In FY 2024, NAIST was selected for the "Program for Forming Japan's Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS)." In alignment with the two strategic frameworks established under this initiative, the university is advancing comprehensive efforts to sustain and enhance Japan's research and development capabilities in the context of a rapidly declining working-age population.

We invite you to view the introductory video that outlines NAIST's strategic initiatives within the J-PEAKS program.

Project Overview

Under J-PEAKS, NAIST promotes its vision: "A graduate school university that contributes to the sustainable development of a society with a declining population through the promotion of social implementation of research seeds using digital technology and international collaboration."

Outline of Initiatives

Strategy 1:

Strategic recruitment and development of human resources from Southeast Asian countries

With Japan's population decline becoming inevitable, talented international students are essential for the continued development of Japanese society and economy. This initiative will strengthen international collaborative education with top graduate schools in Europe and the United States, expand the global perspectives and professional networks of both international and Japanese students. By enhancing the appeal of studying at our university, we aim to improve our capacity to attract highly talented international students. Furthermore, we will establish an international campus that fosters cutting-edge scientific research through collaboration that transcends differences in ethnicity, religion, and culture. Through these initiatives, we aim to increase the proportion of international students who gain an understanding of Japan's social systems and culture and subsequently secure employment with domestic companies. Additionally, we will develop the "NAIST Human Resource Bank," a membership-based platform where our students and researchers register, and companies access talent on a paid basis, further strengthening industry-academia collaboration.

Strategy 2:

Development and sharing of the system for Automated Research Workflow and Industrial Translation (ARWIT)

We will establish the NAIST-ARWIT System to create industrially applicable innovations and to monetize the value of results and data generated through material production. By advancing the automation and autonomy of material synthesis, we will evolve this system into an innovative materials development platform involving multiple institutions, contributing to the creation of open innovation. We will also build a framework to securely manage and utilize generated and accumulated data under an open-closed strategy. We aim to build a sustainable ecosystem that benefits both universities and companies by developing and implementing a mechanism that can keep search content confidential. Later in the project, we will expand the ARWIT system and create a platform where AI supports research using data generated and accumulated from basic research. This will establish a system that seamlessly connects the discovery of seeds through basic research, the development of useful materials through data sharing, and ultimately their implementation in society.

Logo

To promote wider recognition of our university's J-PEAKS initiative, a logo has been created. The logo is based on the concept of the "NAIST-ARWIT System (Autonomous Research Enhancement and Social Implementation System)," which integrates the achievements and technologies of university's three cutting-edge scientific fields to comprehensively strengthen research capabilities and facilitate their implementation in society.​
The three colors--red, blue, and green--symbolize Information Science (red), Materials Science (blue), and Biological Science (green). The outward-expanding design represents how our university's J-PEAKS initiatives extend to research institutions and society both domestically and internationally.

What is J-PEAKS?

To enhance research capabilities across Japan and promote the creation of new values, the Program for Forming Japan's Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS) operates in parallel with the program Universities for International Research Excellence, which is supported by Japan University Fund. J-PEAKS aims to promote the formation of university consortiums that will drive the enhancement of research capabilities across Japan. To this end, J-PEAKS supports core universities in individual regions and universities with strengths in specific research fields toward creating an environment in which they can, in collaboration with other universities, strengthen their research capabilities by accelerating the internationalization and societal implementation of their research activities under strategic management backed by their exquisite and distinctive research capabilities as the core.
（From the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) website）