On June 5, 2025, a ceremony was held at Shiiki Hall on the Ito Campus to confer the title of Honorary Distinguished Professor on Professor Yoshinori FUKUI and Professor Toshiyuki KONO.

Professor Yoshinori Fukui has dedicated his career to education and research in immunology, genetics, and bioregulation. Following the discovery of DOCK2, he pioneered new research fields and promoted interdisciplinary research, making significant contributions to the advancement of these areas. Additionally, as the principal investigator of multiple large-scale projects, he has successfully brought together research teams from diverse fields, contributing to the advancement of research areas and the cultivation of young researchers. Given the expectation that he will continue to make significant contributions to the research and education of Kyushu University, he was appointed as a Honorary Distinguished Professor on April 1, 2025.

Professor Toshiyuki Kono is internationally renowned as a pioneer in the field of private international law, particularly for his groundbreaking research that integrates economic methodologies into the study of private international law as it pertains to China. He is also a leading expert in the field of cultural heritage protection, having played a pivotal role in the drafting of UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Additionally, he is a rare authority with extensive expertise spanning six major treaties related to cultural heritage, including the World Heritage Convention.Currently, he is deeply committed to important tasks such as monitoring cases related to World Heritage and human rights, promoting the protection of cultural heritage in Africa, and overseeing a project to review the entire list of 952 World Cultural Heritage sites. Given his expected significant contributions to the research activities of Kyushu University, he was appointed as a Honorary Distinguished Professor on April 1, 2025.

After receiving the certificates of appointment from President Ishibashi, Honorary Distinguished Professor Fukui and Kono exchanged opinions with President Ishibashi, Executive Vice President Tanimoto and Dean of the IAS Shiratani.

From left: Executive Vice President TANIMOTO, President ISHIBASHI, Honorary Distinguished Professor FUKUI, Honorary Distinguished Professor KONO, Dean of the IAS  SHIRATANI	Exchange of opinions