Experience Cutting-Edge Science 'MOF' Loved by the World with Parents and Children! Dr. Higuchi, who supported Nobel Chemistry Prize winner Prof. Kitagawa's research, will speak! Hybrid Event on Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Shibuya & Online
Human Academy Inc. is hosting a hybrid science festival on May 31, 2026, in Shibuya and online, featuring MOF science and Dr. Masakazu Higuchi, who supported Nobel laureate Prof. Susumu Kitagawa's research. The event offers free participation for nationwide parents and children to experience cutting-edge science.
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- 📰 Published: April 10, 2026 at 21:00
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Human Academy Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Tomonobu Tanaka, hereinafter referred to as 'Our Company'), which operates educational businesses, and its children's education division 'Human Academy Junior,' will hold a 'Science Festival: Experiencing the World of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry' as a special edition of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Sunday, May 31, 2026. This event is a special program by 'Science Gates,' the company's science classroom, featuring an expert who supported the awarded research. Children will experience the fun and wonder of science through quizzes and experiments on the theme of 'MOF (Metal-Organic Frameworks - porous materials with cage-like cavities formed from metal ions and organic molecules),' a cutting-edge science gaining global attention. The event will be held in a hybrid format, both at the venue (Shibuya) and online, with free participation available for parents and children nationwide.
**Key Points of This Initiative**
* Dr. Masakazu Higuchi, Associate Professor and Program Advisor at the Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study of Materials-Cell Systems (iCeMS) and who supported the research of Professor Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University Distinguished Professor), the recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, will be a guest speaker.
* Participants (at the venue) can take home models of 'MOF,' the cutting-edge science, recreated using everyday materials.
* The event will be held in a hybrid format with a venue in Tokyo, Shibuya, and online streaming, allowing free participation for preschoolers and elementary school students nationwide.
**Overview of This Initiative**
Currently, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) aims to increase the proportion of science and engineering students in universities and colleges from approximately 35% to about 50% over the 10 years up to fiscal 2032, to foster human resources for growth fields such as digital and green innovation. To achieve this goal, a fund of approximately 300 billion yen has been established for the 'University and College Function Enhancement Support Project,' which is supporting unprecedented nationwide initiatives such as establishing new science and engineering faculties and increasing enrollment quotas.
Amidst the unprecedented emphasis on education to broaden the base for future scientists and engineers, this event aims to stimulate children's curiosity – 'Science is amazing!' 'I want to try it!' – and deliver the excitement of tackling unknown fields. As a special edition, we invite Dr. Higuchi, who was deeply involved in the research of Professor Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University Distinguished Professor), the recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, to share valuable anecdotes that can only be heard here, such as the scene of the award ceremony in Stockholm. Unlike typical science classroom experience events, this event offers a highly specialized experiential value by providing direct insight into the background of Nobel Prize-level cutting-edge research.
Furthermore, in the main program's experiment, participants will challenge themselves to recreate the cutting-edge scientific technology 'MOF' using everyday materials. This experience of unraveling the secrets of a 'Nobel Prize-level discovery' with their own hands will foster a strong interest in science.
**Key Points of This Initiative**
* Dr. Masakazu Higuchi, Associate Professor and Program Advisor at the Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study of Materials-Cell Systems (iCeMS) and who supported the research of Professor Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University Distinguished Professor), the recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, will be a guest speaker.
* Participants (at the venue) can take home models of 'MOF,' the cutting-edge science, recreated using everyday materials.
* The event will be held in a hybrid format with a venue in Tokyo, Shibuya, and online streaming, allowing free participation for preschoolers and elementary school students nationwide.
**Overview of This Initiative**
Currently, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) aims to increase the proportion of science and engineering students in universities and colleges from approximately 35% to about 50% over the 10 years up to fiscal 2032, to foster human resources for growth fields such as digital and green innovation. To achieve this goal, a fund of approximately 300 billion yen has been established for the 'University and College Function Enhancement Support Project,' which is supporting unprecedented nationwide initiatives such as establishing new science and engineering faculties and increasing enrollment quotas.
Amidst the unprecedented emphasis on education to broaden the base for future scientists and engineers, this event aims to stimulate children's curiosity – 'Science is amazing!' 'I want to try it!' – and deliver the excitement of tackling unknown fields. As a special edition, we invite Dr. Higuchi, who was deeply involved in the research of Professor Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University Distinguished Professor), the recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, to share valuable anecdotes that can only be heard here, such as the scene of the award ceremony in Stockholm. Unlike typical science classroom experience events, this event offers a highly specialized experiential value by providing direct insight into the background of Nobel Prize-level cutting-edge research.
Furthermore, in the main program's experiment, participants will challenge themselves to recreate the cutting-edge scientific technology 'MOF' using everyday materials. This experience of unraveling the secrets of a 'Nobel Prize-level discovery' with their own hands will foster a strong interest in science.