05 Feb People News
Reiichiro Takahashi has been appointed as our new Ambassador and arrived in Australia last month. Following in the steps of his predecessor, Ambassador Sumio Kusaka, Ambassador Takahashi’s previous assignment was as Ambassador and Consul-General of Japan in New York. Outside of the US, he’s had overseas postings to the Philippines, India, Korea and Afghanistan.
Business Development Manager at Sarment Group in Tokyo, Sally Townsend has been elected Chair of the Australia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ANZCCJ). She succeeds Andrew Gauci, Head of Lend Lease Japan. In recognition of the important role the ANZCCJ plays in Tokyo, the AJBCC appoints the Chair of the ANZCCJ an Ex-officio Member of our Executive Committee.
AUD $150,000 has been awarded by the Foundation for Australia-Japan Studies (FAJS) under the Rio Tinto Australia-Japan Collaborative Program for a project focused on addressing global warming by building new technologies to pull two of the most problematic greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, then converting them into useful fuels. Grant recipients are Associate Professor Toru Wakihara, Department of Chemical Systems Engineering, University of Tokyo and Professor Yusuke Yamauchi, School of Chemical Engineering and Senior Group Leader, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland. The university teams will work alongside with NBC Meshtec Inc. and Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd.