On 20 June 2011 Osaka City University (OCU) awarded Professor Yoichiro Nambu with the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus. It was the first time the title was awarded. Professor Nambu received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2008 and is one of OCU's most renowned teachers.

More than 250 teachers and students attended the ceremony in the OCU Media Center, led by Professor Sakuragi, Dean of the Graduate School of Science. The title was officially bestowed upon Professor Nambu by the President of OCU, Dr. Nishizawa, who expressed his gratitude that Professor Nambu accepted the first title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus to be awarded by OCU.

In addition, he announced that Professor Nambu had kindly agreed to the establishment of a new OCU scholarship bearing his name and that a new road that will connect the east side of Sugimoto-cho train station with the university will be called after Professor Nambu.

After Professor Itoyama of the Graduate School of Science explained the research of Professor Nambu, the Distinguished Professor Emeritus spoke a word of thanks. He recalled memories of his student days, his time at OCU as a teacher and Osaka being the starting point of his research career.

After the ceremony, Professor Nambu met with students of the Graduate School of Science. The students asked him how he kept on making new discoveries and what they should take care of when doing research. Professor Nambu answered that even now he thinks about things each day. "If you get rid of any preconceived notions and doubt what you think is obvious, you will find new ways. Keep on thinking about a question over and over again and slowly the problem will unravel itself," he told the students.