From September 29 to October 8, 2025, an interdisciplinary delegation from the Leibniz Association, led by Professor Klaus Lieb, Scientific Director at the LIR, and Professor Barbara Sturm, Vice President of the Leibniz Association, traveled to Japan to strengthen existing research collaborations and initiate new partnerships.

The delegation included researchers from the fields of biosciences and natural sciences, engineering, mathematics, environmental sciences, economics, and the humanities.

For the LIR in particular, the visits to the universities in Sendai and Kyoto (Japan) proved especially valuable, as they provided concrete opportunities for further scientific cooperation.

On October 7, 2025, the symposium “Innovations for an Aging Society” took place at the German Centre for Research and Innovation (DWIH) Tokyo, where Professor Lieb presented the Leibniz Research Alliance “Resilient Aging”. He then led a panel discussion on the behavioral and social dimensions of aging. Together, the participants discussed how habits, relationships, and communities can strengthen resilience and well-being in old age and thus contribute to a healthy aging process.

In addition, there are plans to expand collaboration with the DWIH Tokyo (Japan).

Since 2020, the German-Japanese research collaboration “MOONSHOT” has been in place, focusing on the central question of how to achieve a mentally healthy and dynamic society.