The purpose of this GCOE Young Researchers Retreat is to provide our students and young research staff with an opportunity to freely mix with one another and discuss their present studies and future research goals in a relaxed atmosphere away from their laboratories and supervisors in order to stimulate interdisciplinary research activities by student initiative. This is the third year that we invite a number of graduate students and young researchers from foreign institutes to participate. Every year our young guests enjoy close communications with others with different scientific and cultural backgrounds. We hope that this will further stimulate new research ideas and collaborations.

This year, the venue is KKR Hotel Biwako located on the shore of Lake Biwa, where it offers a serene environment with magnificent views of a big lake with surrounding mountains and a nice summer breeze. It is all yours to make this opportunity a wonderful experience. Please come join our students and postdocs and fully enjoy yourselves.