La Trobe University students recently took part in the world's largest nanotechnology exhibition – Nano Tech 2015 – in Japan as part of a New Colombo Plan mobility grant.

La Trobe Associate Professor Paul Pigram accompanied the students to Japan, where they joined National University of Singapore and University of Tokyo students for collaborative workshops and laboratory visits.

The group also meet La Trobe NCP Scholar Richard Garrett, who is undertaking a study and an internship program at the National Institute for Materials Science in Tsukuba-city, Japan.

As part of the group's activities, La Trobe Asia Executive Director Nick Bisley organised an expert roundtable at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo to discuss recent developments in the Japan-Australia relationship. Speakers included National Defence Academy of Japan Professor Teruhiko Fukushima, Keio University Professor Ken Jimbo and Australian Embassy in Japan Senior Trade Commissioner Ms Leonie Muldoon.

This was the second group of La Trobe University nanotechnology students to participate in the New Colombo Plan. A group of 12 students took part in a two week nanotechnology study program hosted by the National University of Singapore as part of the NCP's pilot year.