RIKEN and A*STAR concluded a Memorandum of Understanding on General Collaboration (MOU) in September 2005. Under this MOU, RIKEN and A*STAR intend to collaborate on scientific research, through their various institutes, especially in life sciences and biotechnology, with a view to making large contributions to these fields and to international society.

A*STAR is a statutory corporation under the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry. Its Biomedical Research Council and Science and Engineering Research Council manage twelve research institutes and one center, including the Genome Institute of Singapore, the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, and the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences.

In order to facilitate collaborative activities under this MOU, RIKEN has set up its first international liaison office in the Biopolis, which also contains many A*STAR life science institutes.

At the ceremony RIKEN Executive Director Dr. Kenji Takeda read a message from the President, Prof. Ryoji Noyori, and gave an address and talk about RIKEN. There were congratulatory addresses by A*STAR Chairman Philip Yeo and MEXT Deputy Director General Akihiro Fujita, and a telegram from Koji Omi, former minister of science and technology.

Dr. Yoshiyuki Sakaki (Director of the RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center), and Dr. Edison Liu (Executive Director of A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore) gave lectures on "A new era of life sciences at RIKEN and A*STAR", which were very well received.

At the reception in the evening the Japanese Ambassador to Singapore gave a congratulatory speech. As Mr. Kenichiro Kakihara (Director of the new office) said, the RIKEN Singapore Representative Office intends to work with researchers to promote research collaboration and development not only with A*STAR but also with other universities and research institutes in the region.

Details of the opening ceremony and tour
Date: 3:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. on April 24, 2006

Place:

Exploration Room, 4th Floor, Matrix (opening ceremony) RIKEN Singapore Representative Office, 7th Floor, Helios (tour) both in the Biopolis, Singapore

Number of participants and guests: approximately 100

Details of the reception
Date: 6:30 p.m.-21:30 p.m. on April 24 , 2006
Place: The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore
Number of participants and guests: approximately 70

RIKEN Singapore Representative Office
Director: Kenichiro KAKIHARA
E-mail: kakiharak@riken.jp
Address: 11 Biopolis Way, #07-01/02 Helios, Singapore 138667
Tel.: +65-6478-9940 Fax: +65-6478-9943

Left to right: Mr. Kakihara (Director of the new RIKEN Singapore Representative Office), Mr. Yeo (Chairman of A*STAR), and Dr. Takeda (RIKEN Executive Director RIKEN), on the tour of RIKEN Singapore Representative Office	The opening ceremony