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Mr. Jyrah Hodges (Regional Manager - India and Europe) from the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture, and Information Technology at the University of Queensland visits Toyonaka Campus to discuss the interfaculty agreement between UQ and OU (November 8, 2023)

Jyrah, whom we had met via Zoom in June, had the chance to visit our School/Graduate School of Engineering Science during his trip to Japan on November 8, 2023. Our interfaculty agreement is nearing its finish line, with just a few tweaks here and there, and so this was a great opportunity to talk things over in person. It goes without saying that the meeting was very productive and it was a true pleasure to welcome Jyrah. We have our fingers crossed that our agreement is signed, sealed and delivered by the end of the year! Thank you for coming by and safe travels back to Brisbane!

 

A Visit from University College London (UK)

We had the pleasure of welcoming Prof. Nigel Titchener-Hooker (Executive Dean, Faculty of Engineering Science) and Mr. Nick Marsden (Associate Director of Development (Faculties)) from University College London (UCL), which is a prestigious member of the International Engineering Science Consortium, on October 1, 2023. In the meeting with Prof. Wada (Dean, Graduate School of Engineering Science), Prof. Ogata (Vice Dean), Prof. Kawahara and Dr. Clement (Center for Global Initiatives), great progress was made in discussions regarding future academic exchange between the two universities. This will prove to be truly beneficial to UCL and OU students and for the future of engineering science.

 

From left: Dr. Clement, Prof. Kawahara, Mr. Nick Marsden, Prof. Nigel Titchener-Hooker, Prof. Wada, Prof. Ogata

 

A Visit from The University of Queensland (Australia)

We had the pleasure of welcoming Prof. Aleks Rakic (Dean of Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and IT), Ms. Nicole Patterson (Senior Manager, Strategy and Partnerships • Global Strategy & Partnerships), and Ms. Angela Li (Senior Manager of International Engagement, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and IT) from The University of Queensland, on April 18, 2023.

In the meeting with Prof. Wada (Dean, Graduate School of Engineering Science), Prof. Ogata (Vice Dean), Prof. Kawahara, and Ms. Suzuki (International Planning and Promotion/IESC Office), they made great progress in discussions regarding forming an interfaculty agreement between the two universities, which will prove to be truly beneficial to UQ and OU students as well as for the future of engineering science.

 

From left: Ms. Suzuki, Prof. Kawahara, Prof. Aleks Rakic,
Prof. Wada, Prof. Ogata, Ms. Nicole Patterson、Ms. Angela

 

Prof. Aleks Rakic and Prof. Wada

 

The Fifth Meeting of the International Engineering Science Consortium was held July 25~26, 2023 at UCL

Details of the meeting (minutes and summary) will be featured on the Consortium Meeting Report page soon.

 

IESC Engineering Science leaders pose in front of the main building of University College London

Testimonials from students from the University of Toronto                                                                                                        FrontierLab Mini Program 2023 (May 2023 to August 2023)

Daniel Deza (Inuiguchi Lab, Undergrad 3)

"As student researcher the FrontierLab Mini Program at Osaka University was an exceptional opportunity to both conduct cutting-edge research and enjoy a summer in a new country. On the academic side, I worked in Inuiguchi Lab on optimization solutions to the multi-armed bandit problem. Both my supervisors and colleagues were extremely helpful while conducting my research by providing their expertise and support. Furthermore, they were quick to accept and befriend me, making going to lab something I looked forward to. Unlike an industry job my hours were very flexible allowing me to really explore not only Osaka but neighboring cities like Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe. As a Canadian student there were many new things to discover and even after 3 months it felt like we had so much still left to explore. From the bowing deer of Nara, the dozens of temples in Kyoto, to the incredible firework festivals of Osaka, this was truly an unforgettable summer ! Finally, the incredible staff at Osaka University made housing, transport, and paperwork such a seamless process that I was able to explore and enjoy without any worries. If you're looking for a place to both pursue important research and have an adventure Osaka University is the place for you."

Rozilyn Delenn Marco (Harada Lab, Undergrad 3)

"I have always been interested in studying abroad for graduate school and the FrontierLab Mini Program was the perfect experience to discover what that future could look like for me. My lab and project assignment were completely flexible for what I was interested in learning more about and my lab mates, supervisor, and contact person at the university were very supportive in the entire process. I was not only able to obtain valuable experience that will help get me closer to my academic goals, but was able to spend time learning more about and admiring all Osaka has to offer!"

