Prof. Tadao Watanabe of the Tohoku University visited Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMR, CAS) as the recipient of 2013 LEE HSUN Lecture Series - Lecture Award from Jun. 10 to Jun. 13, 2014.

Prof. Tadao Watanabe gave a lecture entitled "Historical Perspective of Grain Boundary Research and Challenges toward Grain Boundary Engineering in the 21st Century" after the LEE HSUN Lecture Series Ceremony. The lecture contained two separate parts of introduction­—"Historical Perspective of Grain Boundary Research" and "Challenges of Grain Boundary Engineering, Past, Present, and Future". Prof. Watanabe concerned "the historical perspective of grain boundary-related research" performed in order to reveal the effect of grain boundaries on bulk properties of polycrystalline materials. He also introduced recent progress in Grain Boundary Engineering (GBE) and its significant application.

As a mentor in his seventies, Prof. Watanabe pays many concerns on the development of young people, and encourages them to dedicate themselves in scientific research. He also highlighted it in his discussion with the researchers of Materials Fatigue and Fracture Division and Non-equilibrium Metallic Materials Division.

As a founder Professor of the Laboratory of Materials Design and Interface Engineering of Tohoku University, Prof. Tadao Watanabe has done a lot of influential research on the field of materials safety design, grain boundary engineering and interface science & engineering. He is also the trailblazer to propose the concept of grain boundary design and control which enables him enjoys an international reputation.

Prof. Tadao Watanabe worked as the International Journal Editors for numerous famous Journals, such as J. Plasticity, Interface Science and International Journal of ISIJ. He has published more than 250 papers, and won many awards, including Tanigawa -Harris Prize (Japan Institute of Metals).

Prof. Tadao Watanabe gave a lecture (Image by IMR)