UNIQ Seed Funding launches seven international research and education projects

A new model for international collaboration

Unlike traditional funding schemes, the UNIQ Seed Funding Program is co-financed by all three universities and designed to:

• strengthen international collaboration in research and education
• serve as a launchpad for external funding and joint publications
• encourage researcher exchange and build stronger institutional links

Each selected project includes a principal investigator (PI) from each university, with activities running for one year, until the end of June 2026.

The seven selected projects

The funded projects span a wide spectrum—from AI-driven policy design and quantum communication to sustainable urban development and literary studies. They are grouped into three categories:

I. Joint research projects (initiation phase)

• Bridging Voices and Institutions: AI-Driven Integration of Narratives and Policies for Multicultural Inclusion
  Kyushu U PI: Toru Oga, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law
• Discovery of novel mechanism-based therapeutics for chronic pain and neuroinflammation associated with autoimmune diseases
  Kyushu U PI: Makoto Tsuda, Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

II. Joint research projects (implementation phase)

• Multiscale Geoscientific Modeling for Next-generation Earth System Digital Twins
  Kyushu U PI: Naoki Ikegaya, Professor, Faculty of Engineering Sciences
• UNIQ device – International Collaboration for Innovative Surgical Devices Utilizing Robots and AI Technologies
  Kyushu U PI: Jumpei Arata, Professor, Faculty of Engineering
• Development of Cryogenic VCSELs and Dual-DFB-Based THz Photonic Transmitters for Next-Generation Quantum and Wireless Communication Systems
  Kyushu U PI: Kazutoshi Kato, Professor, Faculty of Information Science and Electrical Engineering

III. Educational Initiatives (Teaching and Learning)

• Literature and Other Lives: Human/Non-Human Entanglements
  Kyushu U PI: Britton Elliott Brooks, Associate Professor, Faculty of Languages and Cultures
• GreenBridge: Connecting Sustainable Communities for Human Health and Wellbeing Across Cultures
  Kyushu U PI: Prasanna Divigalpitiya, Associate Professor, Faculty of Human-Environment Studies

From dialogue to action: the role of in-person engagement

The seeds of many of these projects were sown during a three-day international workshop hosted by Kyushu University in March 2025, held at the Ito Campus. The event, titled "Smart, Sustainable, and Healthy Urban Futures –Interdisciplinary Approaches to Building Climate-Resilient Cities," brought together researchers from all three institutions.

This workshop not only facilitated academic exchange but also demonstrated the powerful synergy between face-to-face interaction and institutional support in catalyzing international collaboration.

Looking forward

The UNIQ Seed Funding Program is more than a funding program—it is a blueprint for how universities can work together across borders to address complex global issues. As the projects unfold, they are expected to generate new knowledge, foster innovation, and build lasting academic bridges.

Kyushu University remains committed to leveraging international partnerships like UNIQ to drive impactful research and education on a global scale.