On July 22, Josai Educational Corporation opened the Innovation Center, a facility intended to serve as a foundation for cooperation between government, industry, and academia and facilitate joint research with universities abroad. To commemorate this occasion, Josai hosted a lecture with the theme,“What is the Model of Innovation in the 21st Century?” at the Kioicho campus.

Chancellor Mizuta Noriko opened the lecture by stating, “With the opening of the Innovation Center, Josai hopes to become a model university for the 21st century by devoting energy to fostering education and research and developing individuals who will be active members of society. To take on the responsibility of making contributions to many different sectors of society—this is Josai’s objective in founding the Innovation Center.”

Innovation Center Consultant Kiyonari Tadao first gave a speech on,“The Role of Innovation and Development in the University where he said,“The process of creating innovation as a team that will lead to further innovation and establishing education and research programs that meet the needs of society—these qualities are of utmost importance.”

Next, Innovation Center manager Doi Yukio gave a lecture entitled,“The Terms of 21st Century Innovation.” In his speech he discussed two topics that the Innovation Center plans to tackle: 1) the formation of a new network for community welfare and medicine and 2) the fostering of globally-minded individuals who will spur innovation.

More than 160 people—including students, university faculty and staff, and individuals from the political and financial realm—attended the event, making it standing room only. We are hoping that the lecture did its part to spread interest in the concept of “innovation”—that is, valuable new creation for economic and financial good.