Hiroshi Matsumoto (松本 紘, Matsumoto Hiroshi; November 17, 1942 – June 15, 2025) was a Japanese engineer and atmospheric scientist. He was the president of Kyoto University until August 2014, and then served as the president of RIKEN until March 2022. He was a member of the Japanese government's committee on space policy. He had a Doctorate in Engineering (1973, Kyoto University). He was born in Zhangjiakou, China. His research centered on plasma in the geomagnetosphere and cosmosphere. He developed the KEMPO (Kyoto university ElectroMagnetic Particle) code to reproduce the dynamics of the physical processes of space plasma. He led the plasma wave Geotail observations, and helped elucidate mechanisms of excitation, such as electrostatic solitary waves. He also worked on studies for the practical application of microwave power transmission in space. Matsumoto died on June 15, 2025, at the age of 82.
Career
1967: Research assistant at Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University 1974: Assistant Professor of Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University 1981: Assistant Professor of Radio Atmospheric Science Center (RASC), Kyoto University 1987: Professor of RASC, Kyoto University 1992–1998: Director of RASC, Kyoto University 2000: Professor of Radio Science Center for Space and Atmosphere, Kyoto University 2002: Director of Radio Science Center for Space and Atmosphere, Kyoto University 2004: Professor of Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH), Kyoto University 2005: Director of RISH, Kyoto University 2005: Executive Vice-President (Research and Finance), Kyoto University 2006: Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University 2008–2014: President, Kyoto University 2015–2022: President, RIKEN
Organizations 1999 – Chairman of International Union of Radio Science (URSI) 1999 – Chairman of Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences (SGEPSS) 1999 – Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2003 – Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEEE) 2004 – Foreign honorary member of Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) 2005 – Fellow of the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE)
Bibliography The Computer and Space Development (1996) (宇宙開拓とコンピュータ) ISBN 978-4320028357 Cosmology of Kyoto University (2009) (京の宇宙学) ISBN 978-4764955004 Space Solar Power Plant (2011) (宇宙太陽光発電所) ISBN 978-4799310168 Change the University from Kyoto (2014) (京都から大学を変える) ISBN 978-4396113629
Prizes 1975 – "Study of Whistler mode wave particle interaction over the magnetosphere plasma" was awarded the Tanaka-kan Award by the Japan Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences 2006 – Awarded the Yuri Gagarin Medal from the Russian Federation of Cosmonautics 2006 – Awarded the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Science and Technology Award 2007 – Awarded the Purple Ribbon Medal 2008 – Awarded the 2008 Booker Gold Medal from the International Radio Science Union 2017 – Asian Scientist 100, Asian Scientist 2021 – Awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
References
External links Official website Kyoto University profile Archived 2014-07-09 at the Wayback Machine Organization history, Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere
