Talk title: TBA

Biography

Prof. Masanobu Kubota of Kyushu University, Japan, is engaged in research at the International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I²CNER) as a Principal Investigator, and in teaching in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He began his academic career in 1996 as an Assistant Professor at Kyushu University and received his doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering from the same university in 2001. He was promoted to Professor in 2010 and became a Lead Principal Investigator of the Advanced Energy Materials Thrust within I²CNER in 2023. In 2026, he assumed the position of Administrative Director of I²CNER.

His main research focus is hydrogen embrittlement, with particular emphasis on its mitigation or promotion by impurities present in hydrogen gas. In addition, he actively studies creep in high-temperature hydrogen environments and hydrogen embrittlement under contact conditions. His research adopts an interdisciplinary approach that integrates chemistry and involves collaboration with chemists working on quantum mechanical calculations.

Prof. Kubota consistently pursues opportunities to promote international collaborative research. He currently maintains strong collaborations with the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign in the United States and the University of Göttingen in Germany.