In 2015, former Kyoto University President Hiroshi Matsumoto was appointed as President of Riken, Japan’s largest and most comprehensive national research and development institute for basic and applied science and a world leader in a diverse array of scientific disciplines. During his career his research has centered on plasma in the geomagnetosphere and cosmosphere. Mr Matsumoto developed the KEMPO (Kyoto University ElectroMagnetic Particle) code to reproduce the dynamics of the physical processes of space plasma. He also led the plasma wave Geotail observations, and has helped elucidate mechanisms of excitation, such as electrostatic solitary waves. In addition, Mr Matsumoto has worked on studies for the practical application of microwave power transmission in space.
Experience
2015 President, Riken
2008 President, Kyoto University (–2014)
2007 Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University
2005 Executive Vice-President (Research and Finance), Kyoto University
2004 Director, Professor, Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University 2002 Director, Radio Science Center for Space and Atmosphere, Kyoto University
2000 Professor, Radio Science Center for Space and Atmosphere, Kyoto University
1992 Director, Radio Atmospheric Science Center, Kyoto University
1987 Professor, Radio Atmospheric Science Center, Kyoto University
1981 Assistant Professor, Radio Atmospheric Science Center, Kyoto University
1980 Visiting Researcher, Stanford University
1975 Visiting Researcher, NASA Ames Research Center
1974 Assistant Professor, Kyoto University
1967 Lecturer, Kyoto University
Awards & Honors
2015 Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor
2014 Japan Geoscience Union Fellow
2014 Honorary Doctor of Engineering, University of Bristol
2008 Hasegawa Nagata Award, SGEPSS, Japan
2008 URSI Gold Booker Medal
2007 Medal with Purple Ribbon
2006 Ministers’ Award, Science and Technology Division, the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology
2006 Russian Federation of Cosmonautics Gagarin Medal 2004 Associate Award of the Royal Astronomical Society 2003 IEEE Fellow Award
1999 AGU Fellow Award for Space Plasma Physics
1998 NASA Group Achievement Award (Geotail) 1993 NASA Group Achievement Award (Geotail)
