Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits MIT

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan visited MIT Monday morning as part of his weeklong trip to the U.S., participating in a roundtable discussion of innovation strategies during his stop at the Institute. Abe called MIT a "center of innovation in the world" and said he was "very impressed and grateful" for the remarks on innovation at the meeting with MIT faculty in fields ranging from bioscience to management and political science. Abe added that encouraging a "virtuous circle" of innovation, including academia, was "one of the pillars of my growth strategy," and emphasized his commitment to seeing women have an equal role in innovation and entrepreneurship. Japan will "double our efforts so that female leaders have a better chance," Abe said, asserting that he wants to "create a society where women can shine." Abe also toured three research labs in the MIT Media Lab, and met with MIT President L. Rafael Reif, who in welcoming remarks noted the extensive ties between MIT and Japan. "Japan is a country MIT has studied and admired for many years," Reif said, noting that 39 current courses at the Institute focus on Japan. Moreover, Reif observed, over 1,000 undergraduates have worked and studied in Japan as part of the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) program, which places students in internships; today, more than 1,600 MIT alumni also live in Japan.