Kae Nemoto decorated with France’s National Order of Merit

OIST offers congratulations to our incoming faculty member, Professor Kae Nemoto, who has been decorated as an Officer of the National Order of Merit of the French Republic.

Membership into the Order of Merit, which is awarded for distinguished civil or military achievements, was given to Prof. Nemoto on March 2, 2022, on the recommendation of the Government of France.

“I am truly honored to receive this award – it was a real surprise,” said Prof. Nemoto. “I appreciate all the people that I have worked with who made this possible for me.”

Transitional Professor, Kae Nemoto, is decorated as Officer of the National Order of Merit of the French Republic in a presentation ceremony on March 2, 2022.

Prof. Nemoto, who is a theoretical physicist, was recognized for her work as co-director of the Japanese-French Laboratory for Informatics (JFLI), where she has cultivated strong research ties between Japan and France.

In addition to her role at JFLI, Prof. Nemoto is currently a professor at the National Institute of Informatics (NII) and at The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI). She is also the director of the Global Research Center for Quantum Information Science at NII. Over her career, she has played a pivotal role in establishing the field of quantum information and quantum computing in Japan.

Prof. Nemoto is also currently a Transitional Professor at OIST and will switch to a role as a full-time Professor on April 1, 2022, as head of the Quantum Information Science and Technology Unit.

When asked about her journey towards receiving this award, Prof. Nemoto answered that “the key ingredients were passion and dedication, but the rest of the journey was simple.”

She continued: “As the Japanese director for JFLI, I have been putting in significant effort to create a supportive environment for the researchers within JFLI and beyond. My efforts have been rewarded many times over as I see people from different countries and various research fields all working together. This has been a real joy to me.”

Dr. Peter Gruss, President and CEO of OIST offered accolades: “Professor Nemoto’s commitment to quality research and education in the field of quantum information has been deservedly recognized by France, and we are proud to welcome her to our research community here at OIST.”