Non-European Chapter Award: MCAA Japan Chapter via Eugenio Otal

Share the journey that led your Chapter to the Award

I am Eugenio H. Otal, Associate Professor at Shinshu University in Japan, Chair and founding member of the MCAA Japan Chapter. My journey with the MCAA has been shaped by one of the Association's core foundations: to offer our members lifelong professional development, networking, and advocacy opportunities, extending MSCA support to benefit former fellows throughout their entire careers. 

In this spirit, and as part of a small Chapter, I have focused on strengthening the bonds among Japan Chapter members and expanding regional collaboration across Asia, while promoting science diplomacy and career development. Through Chapter meetings and regional activities, I have tried to move progressively closer to the core mission of the MCAA. I feel this Award as a message that the direction is the correct one, a push to continue with even greater strength. The real award, the one I keep in my heart, is the support and trust of the colleagues who stood behind these efforts.  

What are your future goals?

I would like to start by quoting Jordan Peterson: "We are built to walk uphill. And when you reach the pinnacle of the hill, you want to stop and appreciate the vision, but the next thing you want is a higher hill in the distance."

After the successful virtual meetings in the Asia region, our next higher hill is to move toward in-person meetings. Our speakers delivered strong pitch presentations. Now, we should invite companies, open pathways to entrepreneurship, and help transform our members' knowledge into real value. We published the book of abstracts. Now, we should go further: publish scientific results and build an editorial house that draws on the experience of our members as editors, reviewers, and researchers.

I know that I will fail in some attempts, and that failure will hurt. But I will learn from it. The MCAA community is there to help me, and I am here to help the MCAA community.