In a prestigious event held at Kyoto University (KU), President Wen-Chang Chen of National Taiwan University (NTU) conferred the Honorary Doctor of Medicine degree upon Prof. Tasuku Honjo, marking a momentous occasion in academic collaboration. Notable attendees from NTU included Former President Pan-Chyr Yang, Executive Vice-President Shan-Chwen Chang, and Dean of NTU College of Medicine Yen-Hsuan Ni.
Representing KU were Executive Vice-President for Research Promotion Susumu Kitagawa, Dean of KU Faculty of Medicine Tadashi Isa, and Director-General of KU Institute for Advanced Study (KUIAS) Shigefumi Mori. The ceremony, characterized by grace and warmth, highlighted the significance of Prof. Honjo's contributions.
Prof. Tasuku Honjo, renowned in the field of immunology, holds esteemed positions at Kyoto University, where he continues to advance cancer immunotherapy. His pioneering work in the 1980s elucidated immunoglobulin class switching and genetic variation modeling. Of particular importance was his identification of PD-1 in 1992, which revolutionized cancer treatment by activating T lymphocytes. Honjo's groundbreaking research earned him prestigious accolades, including the Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science in 2014 and the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2018, which he shared with Prof. James P. Allison.
President Chen commended Prof. Honjo's expertise and dedication to academic excellence, emphasizing his transformative impact on medical science. Honjo's innovative approach to cancer treatment transcends oncology, reflecting his commitment to advancing society's well-being through research. The ceremony reached its pinnacle when President Chen presented Prof. Honjo with the NTU Honorary Doctor of Medicine degree, a historic moment as the first Japanese citizen to receive this honor from NTU.
