[Okayama University] Okayama University Holds Certification Ceremony for the "Graduate School Study Support System (First Half of FY2026)"

June 2, 2026 National University Corporation Okayama University https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/ ◆ Overview National University Corporation Okayama University (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Okayama City; President: Yasutomo Nasu) held the certification ceremony for the Okayama University "Graduate School Study Support System (First Half of FY2026)" on March 27, 2026, at the main building of the Tsushima Campus. This system was launched in the second half of FY2024 as part of the efforts to advance staff capabilities under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) "Program for Forming Japan's Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS)" (Implementing agency: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science). This initiative aims to realize the Okayama University Long-Term Vision 2050: "A research university that co-creates the future of the region and the earth, and contributes to global innovation." Starting this fiscal year, the eligible staff has been expanded from educational and research technical staff to include administrative staff, facility technical staff, and library staff. The target degrees have also been expanded to include master's degrees in addition to doctoral degrees. For this fourth round of the "Graduate School Study Support System (First Half of FY2026)," applications were also received from administrative staff. Following a screening by a selection committee chaired by President Yasutomo Nasu and including executive directors and vice presidents, a total of six individuals—three administrative staff and three educational and research technical staff—aiming to obtain doctoral and master's degrees were selected. The certification ceremony was held with various media outlets in attendance. At the beginning, Norito Sato, Vice Executive Director (in charge of Research and Industry-Academia Co-creation), Vice President (in charge of Academic Affairs), and Senior URA, who is in charge of this system, gave a greeting including the purpose of the system: "This system is Okayama University's unique program that supports administrative and technical staff working at our university to advance to graduate school for a master's or doctoral degree. It started in the second half of FY2024, and the university fully covers the admission fee and tuition for the standard period of study for successful applicants. Aiming to advance staff capabilities, six people are scheduled to enroll in the first half of next year. The initiatives of this project are spreading to other J-PEAKS universities, greatly contributing to the strengthening and advancement of human resources supporting Japan's research universities." Subsequently, President Nasu presented the certificates to the six certified individuals. President Nasu also offered words of encouragement: "All of you who have been certified this time are highly motivated individuals who wish to further enhance your expertise in graduate school while continuing your conventional duties. I have long believed that it is important for universities to have staff with advanced knowledge, such as doctoral degrees, working as equal partners with researchers, similar to universities in Europe and the United States. I hope you will gain strength through learning and support Okayama University, which is open to the world, as individuals who will bear the responsibility of management and university administration in the future. Please do your best with responsibility and determination." Following this, the certified staff expressed their gratitude and their enthusiasm for the future. While advancing staff capabilities through this system and other means, the university is also moving away from traditional faculty-centric university corporate management. As an achievement indicator set in J-PEAKS, the university has set a target of a 50% acquisition rate for master's degrees or higher (and a 20% acquisition rate for doctoral degrees) among educational and research technical staff. By fostering the awareness and confidence that such advanced staff operate a research university, we are promoting better university corporate management. Please continue to look forward to the initiatives of Okayama University, an open regional core and distinctive research university. This matter was published on June 1, 2026. ○ Comments from Certified Individuals - Yusuke Nii, Chief Specialist, International Planning Division, Planning Department (Doctoral Course) "I would like to express my sincere gratitude for being selected for the Graduate School Study Support System. Through my studies in graduate school, I will devote myself to enhancing my expertise and management skills to contribute to the further internationalization of our university." - Takao Funakura, Chief, Industry-Academia Collaboration Division, Research and Innovation Co-creation Management Headquarters (Doctoral Course) "Based on the knowledge cultivated in my master's course, I would like to deepen my knowledge from multifaceted academic fields at the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems. I will strive to research the issue of how to create and foster well-being in the region