The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), along with its achievements so far, has established a concrete plan for a maximum of 25 years for the “International Institute for Advanced Research”, which utilizes a fund of 10 trillion yen from the government to support universities expected to have world-class research capabilities. We have compiled a proposal for a basic policy, such as choosing based on specific goals and plans.
An “International University for Excellence” is a university supported by the government with a fund of 10 trillion yen in order to raise the level of research at the university and create technological innovation to solve social problems. We are planning to select several universities.
At the meeting of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's University Research Strengthening Committee held on the 31st, a draft basic policy was presented, including criteria for selecting ``International Universities for Excellence'' through open recruitment.
In the proposal, we asked how many papers were produced with a high number of citations, which is an indicator of the high quality of research, whether there was a system in which researchers could play an active role regardless of their age, gender, or nationality, and whether they had an independent auditing department. It is said that it will be evaluated on seven items, such as whether it is possible to manage the university appropriately.
In addition, it is a policy to select universities based not only on past achievements, but also on future visions, and emphasizes the goals and plans of universities for up to 25 years.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology plans to solicit opinions from the general public on this plan, decide on a basic policy, and start public offering by the end of the year.
What is International University of Excellence?
“International Universities for Excellence” are selected through open recruitment from universities that are expected to produce world-class research results, and are certified by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
We plan to distribute and support up to 300 billion yen annually out of the expected operating profit of the 10 trillion yen "University Fund" operated by the Japan Science and Technology Agency.
The selected universities will utilize the subsidized funds to attract world-class researchers in the same way as overseas universities with world-class research capabilities, allowing students to advance to doctoral courses without financial concerns. , Technological innovation created by the university is expected to contribute to solving social issues.