Katherine Zhu (Kiyono Lab, Undergrad 3)

"This past summer, I was incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in a three-month research exchange at Osaka University's Graduate School of Engineering Science. Through this program, I conducted research with the Biophysics and Data Science Group under the supervision of Professor Kiyono, and employed machine learning techniques to explore the primary indicators of menstruation in female Japanese students. Among others, this experience enabled me to grow academically, as I was able to develop independent research skills as well as apply concepts that I had previously learned, for instance in machine learning and biosignals, within new contexts. Furthermore, collaborating with Professor Kiyono and other students in the laboratory also enabled me to grow as a researcher, as I was able to learn from their expertise and expand my knowledge in the field. Outside of my research work, I had an incredible time living in International House, as well as learning more about Japan's culture and traditions. Among others, some of my favorite experiences included collecting goshuin in different shrines and temples, attending the Gion Festival in Kyoto, and trying street food in various covered markets. Overall, I am extremely grateful to Osaka University for an incredible summer experience and am excited to carry my learnings with me throughout the rest of my academic journey!"

Dhruv Sirohi (Fujii Lab, Undergrad 3)

"I spent the summer studying Quantum Machine Learning in the Fujii Lab at Osaka University. It was an honor to study alongside some of the smartest and most senior researchers in my field - it is all thanks to their mentorship and guidance that I learnt how to do research in this field. Academically, this was an invaluable experience - I learned an immense amount and feel better prepared to approach graduate studies in the field now. My work schedule was also quite flexible, and I found time to explore beautiful destinations across Japan, from Hiroshima to Nara, on a weekly basis with my friends, many of whom were Osaka University students I met on campus! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend a summer immersed in the wonderful culture of Japan and to make friends who I am sure I will stay in touch with for years to come."

Yuchun (Cathy) Feng (Harada Lab, Undergrad 3)

"In summer 2023, I had the pleasure to be an international exchange student at Osaka University. I worked on robotic arm manipulation at Harada Lab where I immersed myself in a research environment that significantly benefited my professional development. I had my best summer research ever in the lab where I was surrounded by so many great minds and get to experience the daily life as a PhD student. The PhD friends I made in the lab are always happy to guide me whenever I needed help on my research, and these bonds of friendship has become my valued professional and personal connections that grow beyond the summer. Outside of the lab, I did a lot of travelling with my friends from Canada who came to visit Japan. Not only we went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, and Himeji, we even climbed the Fuji Mountain. I was so grateful to have my three months in Japan accompanied by friends and it is truly the best summer ever."

Napat Lilittrakul will be going to do coursework at NUS from August to December 2023 (one semester)

Napat, an M1 student at the Graduate School of Engineering Science (Goto Lab), is off to NUS to do coursework at NUS for a semester starting August. We wish him a fulfilling 5 months of studying and hope that his time there will be well spent. Good luck Napat!

Ms. Yuka Kuno is getting ready to go to UofT in August for the IVGS Program (June 9, 2023)

Yuka, an M1 student at the Graduate School of Engineering Science (Shintani Lab) will be going to UofT to study in the Seferos Lab for two months starting August. Katherine, Cathy and Daniel dropped by to give her advice on where to look for off-campus accommodations. Thanks guys!

Students from the University of Toronto come to the School of Engineering Science to participate in the FrontierLab Mini Program 2023 (May 8, 2023)

As part of the consortium exchange program, Osaka University is very happy to welcome and host five students from UofT to take part in the FrontierLab Mini Program 2023 from May for three months. They will be working at their respective laboratories while at OU, working on their research projects with their colleagues. We hope that they will be able to soak in the culture of Japan...perhaps visiting castles and eating takoyaki?!

 

It is our utmost pleasure to have Dhruv Sirohi, Rozilyn Marco, Daniel Deza, Katherine Zhu and Cathy Feng with us and hope that their stay will be memorable.

Students from the School/Graduate School of Engineering Science to give presentations in English about what they experienced during their research exchange during the March 2022 to December 2022 period.

 

The International Planning and Promotion Office will hold a presentation session on February 27 (Mon.) where students will give a presentation on what they experienced abroad, both inside and outside the laboratory...the people, the food, the culture etc.

Universities include the National University of Singapore, Max Planck Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL),University of Lille, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, University of Alicante, University of Copenhagen and the University of Basel.

 

Click here to get a look at past presentations.

Coming up in July 2023! The Fifth Meeting of the International Engineering Science Consortium (UCL, July 25-26, 2023)

Details of the meeting will be featured at a later date.

Ms. Yu Higashisawa, Osaka University North American Center for Academic Initiatives (Liaison Officer) visits Toyonaka Campus to discuss the interfaculty agreement between UC Berkeley and OU (November 10, 2022)

Yu took time out of her busy schedule to visit us at Toyonaka Campus.