starting from the university, and I intend to return the results to the practical work of industry-academia collaboration, further dedicating myself to the development of our university and contribution to the local community." - Tatsuya Morishita, Technical Chief, Education Support Technology Division, Comprehensive Technical Department (Doctoral Course) "I sincerely thank you for certifying me for this system. I will devote myself to improving my research and technical capabilities through learning in my specialized field, so that I can contribute to Okayama University's research capabilities from the perspective of a technical staff member." - Sayaka Kishimoto, Technical Chief, Medical Technology Division, Comprehensive Technical Department (Master's Course) "I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for being selected for the Graduate School Study Support System. I will continue to study hard to further improve my technical skills so that I can contribute to the improvement of the research capabilities of Okayama University as a whole." 〇 Comment from President Yasutomo Nasu I would like to express my sincere respect for the challenge taken on by all the staff members who received certification this time. We will also provide solid support. This system is one aspect of advancing staff capabilities, but I think there are various points to 'advancement.' For example, in the case of national university corporations, it has become 'normal' for faculty members to hold most executive positions such as directors. To change this, I implemented a personnel system reform last fiscal year from the perspective of 'professionals doing professional work,' which prevents faculty members from directly assuming the position of director. I want to make it 'normal' to appoint human resources with excellent management skills along with specialized careers from among advanced staff to management levels such as directors and vice directors. We universities must change. We must not stop our steps to change. And we will fully support faculty and staff who challenge themselves to change. Please look forward to our challenge. 〇 Certified Individuals of Okayama University "Graduate School Study Support System" Including this time, 13 people (8 doctoral, 5 master's) have been certified under this system so far (one of whom obtained a Doctor of Medicine degree in March 2025). - Second Half of FY2024 Mami Asakura, Technical Specialist, Education Support Technology Division, Comprehensive Technical Department (Doctoral Course) Chiaki Kobayashi, Technical Specialist, Medical Technology Division, Comprehensive Technical Department (Doctoral Course) [Completed in March 2025] - First Half of FY2025 Hideo Ueki, Technical Specialist, Medical Technology Division, Comprehensive Technical Department (Doctoral Course) Ryota Kimura, Technical Staff, Medical Technology Division, Comprehensive Technical Department (Doctoral Course) Yuri Nakamura, Technical Specialist, Education Support Technology Division, Comprehensive Technical Department (Master's Course) Hiroki Ueyama, Library Staff, Library Information Management Division, University Library (Master's Course) - Second Half of FY2025 Yuko Hojo, Technical Specialist, Instrumental Analysis and Animal/Plant Resources Technology Division, Comprehensive Technical Department (Master's Course) - First Half of FY2026 Yusuke Nii, Chief Specialist, International Planning Division, Planning Department (Doctoral Course) Takamichi Matsumoto, Chief, Research Cooperation Division, Research and Innovation Co-creation Management Headquarters (Master's Course) Takao Funakura, Chief, Industry-Academia Collaboration Division, Research and Innovation Co-creation Management Headquarters (Doctoral Course) Kazuhiro Saito, Technical Specialist, Education Support Technology Division, Comprehensive Technical Department (Doctoral Course) Tatsuya Morishita, Technical Chief, Education Support Technology Division, Comprehensive Technical Department (Doctoral Course) Sayaka Kishimoto, Technical Chief, Medical Technology Division, Comprehensive Technical Department (Master's Course) President Yasutomo Nasu giving a greeting and Vice Executive Director, Vice President, and Senior URA Norito Sato explaining the purpose of the system (right) Chief Takamichi Matsumoto receiving the certificate (right) Technical Chief Sayaka Kishimoto receiving the certificate (right) Commemorative photo (Front row from left: Chief Specialist Nii, President Nasu, Vice Executive Director/Vice President/Senior URA Sato, Chief Matsumoto. Back row from left: Chief Funakura, Technical Chief Morishita, Technical Chief Kishimoto) ◆ Reference - Okayama University Vision 3.0 / Okayama University Long-Term Vision 2050 https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/tp/profile/ou-vision.html - National University Corporation Okayama University Research University Declaration https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003808.000072793.html - Okayama University Program for Forming Japan's Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS) https://j-peaks.orsd.okayama-u.ac.jp/ ◆ Reference Information 1 - [Okayama University] Selected for MEXT's "Program for Forming Japan's Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS)" ~Accelerating the realization of Okayama University as a research university that co-creates