Mendel Week
Mendel Week at EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan celebrates the life and legacy of Gregor Johann Mendel, the father of genetics. The event bridges cultures and centuries through lectures, exhibitions, and global dialogue in the Czech National Pavilion.
DAY 1 | 21 JULY 15:00–21:00
Mendel Quiz – For Curious Minds
Did you know that Gregor Mendel designed a special beehive for his scientific observations?
Can you guess whether his original greenhouse still exists today?
And how tall was Mendel, measured in centimeters?
Day 2 | 22 July 16:00–21:00
Mendel EXPO Conference – Science Across Borders
The fate of Mendel’s grapevine
Discover how Mendel’s scientific and cultural legacy has become a bridge between Japan and Czechia, symbolized by the remarkable story of his grapevine—preserved, studied, and celebrated in both countries.
Dr. Toshiyuki Nagata (JPN),
Former Chairman of the Japan Mendel Society, Emeritus Professor, University of Tokyo and Hosei University
The Sequencing of Mendel’s Genome
An extraordinary story of how the genome of Gregor Mendel was sequenced more than 150 years after his groundbreaking work, offering new insights into the father of genetics.
Prof. RNDr. Šárka Pospíšilová, Ph.D. (CZE),
Vice-Rector for Research and Doctoral Studies, Masaryk University, Head of the Institute of Medical Genetics and Genomics, Faculty of Medicine
Mendel and Darwin: Two Giants of 19th-Century Science
Reflecting on the fascinating interplay between Mendel’s discoveries in heredity and Darwin’s theory of evolution, and how their work continues to shape biology today.
Prof. Nils Christian Stenseth (NOR),
University of Oslo, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
DAY 3 | 23 JULY 9:00–21:00
Mendel & UNESCO
Step into the world of Gregor Mendel and explore the secrets of heredity through his original manuscript—twelve carefully composed pages that laid the foundation for modern genetics. This unique scientific document invites quiet reflection, not unlike the contemplative beauty of traditional Japanese calligraphy.
The exhibition also presents a meaningful cultural question: Could the Augustinian Abbey in Brno, where Mendel lived and worked, one day stand alongside Japan’s own UNESCO World Heritage Sites—such as the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, or the Hiroshima Peace Memorial —as a place of outstanding universal value?