She was joined by Prof. Scott North (Regional Director, Osaka University North American Center for Academic Initiatives), Prof. Junko Kimura (Global Strategy Unit), Ms. Keiko Morikawa (International Affairs Division), Ms. Kyoko Ito (General Affairs Section) and Maggie Suzuki (International Planning and Promotion/IESC Office@OU) to discuss matters regarding the interfaculty agreement over lunch at one of the campus cafeterias.

We thank Yu for visiting us and hope that she will be able to meet with those who are involved at UC Berkeley.

It was a pleasure to meet and talk with Yu and we hope to visit her in California soon!

Top (left to right): Prof. North, Yu, Ms. Keiko Morikawa, Prof. Kimura Bottom (left to right): Maggie Suzuki, Ms. Kyoko Ito

National University of Singapore/Haruka Hirata (Sept. 1, 2022- Oct. 31, 2022)

Ms. Haruka Hirata, a fourth year undergraduate student at the Osaka University School of Engineering Science, participated in the Engineering Science Programme at NUS from September 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022 in Singapore. Haruka was invited to Professor Ho Ghim Wei's laboratory to do research on the Development of Photocatalyst for Solar Energy Conversion to Hydrogen. What a pleasant surprise it was for her when they threw a farewell party in her honor!

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This is the certificate that was presented to Haruka
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Haruka was presented with the certificate for her participation in the Engineering Science Program (from left: Prof. Ho, Haruka, Prof. Birgersson)
The lab threw Haruka a surprise farewell party

Students from the National University of Singapore come to the School of Engineering Science to participate in the FrontierLab Mini Program 2022 (May 9, 2022)

As part of the consortium exchange program, Osaka University is very happy to welcome and host four students from NUS to take part in the FrontierLab Mini Program 2022 from May 9 to July 31 after three long years of not being able to welcome any students to the program due to the pandemic. They will be working at their respective laboratories while at OU as well as experiencing the culture of Japan (and hopefully having fun!).

Here are a few pictures of their very first day at the School of Engineering Science: going through the necessary paperwork, taking out university insurance at the on-campus Post Office, getting to know what is where, meeting their host supervisors etc.

It is our utmost pleasure to have Jia Qi, Chuan, Liang Jun and Li Ren with us and hope that their stay will be priceless.

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Welcome to the School of Engineering Science at Osaka University! Here they are filling out the necessary paperwork with Ms. Nakamura (not pictured).

After they finished with the paperwork, we took them to the Advising Room for International Students (3rd floor of the building) to meet Ms. Ishikawa. This is a room where international students can go anytime to ask about almost anything: from questions about classes to how to find certain necessities, where to go on the weekends etc! Students can also sign up for Japanese Hour to learn Japanese as well as English Hour to teach Japanese students at the School of Engineering Science to speak English.

Students will be asked to take out two types of OU insurance while they are here to ensure medical treatment as well as to insure them against personal liability claims. Here the students from NUS are making their payment at the on-campus Post Office.

Jia Qi stands with Assistant Prof. Jinno Jia Qi stands in front of the Advanced Electronics Under Extreme Conditions Building (Department of Systems Innovation)

The Inaugural UQ-Japan Day/November 10, 2021

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The University of Queensland, Australia, a member of the International Engineering Science Consortium, hosted the inaugural UQ-Japan Day event to promote exchanges with Japanese universities on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, 9:30-11:15am (online)

Professor Masahiro Kitagawa of the School of Engineering Science provided insights on his current research during Breakout Session 1, entitled Quantum Information and Engineering Science. Professor Genta Kawahara also talked about the IESC; in addition, he offered his takes on the future of Osaka University, particularly on future collaborations between the School of Engineering Science and the University of Queensland.

Website https://global-partnerships.uq.edu.au/uq-japan-day

PDF https://global-partnerships.uq.edu.au/files/84170/FINAL2_UQ%20Japan%20Day_Program%281%29.pdf

IESC ONLINE MEETING (SEPTEMBER 27-28, 2021)

Day One

9/27/2021

Attendees:
UCL Professor Nick Tyler
KTH Professor Leif Kari
Toronto Professor William Cluett
Cornell Professor Chris Xu, Ms. Megan Whitman
OU Professor Genta Kawahara, Professor Shigeo Wada, Professor Shigenobu Ogata, Yuki Urakawa

