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Academia Sinica’s Taiwan Bridges Program welcomed its tenth lecture yesterday (April 23), featuring Professor Takaaki Kajita, recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics and Professor at the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, the University of Tokyo. Speaking on “International Collaboration in Basic Science: From My Experience,” Professor Kajita shared how science can transcend national and cultural boundaries to promote understanding and cooperation. Drawing on examples from neutrinos and gravitational waves, he illustrated how humanity continues to expand the frontiers of our understanding of the universe.

In her opening remarks, Vice President Mei-Yin Chou noted that Professor Kajita has devoted his career to the fields of neutrinos and gravitational waves, both of which require vast and highly sophisticated detection facilities. From construction to data analysis, such research depends on large-scale international collaboration and brings together academic expertise from around the world. This experience has inspired him to promote science as a universal language and to actively advocate for peace. Professor Kajita encouraged the scientific community to pursue progress while also shouldering social responsibility, fostering mutual trust, and contributing to global sustainability.

A Nobel-Level Spirit of Self-Challenge: Professor Kajita Continues to Reach New Heights in Physics

Professor Kajita was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics for his groundbreaking contributions to neutrino research. His work began with the Kamiokande experiment, which was originally designed to detect proton decay. It was later found, however, that the detector was highly sensitive to cosmic neutrinos, leading it to evolve into an experimental platform for observing neutrinos from the universe. In the 1990s, Professor Kajita helped advance the construction of the larger Super-Kamiokande detector. Through long-term observations of atmospheric neutrinos with an international team, he achieved the first discovery of neutrino oscillations, proving that neutrinos have mass. This overturned the assumption in the Standard Model of particle physics that neutrinos are massless and provided important clues for understanding the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the universe. In addition, the next-generation Hyper-Kamiokande project will further investigate whether differences exist between neutrinos and antineutrinos, with the aim of clarifying the origins of matter in the universe. The project is expected to begin operations in 2028.

In the field of gravitational wave research, Professor Kajita explained that gravitational wave observations can deepen our understanding of the nature of gravity and open new windows onto extreme cosmic phenomena, such as black holes, neutron star mergers, and supernova explosions. He introduced the distinctive features of Japan’s KAGRA gravitational wave project, including its underground location, which helps reduce seismic noise from the Earth’s surface. As an Asia-based international collaboration, KAGRA further strengthens the global gravitational wave observation network and improves the precision with which astronomical events can be located.

Scientific Cooperation Beyond Politics and Borders: A Common Language That Connects the World

Taking Professor Kajita’s successive generations of projects at the Kamioka Observatory as an example, even amid cultural differences and a turbulent international landscape, hundreds of researchers from around the world have continued to work closely together, united by a shared passion for knowledge and truth. By contributing their expertise, they have jointly explored the mysteries of the universe. Scientific research is grounded in a common language and shared values; international collaboration not only advances scientific and technological progress, but also sets an important example and helps foster greater understanding among humanity.

The TAIWAN BRIDGES Program is a joint initiative led by Academia Sinica in collaboration with 11 domestic academic and research institutions and the International Peace Foundation. It is dedicated to fostering in-depth intellectual exchanges between Taiwan and top global scholars. Starting from November 2025, Academia Sinica will host more than ten Nobel Laureates over the course of one year, spanning the fields of peace, physics, chemistry, biomedicine, and literature. This program underscores Academia Sinica's continued commitment to strengthen international academic collaboration and advancing frontier research.