Three Missions

The cultivation of talented young researchers to lead the future

Under our tenure-track system, we recognize and foster talented young researchers through an international open call for participants. During the tenure-track period, participants serve as Principal Investigators (PI) by personally leading international joint research projects, establish international joint research networks with overseas researchers and researchers in different fields, and enhance their skills in research and educational activities by participating in joint research projects with postdoctoral researchers and providing research guidance to graduate students. We are also working to foster young researchers with a high level of international competence via our “Program for International Joint Research Faculty Members”, through which we send young researchers overseas, as well as by aiding participants in submitting academic papers in English and offering internship programs to provide research guidance to graduate students and young researchers from overseas.

The establishment of strong international joint research networks and promotion of international joint research

In collaboration with research organizations in the natural sciences at the university, we promote international joint research with world-class universities and research institutions. We hire the world’s leading researchers as distinguished professors, and grant internationally renowned researchers the title of visiting professor or visiting associate professor, and we contribute to the promotion and development of the university’s research activities from an international perspective by engaging in joint research, holding international seminars, and providing intensive lectures for graduate students. In addition, with the aim of establishing academic, cutting-edge international joint research networks, we also promote joint research by aiding IROAST tenure-track faculty members, other Kumamoto University faculty members, distinguished professors and visiting professors in forming research units.

The development of leading, cutting-edge research projects through interdisciplinary integration

Research Clusters led by young researchers are attracting the attention of researchers in other fields due to research into the development of wearable sensors for monitoring cardiac functions as well as the multifaceted application of imagery in collaboration with universities and medical institutions in Singapore. In addition, in collaboration with researchers from Australia and South Korea, we advanced research into functional nanomaterials for efficient treatment of tumors, and published the co-authored findings in top-level international journals. Furthermore, joint research conducted by researchers affiliated with both organizations is now underway, including holding joint seminars with the International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS). We have also begun collaborations with the humanities and social sciences.