Day Two

9/28/2021

Attendees:
UC Berkeley Professor Junqiao Wu
UQ Professor Chien Ming Wang, Professor Aleksandar Rakic
Auckland Professor Piaras Kelly
NUS Professor Erik Birgersson, Director
Anjam Khursheed, Deputy Director (former director)
Van Kan Jeroen, Deputy Director
Yit Li Ling, Manager
Joshua Ong, Executive
OU Professor Genta Kawahara, Professor Shigeo Wada, Professor Shigenobu Ogata, Professor Saori Obayashi, Yuki Urakawa

AGENDA ITEMS

  1. The Memorandum of Agreement (MOU)
  2. Proposal for a Virtual Online Lecture Series (MOOC)
  3. The Fifth IESC Meeting (in-person?)
1. The Memorandum of Agreement (MOU)

Overall, the IESC members agreed that the MOU should be an agreement on spiritual collaboration in Engineering Science.

2. Proposal for a Virtual Online Lecture Series (MOOC)

Consortium web page:
Should be used as a forum for sharing ideas / to advertise the consortium's activities
e.g. online educational content

Pilot (preliminary) MOOC:
To be launched during the IESC symposium in 2022 (proposal)

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3. The Fifth International Engineering Science Consortium Meeting

Proposed venue: UCL (London)
Aim for June or September 2022
Proposed theme: THE ROLE OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE IN A POST-PANDEMIC FUTURE

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

A Zoom Meeting was held on August 5, 2022 (Fri.) 3 p.m. JST with Prof. Nick Tyler (UCL), Prof. Chien Ming Wang (UQ),Prof. Genta Kawahara (OU), Prof. Shigenobu Ogata (OU) and Maggie M. Suzuki (OU) to discuss a tentative date for the Fifth IESC Consortium Meeting to be held at UCL next summer. Prof. Tyler has suggested July 24~25, 2023 (Mon./Tues) at UCL, with a tour of their brand- new PEARL facility. Details will be sent out via email soon!

*OFFICIAL DATES FOR THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE CONSORTIUM MEETING* July 25-26, 2023 (Tues./Wed.) Please save these dates and mark your calendars!

Lecture for IESC MOOC

During the online meeting held on September 27-28, 2021, there was a proposal for a Virtual Online Lecture Series (MOOC), which is to be launched during the IESC symposium in 2022. The consortium is planning to combine videos to create a lecture series for their joint MOOC, and the first to submit their presentation is the University of Queensland.

Dr. Lisa Ottenhaus (of School of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland) has recorded her lecture on
"How to build a timber skyscraper" for IESC MOOC.
https://youtu.be/LR_u7p8pH4Q
Total runtime: 20:48

UQ is famous for fire engineering and timber structures.
They also have access to facilities like this:
https://civil.uq.edu.au/research/centre-future-timber-structures/timber-engineering-facilities

Check it out!

UQ MOOCs video.png

Professor Shuji Nakanishi, PhD., Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry at the Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University has recorded his lecture on "Green Chemistry for Saving Our Planet" for IESC MOOC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoeMDMmsD5U
Total runtime: 14:48

Check it out!

The research group at the Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry is interested in the development of "novel photo-electrochemical energy-conversion materials and systems" based on electrochemistry inorganic material chemistry, photo-chemistry and molecular biochemistry. That seems like a mouthful, but to many of you I am sure that these are very familiar fields of research.
https://rcsec.osaka-u.ac.jp/nakanishilab

Osaka University Anniversary Lecture Series 2021

Osaka University will celebrate its 90th anniversary on 1 May 2021, while the 100th anniversary of the Osaka University of Foreign Studies, which was integrated with OU in 2007, is also this year. As one of our celebratory events, we will hold the Osaka University Anniversary Lecture Series, a special online lecture program offered to students at our partner universities. OU professors in a wide variety of fields ranging from the natural sciences to the humanities will conduct these lectures, and students will engage in discussions themed around the latest research.

This is the schedule of the lectures that the Graduate School of Engineering Science will be hosting.

We hope that this will nurture further interest in the fascinating field of engineering science and that many from all over the world will want to come to Osaka University to do research in the near future!

Anniversary Lecture 2021 QuantumInformationScience-ES.jpg

Students give presentations on what they achieved and experienced during their research/study abroad

Every year, Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering Science students go abroad to universities around the world to further their research projects, get first-hand experience at a renowned laboratory, take classes and get a taste of life as a student in a totally different environment. After returning from their study/research abroad, the International Planning and Promotion Office holds a presentation session where those students give a presentation on what they experienced both inside and outside the laboratory, how these differ from work done at Osaka University, the atmosphere, the people, the food, the culture etc. Almost all of the presentations go beyond the ten-minute limit as they have so much information to share! This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this presentation session was done via ZOOM on October 7, 2020. There are usually around ten students giving presentations, but because of the border restrictions, we had two who were able to go and come back safely (Ms. Jin Han/UC Davis and Takuto Shimazaki/UofT), and one who experienced online presentation training (Naoki Ikushima/UC Davis) to explain to those students who are interested in studying abroad what they can expect to achieve, ending with questions about English proficiency, what they did on their free time, etc.

