Honorary doctorate for Professor Ken-ichi Kakimoto
Faculty of Engineering honors scientific achievement and long-standing connection
On July 11, 2024, the Faculty of Engineering at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) awarded an honorary doctorate to Professor Dr. Ken-ichi Kakimoto from the Nagoya Institute of Technology (NITech). This award recognizes his outstanding scientific achievements and long-standing ties with FAU, the Faculty of Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
The ceremony took place as part of the Department of Materials Science Day, and was introduced by a welcome address from the FAU President, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Joachim Hornegger, and a laudatory speech from Prof. Dr. Kyle Grant Webber.
In his keynote speech on “Lead-free Piezoelectrics – Challenges and Chances”, Prof. Dr. Kakimoto presented his research. The award ceremony was followed by a champagne reception and the summer party of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Outstanding personality and long association with FAU
Professor Dr. Ken-ichi Kakimoto is an outstanding personality in the field of functional ceramics, ceramic processing and lead-free ferroelectrics. His long-standing connection with FAU are reflected in numerous collaborations and scientific successes.
In 2009, Professor Kakimoto and colleagues from the FAU Department of Materials Science and Engineering initiated a formal scientific collaboration at departmental level. This partnership was extended to university level in 2011. He is also head of the NITech FAU Liaison Office, which promotes international cooperation between FAU and the Nagoya Institute of Technology. The Liaison Office regularly organizes seminars, symposia and conducts public relations work to strengthen the exchange of knowledge between science and industry.
The 15-year partnership with the FAU Department of Materials Science and Engineering was further strengthened by the development of the International Research and Training College IGK2495 “Energy Conversion Systems: From Materials to Devices”. In 2020, Prof. Dr. Kakimoto was appointed FAU Ambassador.
Professor Dr. Ken-ichi Kakimoto has an impressive scientific track record. He was appointed Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at NITech and promoted to Full Professor in 2012. From 2017 to 2020, he was Vice President for Research Support at NITech and has been Vice President for Human Resource, Risk Management and Compliance Promotion since 2020.
With over 275 scientific publications in international journals and an h-index of 33 (approx. 7,000 citations), Professor Kakimoto has contributed significantly to research in the field of functional ceramics, sensors and transducers, and technical ceramic structures. More than 40 of these publications were written in productive collaboration with FAU researchers.
More information
Prof. Dr. Kyle Grant Webber
Institute of Glas and Ceramics
kyle.g.webber@fau.de
