Kyushu U delegation participates in MIRAI 2.0 Research & Innovation Week 2023

From November 13-16, 2023, Kyushu University participated in the Research and Innovation Week 2023 hosted by Umeå University in Sweden. The event is one of the main activities of MIRAI 2.0, which is a collaboration between 20 Japanese and Swedish universities, including Kyushu University. Last year, Kyushu University hosted the event at Ito Campus with approximately 300 participants. This year, under the theme of "Creating Resilient and Sustainable Societies", about 250 participants engaged in lively discussions at Umeå University. From Kyushu University, a 22-member delegation, which consisted of Executive Vice President for International Affairs Prof. Kenji Iwata, relevant faculty members, and doctoral students, participated in a series of meetings and workshops. Their participation in this international event was a part of our “VISION 2030" strategic initiative, which aims to expand and deepen strategic international partnerships and establish a robust collaboration network for early-career researchers.

Since its inception, MIRAI has focused on providing opportunities for interaction among young researchers, including doctoral students. This year's annual conference featured student poster presentations and a pitch contest with participation from six Ph.D. students who were selected from within our university. Through hands-on discussions and exchanges with overseas researchers, the participating students were able to gain experience in their studies and build their own research networks.

To strengthen collaboration between Japan and Sweden in research, education, and innovation, MIRAI 2.0 has provided joint seed funding for Japan-Sweden collaborative projects. In the seed funding’s first term, six out of the 24 selected projects originated from Kyushu University. For its second term, six out of the 20 selected projects were again from Kyushu University, indicating that the exchange of researchers will continue even after this conference. We will incorporate the feedback received by our delegation during this visit into future international exchange projects. Furthermore, we will promote the sharing of knowledge and networks within the university.

In addition, Kyushu University hosted the "MIRAI Open Day," a symposium open to the public, at the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) Conference Center in Stockholm. 80 participants representing a wide range of stakeholders, including industry, attended the symposium as a forum for open dialogue.

MIRAI will enter its third phase (2024-2026) in January 2024, at which point Kyushu University will take over the role of the coordinator of participating Japanese universities from Nagoya University. In April 2020, Kyushu University established the Stockholm Liaison Office in Sweden as its European base and stationed full-time staff there. By fully utilizing the Stockholm Liaison Office, Kyushu University will take the lead in contributing to the expansion and deepening of the activities of the international consortium as a whole. Furthermore, we will develop various on-site activities from the perspective of international exchange to achieve our VISION 2030 initiative.