the future of the region and the earth and becomes the core of global innovation, while building a mountain range of research universities in Japan that we can be proud of in the world~ https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001935.000072793.html - [Okayama University] Launching the Okayama University "Graduate School Study Support System" ~Fostering and utilizing doctoral human resources as knowledge workers as one means of advancing university staff, and strengthening university corporate management and graduate school reform~ https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000002317.000072793.html ◆ Reference Information 2 - [Okayama University] Okayama University Holds Certification Ceremony for the "Graduate School Study Support System (Second Half of FY2025)" https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003558.000072793.html - [Okayama University] Okayama University Holds Completion Ceremony for the "Graduate School Study Support System (FY2024)" ~First technical staff member obtains a doctoral degree and is certified as a specially appointed assistant professor~ https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003179.000072793.html - [Okayama University] Okayama University Holds Certification Ceremony for the "Graduate School Study Support System (First Half of FY2025)" ~Implementing expanded support not only for obtaining doctoral degrees but also for master's degrees, etc.~ https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003061.000072793.html - [Okayama University] Okayama University Holds Certification Ceremony for the "Graduate School Study Support System (Second Half of FY2024)" ~Strengthening and promoting the advancement of university staff, and fostering and utilizing doctoral human resources as knowledge workers~ https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000002534.000072793.html ◆ Reference Information 3 - [Okayama University] Revising the "Okayama University Research Policy" aiming for Okayama University: A research university with the "power" to more reliably realize the Okayama University Long-Term Vision 2050 and cause social transformation https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001798.000072793.html - [Okayama University] Establishing "Okayama University Top Priority Research Areas" ~To realize a research university that co-creates the future of the region and the earth and contributes to global innovation~ https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001601.000072793.html - Advanced research professionals steering the research university ~Past and future of Okayama University Research Administrators (URA)~ https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/up_load_files/press_r5/press20230831-1-1.pdf - [Okayama University] Establishing and launching the "Okayama University Research Capability and Innovation Creation Strengthening Realization Council" ~Aiming for a research university that realizes social transformation with pride and a sense of speed, unifying the command tower function~ https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001788.000072793.html - "Doctoral Human Resources Active Plan ~Let's get a doctorate~" (MEXT) https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/jinzai/1278386_00002.htm - "Guidebook for Promoting the Activities of Doctoral Human Resources in Private Companies" (MEXT / METI) https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/innovation_corp/guide_book_hakase.pdf - Okayama University's Initiatives on Securing Research Time for Researchers (Cabinet Office) https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/gaiyo/yusikisha/20241128/siryo2.pdf ◆ Contact Information for this matter Okayama University, General Affairs Department, Human Resources Division, Human Resources Utilization Group Main Building, Okayama University Tsushima Campus, 1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-8530 TEL: 086-251-7029 E-mail: abg7029◎adm.okayama-u.ac.jp * Please replace ◎ with @ https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/tp/news/news_id15289.html Okayama University Hospital, Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-8558 Please inquire about relevant matters from the URL below http://shin-iryo.hospital.okayama-u.ac.jp/ph_company/ Okayama University Hospital, Research Promotion Division, Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Promotion Section 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-8558 TEL: 086-235-7983 E-mail: ouh-csnw◎adm.okayama-u.ac.jp * Please replace ◎ with @ http://shin-iryo.hospital.okayama-u.ac.jp/medical/ Okayama University Organization for Research and Innovation Co-creation, Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Headquarters 1st Floor, Main Building, Okayama University Tsushima Campus, 1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-8530 TEL: 086-251-8463 E-mail: sangaku◎okayama-u.ac.jp * Please replace ◎ with @ https://www.orsd.okayama-u.ac.jp/ Okayama University Task Force for Strengthening and Promoting the System and Maintenance of Research Equipment Sharing (Abbreviation: Team Sharing) 1st Floor, Main Building, Okayama University Tsushima Campus, 1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-8530 TEL: 086-251-8705 FAX: 086-251-7114 E-mail: cfp◎okayama-u.ac.jp * Please replace ◎ with @ https://corefacility-