Kimio HIRABAYASHI, Ph.D.
25th President of Japan Society of Medical Entomology and Zoology, 2024-
Greetings and Requests
I am Kimio Hirabayashi of Shinshu University, and I will serve as the 25th president of the Japan Society of Medical Entomology and Zoology for three years, from January 2024 to December 2026. With the unprecedented situation of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been a few years since I have confronted the issue of what meaningful academic activities are. Since last spring, the daily life we knew before the coronavirus pandemic has finally been gradually restored, and academic conference activities have resumed thanks to the efforts of our many members. Thanks also to the efforts and cooperation of former executive team members, including former President Natsuaki, and the members of the editorial committee, four issues of the journal were published over the past year, and annual meetings and branch meetings were held face-to-face.
I would like to do my utmost for the further development of this long-established society, and I ask for your support. With the decline in number and aging of Society members, the future of the Society and its economic situation may not seem bright. There are a number of issues that need to be addressed and implemented as soon as possible, including efforts to increase the number of young members, efficient allocation of the budget, simplification and digitization of administrative procedures, publication of more attractive journals, and greater publicity for the Society. I believe that it will be very important in the future to appeal to general society and return the benefits of the intellectual property related to medical entomology and zoology of our abundant and diverse members. One of the tools for this will be to enhance our journals and actively hold various seminars, lectures, and conferences sponsored by the Society. In particular, the importance of taxonomic research in medical entomology is expected to grow increasingly in the future, and I believe that the Society must strategize the use of the Society’s journals with the cooperation of its many members. As one of the items inherited from former President Natsuaki, I believe that we must proceed with the compilation of the “Glossary of Medical Entomology and Zoology and Academic Terms (2nd Edition).”
Now that we are heading towards the post-pandemic era, I think that keywords such as “internationalization” and “genderless” will also become important in our Society. I hope that we can create an open-minded academic society where many diverse members can think freely and conduct research activities as they wish in an environment of friendly competition. I strongly believe that the human community involved in science can contribute to the realization of a sustainable society and the happiness of mankind through their scientific interests, knowledge, and skills. I would like to encourage all members to carry out research energetically and actively publish the results through the journals of the Society. Thank you for your cooperation.
Kimio Hirabayashi, Ph.D.
Vice-President for Admissions, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology
Department of Applied Biology, Shinshu University, Japan
April 2024