平成25年度文部科学省「大学等シーズ・ニーズ創出強化支援事業（イノベーション対話促進プログラム）」採択課題において、SDGs推進研究大学である岡山大学が取り組んでいるイノベーション促進のための3つの対話コアである「①光技術と生命科学融合、②産官学連携強化、③未来志向型異分野ネットワーク構築」について紹介。さらに事業後も岡山大学長期ビション2050「地域と地球の未来を共創し、世界の革新に寄与する研究大学」の実現を目指し、「地域中核・特色ある研究大学強化促進事業（J-PEAKS）」などでの取り組みをもとに、未来を拓く教育研究・社会貢献活動などについて随時ご紹介。 since2013~2025, "All rights reserved" , OKAYAMA University, JAPAN.
Awardees of the Commendation for Science and Technology by the
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for 2019
were recently announced, and Associate Professor AKAGI Takashi from the
Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science (Agricultural
Science), Okayama University received the Young Scientists’ Prize. The
commendation was established to recognize scientists who have been
engaged in unique research and development projects that contribute to
the development of Japan’s scientific technology. The awarding ceremony
was held at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and
Technology (MEXT; Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) on April 17.
Associate Professor Akagi was awarded with the commendation for his
research on the evolution of sex determination in flowering plants,
receiving recommendations from MEXT and the Japan Science and Technology
Agency (JST). Mainly using fruits and flowers, he studies various
important characteristics related to the value of agricultural products,
and aims to develop technology that enables artificial control of such
characteristics. He also conducts research on diverse control mechanisms
for sex determination and expression in floral organs of horticultural
crops, as well as on the shape and physiological disorders of fruits. At
the same time, he strives to clarify the factors that contribute to the
quality judgment and preference of fruits and vegetables assisted by
deep learning (AI) technology.
Okayama University is one of the 19 universities in Japan supported by
the Program for Promoting the Enhancement of Research Universities by
MEXT (support recipients were selected by MEXT in August 2013 from
universities and institutions across Japan). As such, the university is
aiming to become the world’s leading university boasting excellent
research both in quality and quantity, under the slogan of “Research
University: Okayama University.” The university will take proactive
measures to foster young researchers such as Associate Professor Akagi,
and to offer cutting-edge research results to society more promptly and
effectively.
Okayama University and STRIPE INTERNATIONAL INC. have started to
offer the SiEED program from the beginning of April in this academic
year, which was designed to provide its students with opportunities to
learn entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship. The program also aimed to
establish in Okayama a new learning forum and venue for nurturing human
resources required to develop initiatives to shape the future. Before
starting the SiEED program, the SiEED Conference 2019 was held on April
6, 2019 at the Okayama University 50th Anniversary Hall. The conference
aimed to unveil the vision and concept of the SiEED program by exploring
a new Zeitgeist (spirit of the times) through a free discussion with
the audience involving global innovators whom play an active role in
various fields.
In his opening speech, Okayama University President MAKINO Hirofumi
emphasized the importance of developing people who could make the world a
better place, based on his abundant experiences in education, research,
and social contribution fields.
The conference comprised of three parts: First, Mr. Phil Libin, the
ex-CEO of Evernote Corporation and a CEO and co-founder at All Turtles
Corporation, gave a lecture on the theme “The current situation of
start-ups in Silicon Valley.” Second, Ms. FUKUHARA Shiho, a Bio artist,
and Ms. KUSAMOTO Tomoko, Representative Director of Hakuba International
School Foundation, had a discussion on the theme “New Challenge to
Widen the Span of Our Thinking.” Lastly, Mr. ISHIKAWA Yasuharu,
President, CEO and Representative Director of STRIPE INTERNATIONAL INC.,
who is an alumnus of Okayama University, talked on the theme “What is
the SiEED Program?” providing the background that led to the creation of
the program. While introducing his activities as an entrepreneur, he
expressed his aspiration for the new program. At the closing, Mr.
YAMASAHITA Tetsuya , the program director, explained about the lectures
to be offered in the SiEED program, calling for the participation of
many people with various concepts of values.
On July 15, President Hirofumi Makino made a presentation about
Okayama University’s initiatives at a side-event of the High-level
Political Forum (HLPF) for Sustainable Development for 2030” held at the
UN headquarters. It was organized by UNESCO and co-organized by the
governments of Japan, Germany and Kenya.
