Honorary Doctorate Awarded to Professor K. Sudesh Kumar of University of Science Malaysia (May 18, 2026)

On Monday, May 18, our university awarded an honorary doctorate to Professor K. Sudesh Kumar of University of Science Malaysia (USM), and held a conferment ceremony and commemorative lecture. This honorary doctorate is awarded to scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of our university's internationalization, and Professor Sudesh is the seventh recipient.
Professor Sudesh is internationally renowned in the field of molecular genetics and applied research on the biosynthesis of biodegradable plastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates: PHA). Since 2012, when our Graduate School of Biological Sciences (now the Division of Biological Science) began its academic exchange with USM, he has played a central role in exchange activities and international student recruitment. He also served as a visiting professor at our university from 2017 to 2018, making significant contributions to our university's international development. In the field of biodegradable plastics research, he has devoted himself to collaborative research and human resource development with our faculty and students, maintaining long-term joint research with our faculty members and co-authoring a total of 10 research articles to date.
In recognition of his outstanding achievements in academic research, international collaboration, and education, and his tremendous contributions to our university's education, research, and international partnerships, it was decided to honor him with this award.
At the conferment ceremony, the honorary doctorate certificate was presented, followed by a commemorative photo session. The subsequent commemorative lecture featured opening remarks from President Kazuhiro Shiozaki, Director of the Division of Biological Science, Professor Taku Demura, and Professor Emeritus Yoshiharu Doi of Tokyo Institute of Technology (a pioneer in PHA research and Professor Sudesh's mentor), after which Professor Sudesh delivered his lecture. Faculty and students listened with great enthusiasm, and the event left a lasting impression and inspiration on the entire NAIST community.