunity. As my second goal, I would like to build the basis in our society, for young personnel who will become the frontiers, and world leaders of our research. Also, to manage smoothly, and to enliven our society, it is vital to build a system where our executives (directors), secretariat (Secretary-general Dr.Otsuka, and our secretaries at the ‘International Medical Information Center’), Associate Editors and our committees, strengthen our mutual exchanges with the members of our society. I would like to reenergize the board meetings and to create a system to release as much information as possible to our members. To carry this out, the following are my ideas.
1) Establish a “Vision committee”
2) “Brainstorming here and there” effort
3) “Research to surprise the world” effort
4) Establish a “Young researchers committee”
For the executives to take the appropriate actions, it goes without saying that there needs to be a clear vision. In some of the international societies that I am involved in, brain storming meetings are held often both publicly, and privately. I feel it is important to throw away the stereotype concept of the society, and ask ourselves and discuss earnestly, what is really important, what the objectives of the society are, and what is needed in order to carry out those objectives. The same can be said for the area of our study. “Let’s do this research because we have this technology”, is not the correct route, but to think about what each researcher can appeal, what can be done in order to surprise the world, and for that, what area and technologies should be taken in, despite the years that it may take, should be carefully thought out. From this view, I have decided to start the Vision committee in the JSSX. In the long run, whether the study of Xenobiotics in Japan can become a world leader, depends on the individual’s skills, and positive attitudes. I would like to recommend each researcher to spend one entire day, several times a year, to brain storm themselves. By doing so, my wish is that they could break out of their every day lives, reevaluate themselves, and find their path to achieving their original purposes. This is especially important for young researchers. To assure a bright future for these young researchers, I would like to open the way for them to actively participate in the society. If the young researchers are able to work more closely and actively in our society, I believe that the future of The Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics, and the study of Xenobiotics in Japan, will be truly promising. Establishing a committee for young researchers, is one idea, holding a workshop centered on them, are a few of the plans to make this possible.
Please let myself, or the secretary, or the executives know of any straightforward opinions you may have, we sincerely wish to hear your honest views. We aspire The Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics to be activated, by the words of our members.