3rd International Advanced School: Molecular Switching and Functional Materials + 5th Internal Symposium on Molecular Materials: Electronics, Photonics and Spintronics (Rennes; Oct. 26-31, 2009)

Prof. Akita visited UK and France for two weeks. The main purpose was to attend the above-entitled school and symposium held in Rennes, which was a part of the activity of ITP (international training program / head: Prof. Enoki (TIT)) for graduate students. Two graduate students from his group attended them. The ITP program will be extended to University of Durham and University of Florida. Before visiting Rennes he visited York and Durham in UK.

the present trip : Narita (Oct. 19)- (Paris - Manchester) - York - Durham - London - (Eurostar / TGV) - Rennes - Paris - Narita (Nov. 2)

1. York / hosted by Profs. Bruce, Lynam and Slattery

lecture (01), Profs. Bruce & Lynam (02), beautiful city (03), minster (04), Shinkansen in the railway museum !! (05).

2. Durham / hosted by Prof. Low

lecture (01), cathedral (02), beautiful, old city, a bit hilly (03), an old building being still used as a college (04), dinner with a colleague and two PhD students (05), Prof. Low and his daughter (06)

3. London (spent one day as a tourist; he had been to the house and concert of one of his favorite musicians, Handel)

St. Pancras station (Eurostar station 01, outside 02), British musium (inside 03, Rosetta stone 04), British gallery & St. Martin in the fields (05), Handel house (06 (center); Jimi Hendrix lived in the house adjacent (left), what happened??), Handel's oratorio concert "Susanna" at the Barbican Center / Les Art florissants conducted by William Christie (07).

4. Rennes / school and symposium (two graduate students attended)

lecture (01), Rennes colleagues (02; Drs. Costuas, Lapinte, me, Hallet & Le Guennic), Mt. St. Michel from the tideland (03, 04; third visit), posters by 2 students (05), poster by Tanaka with his former coworker, Dr. Paul (06).

5. Paris (spent one day as a tourist)

opera (01), notre dame (02), Jules Verne bookshop (03; his favorite novelist; marvellous), Eiffel tower (04; cloudy), a statue at the Orsay museum (05; Nature unveiling herself before Science).