History


About Kavli IPMU

The Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (IPMU) was launched in October 2007 as part of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, with the University of Tokyo as the host institution. In 2011, the University of Tokyo established the Todai Institutes for Advanced Study (TODIAS) * and approved IPMU as its first member institute. The name of the Institute was changed to the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) in April 2012 after the University of Tokyo decided to accept an endowment from the Kavli Foundation. As of April 2021, the institute has 100 full time researchers. Including affiliate members and students, it is an international research center for some 300 researchers and many more visitors in physics, mathematics and astronomy.

* On April 1, 2015, the Todai Institutes for Advanced Study (TODIAS) renamed its English name to the University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS).
 

History

2007 October The Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (IPMU) is established
Hitoshi Murayama appointed as first IPMU Director "Inaugural Address"
2008 March IPMU hosts its Opening Symposium and Reception
  June Temporary research facility completed
  September Kamioka branch is established
  October International researcher numbers exceed half of all members
  December IPMU presented with 2008 University of Tokyo President's Award for business transformation
2009 February Construction of Kamioka branch research facility completed
  December Construction of institute building completed
    IPMU Satellite office set up at the University of California, Berkeley
2010 February Inauguration Ceremony of new IPMU building
2011 January IPMU approved as the first entity within the Todai Institutes for Advanced Study (TODIAS)
  April Construction of Research Complex 2 building completed
  December IPMU receives top S Ranking by the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) Program Committee
2012 April Institute renamed Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) after receiving an endowment from the Kavli Foundation
  May Kavli Foundation members invited to take part in Kavli IPMU Commemoration Ceremony
2013 December Kavli IPMU presented with 2013 University of Tokyo President's Award for business transformation
2014 April Kavli IPMU and Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. establish the Endowed Research Unit: Dark side of the Universe
2015 March Kavli IPMU receives five year funding extension starting 2017, following performance review by the WPI Program Committee
  October Kavli IPMU Principal Investigator Takaaki Kajita awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics
  December Kavli IPMU presented with 2015 University of Tokyo's Special Award for business transformation
2016 December Kavli IPMU presented with 2016 University of Tokyo's Special Award for business transformation
2017 October Kavli IPMU celebrates its 10th anniversary
  December Kavli IPMU presented with 2017 University of Tokyo President's Award for business transformation
2018 October Hirosi Ooguri appointed as second Kavli IPMU Director "Inaugural Address"
  December Kavli IPMU presented with 2018 University of Tokyo's Special Award for business transformation
2020 December Kavli IPMU presented with 2019 / 2020 University of Tokyo's Excellence Encouragement Award for business transformation
2023 November Jun'ichi Yokoyama appointed as third Kavli IPMU Director