To mark the beginning of the event, Ms. Stefania Giannini, Assistant
Director-General for Education at UNESCO, explained the event’s purpose:
to inspire people’s interest in the contribution of ESD to the
achievement of the SDGs, and to discuss frameworks plans for ESD towards
2030. Then, Mr. Fumiyasu Hirashita, Deputy Director-General for
International Affairs at MEXT and Senior Deputy Secretary-General of
Japanese National Commission for UNESCO, delivered a congratulatory
message to the event, referring to the important role the co-organizers
(governments of Japan, Germany and Kenya) play in the promotion of ESD
aimed at the achievement of the SDGs.
Following this, President Makino made the only presentation at the event
to introduce the university’s initiatives. He stated that the
university has led ESD on a global scale since 2005 in cooperation with
Okayama City, that university-wide and region-wide “whole institution’s
approach” toward the SDG achievement has been implemented under the
Makino Vision, that the university received the first Japan SDGs Award
from the government of Japan for its achievement through the approach,
and that the university led the creation of the “Asia-Pacific Frameworks
for Teacher Education on ESD” as a specific effort to achieve the SDGs.
He also announced that the university will host an international
conference on the global framework for teacher education on ESD in
November 2019.
A panel discussion chaired by Ms. Giannini also took place, with the
participation of Professor Kazuhiro Yoshida from Hiroshima University
(Co-chair, SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee), Ms. Kornelia Haugg
(Director General for Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning, German
Federal Ministry of Education and Research) and Ms. Kerstin Forsberg
from Planeta Océano in Peru. They commented that the SDGs are a
significant agenda that cannot be achieved without education, that ESD
is the key for the achievement of the SDGs, that links and networks
among diverse sectors are essential, and that Okayama University has
taken the lead in the movement through the “whole institution’s
approach” with its capacity and reliability that meet the global
standard. The panelists seemed to have been particularly impressed with
the presentation about the “whole institution’s approach” by President
Makino, and the topic determined the direction of the discussion.
Approximately 20 persons from the government, industry and academia
constituting the Japanese governmental delegation to the UN HLPF were
present at the dinner party held on that evening, hosted by Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Japan to
the United Nations. President Makino and Vice President Atsufumi Yokoi
also attended, and exchanged information widely with other participants
on Japan’s present situation and future course of action regarding the
SDGs.
Okayama University was selected as an institution to implement the
“2019 Support Program on Collaborative Innovation Networks for Medical
Device” of the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED).
The project, based on the results achieved through the “Project to Build
Foundations to Support and Incentivize Development of Medical Devices
Made in Japan” implemented for five years from 2014, pursues to increase
the number of companies’ hubs to foster human resources to be engaged
in the development of medical devices, and create attractive medical
hubs featuring characteristics of each medical institution and leading
to the promotion of the medical device industry. Fourteen institutions
including Okayama University were selected.
Okayama University has set the goal of developing a center for medical
device development focused on open innovation and the promotion of
commercialization. Okayama University Hospital and its affiliated five
hospitals constitute a “mega-hospital.” Making use of the advantage of
its scale, the university will establish a system to collect
wide-ranging medical needs, covering the fields of general medicine,
nursing, nursing care, rehabilitation, dental medicine, and home
healthcare. In addition, through close cooperation among the university,
governments and the business world, the university will achieve
seamless implementation of the creation of valuable business models,
business matching and commercialization.
Making use of this opportunity, the university will continue its efforts
to foster human resources for medical device development and further
contribute to the development of medicine, based on the results achieved
during the past five years.
On October 18, 2019, an international symposium was held at the 50th
Anniversary Hall, Okayama University, as a side event for the G20
Okayama Health Minister’s Meeting.
Opening session, which was moderated by Okayama University Vice
President for Global Engagement Strategy YOKOI Atsufumi, started with a
moment of silent prayer for the victims of Typhoon Hagibis, followed by
the remarks by Mr. TAGUCHI Kazuho, Director, Office of Global Health
Cooperation, International Affairs Division, Minister’s Secretariat,
Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare. Then, Okayama University
President MAKINO Hirofumi introduced the University’s efforts towards to
SDGs.
In the following sessions, the theory for life-cycle approach and its
examples from Japan and the potential positive economic impacts of
healthy and active ageing were discussed. In the panel discussion,
representatives from the six Asian countries discussed their issues and
concerns related to population ageing and called for government’s
policies and programs based on life-cycle/ course approaches to
population ageing while acknowledging the importance of the individual’s
effort towards healthy and active ageing.
The event was co-hosted by United Nations Population Fund Asia-Pacific
Regional Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, World Health
Organization, ASEM Global Ageing Center, European Observatory on Health
Systems and Policies, Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, with
support from the Promotion Council for Support of the G20 Health
Minister’s meeting. And the event was held with cooperation of Dr.
Rintaro Mori (Regional Adviser, Asia-Pacific Regional Office, UNFPA) who
is alumnus of Okayama University.