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The presentation session for Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering Science students who went to study abroad from August 2019 to February 2020 was held on March 4, 2020. As the COVID-19 pandemic was just starting to take form, we decided to hold this in a large classroom, with hand sanitizers and masks ready for those coming to listen. Students doing research at the University of Toronto (IESC), KTH (IESC), ETH, and universities in France, Germany, and Switzerland all gave truly interesting presentations, and each were asked questions about their experience and how they enjoyed spending a few months abroad.

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certificate2020

Presentation held on June 19, 2019

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Presentation held on March 1, 2019

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University of Toronto/Takuto Shimazaki (Sept. 2019- April 2020)

Mr. Takuto Shimazaki, a fourth year undergraduate student at the Osaka University School of Engineering Science, participated in the exchange studies from September 5, 2019 to April 25, 2020 at the University of Toronto in Canada. Takuto was admitted to the Faculty of Arts and Science as a non-degree exchange student through the Osaka University Exchange Program.

certificate2020
certificate2020

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden/Yuya Sanada (Aug. 2019-Jan. 2020)

Mr. Yuya Sanada, a fourth year undergraduate student at the Osaka University School of Engineering Science, participated in the exchange studies for the autumn semester (August 17, 2019 to January 15, 2020) at the School of Engineering Sciences at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. Yuya was admitted to do course work for full-time studies.

IESC Certificate(Yuya Sanada)signed

University of Toronto IVGS Program/Masatoki Sugimoto (Aug.-Sept. 2019)

Mr. Masatoki Sugimoto, a second year Master's student at the Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering Science, participated in the International Visiting Graduate Student (IVGS) research program at the University of Toronto from August 8, 2019 to September 27, 2019. His research was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Goldie Nejat.

certificate2019
certificate2019

Certificate Ceremony

Every year, we welcome students from our consortium universities who participate in the FrontierLab Mini Program at the Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering Science. A Ceremony of Completion is held in the Dean's Office where they each receive their Certificate of Completion, and a commemorative photo is taken as well. We are always very happy to welcome such a wonderful group of students every year!

Students from UofT July 21, 2023
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Students from NUS July 25, 2022
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Students from NUS and UofT July 24, 2019
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Students form NUS March 23, 2018
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Students from KTH, NUS, and UofT July 30, 2018
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Students from NUS and UofT July 21, 2017
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Students from KTH August 8, 2017

Report on International Engineering Science Consortium's inaugural symposium

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Top-notch engineer scientists from many parts of the world convening at NUS Engineering for the IESC's inaugural international symposium. From Left to Right: Prof Nhan Phan Tien (Mechanical Engineering, NUS), A/Prof Anjam Khursheed (Electrical Engineering, NUS), Prof Jose Torero (University of Queensland), Prof JN Reddy (Texas A&M University), Prof Nick Tyler (University College London), Prof Genta Kawahara (Osaka University), Prof Wang Chien Ming (NUS), Prof Leif Kari (KTH Sweden), Prof Mark Kortschot (University of Toronto), Prof Ng Kim Choon (Mechanical Engineering, NUS) and Prof Andrew Bettiol (Physics, NUS)

ENGINEERING Science Programme at NUS has much to celebrate. Besides being all of 10 years old, Professor Wang Chien Ming, Director of the Programme, finally sees an initiative for an international symposium (something which he has set heart and soul upon some two years ago) came into fruition today.

The International Engineering Science Consortium (IESC) conducted its inaugural symposium today at the Engineering Auditorium, with nine keynote lectures by top-notch engineer scientists. In addition, 29 general papers and 12 poster presentations from faculty members and students of IESC are being featured at the two-day symposium which attracted 140 participants. There is also a student workshop as well as a competition to provide fun activity for IESC students and Ngee Ann engineering science students to showcase their creativity and innovativeness in solving engineering science problems. There were tours to the Marina Barrage, Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Bay Sands to show the beauty of Singapore.

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The symposium provides a platform for faculty members and students from the Engineering Science Consortium to share their thoughts and ideas on various engineering science problems and solutions with one another.

Archives

Report on Student Workshop / Competition in International Symposium on Engineering Science

Report on trip to Himeji Castle

Report on Student workshop in Osaka University

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