Dr. Kiyoshi Hirao of AIST was awarded with the honour medal of Aurel Stodola by the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Dr. Kiyoshi Hirao was awarded with the honour medal of Aurel Stodola for the merits in the technical sciences by the Slovak Academy of Sciences in May 2011, for his research activities and his contribution to the co-operation of Slovak and Japanese scientists in the field of materials science. This award is named in honour of Dr. Aurel Stodola, (1859-1942), a Slovak pioneer in the field of applied thermodynamics such as steam turbines, and is bestowed upon worldwide researchers who have made significant achievement in the fields of science and engineering, and made large contributions to the academic exchange with Slovakia. The website of the Slovak Academy of Sciences http://www.sav.sk/ Details of award ceremony http://www.sav.sk/?lang=sk&charset=&doc=services-news&news_no=3881