1,413 Students Collaborate with Companies, Municipalities, and Medical Institutions; Kyoto University of Art and Design to Launch 112 Social Implementation Projects in FY2025

Kyoto University of Art and Design (KUA), located in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City, with President Taku Sato, has compiled the results of its industry-academia-government collaboration projects conducted in fiscal year 2025.

In an era of accelerating declining birthrates and increasing complexity of social issues, university education is required not only to impart specialized knowledge but also to foster practical skills for problem-solving through collaboration with society.

In this context, in FY2025, KUA collaborated with companies, municipalities, community organizations, medical and welfare institutions, etc., to implement 112 projects across departments and centers. Of the approximately 5,000 students in full-time programs, a total of 1,413 students engaged with real-world challenges and needs through activities such as research, planning, production, proposals, sales, and event management.

KUA defines educational activities where students engage with real-world issues and needs in collaboration with companies, municipalities, and community organizations, extending the learning of art and design beyond the campus, as "Social Implementation Projects," and promotes them university-wide.

This report organizes a wide range of activities aimed at social implementation, from concrete developments such as product commercialization and construction to proposal submissions to companies and municipalities, and PBL (Project-Based Learning) classes, as "Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Projects" and announces their achievements.

Learning Art and Design in Society

Contemporary society faces diverse challenges that transcend various fields, including community development, welfare, environment, food, and tourism. In response to these societal changes, art and design education is increasingly shifting from mere creation to considering what can be done by addressing existing issues, making it an important perspective in art education.

Kyoto University of Art and Design aims to "nurture human resources who can contribute to societal reform" and values opportunities for students to deepen their learning in real-world settings, with the cooperation of companies, municipalities, community organizations, and medical and welfare institutions, rather than limiting their education to specialized training within the university.

Industry-academia-government collaboration projects serve as practical grounds for students to learn how their expressions and proposals are received and utilized in society. Simultaneously, they provide opportunities for companies, communities, and governments to engage with the perspectives of younger generations and the innovative ideas of art and design.

KUA has been promoting educational activities that foster connections with society for many years, stemming from its predecessor initiatives. Currently, a system is in place to enable students to participate in diverse projects through both channels: receiving consultations and requests from external companies, municipalities, and organizations, and initiatives led by individual departments and centers.

Another characteristic of KUA's social implementation projects is that students can engage in collaboration with society according to their interests, transcending their specialized fields and academic years.

Introduction to FY2025 Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Project Achievements

In FY2025, Kyoto University of Art and Design conducted a total of 112 industry-academia-government collaboration projects across its departments and centers. The university focuses its education on applying art and design expertise in real-world settings, engaging in problem-solving through dialogue with its partners.

Number of Projects Implemented: 112

Main Collaboration Areas: Product Development & Branding: Product planning, package design, brand strategy development in collaboration with companies.

Regional Revitalization: Event management, spatial design, and exploration of tourism resources in collaboration with municipalities and community organizations.

Medical Care, Welfare, and Environment: Hospital art to improve medical facility environments, universal design proposals, and awareness campaigns for environmental conservation.

Education & Workshops: Creative experience workshops for children, support for inquiry-based learning for elementary, junior high, and high school students, and training programs for specialized personnel.

Public Facilities & Cultural Institutions: Preservation and utilization of cultural assets, art exhibitions in transportation spaces, and design for public spaces.

In the student activity process for these projects, the emphasis is placed on "dialogue for social implementation," which includes on-site interviews, field surveys, user-perspective verification, planning, prototype creation, presentations to clients, and improvements based on feedback, rather than solely focusing on completing the final product.

Representative Projects

【Learning Leading to Commercialization and Sales】 Hirakata Park × Kyoto University of Art and Design Industry-Academia Collaboration Project

The Department of Information Design collaborated with Keihan Electric Railway Co., Ltd. on product planning for Hirakata Park. Students rediscovered the amusement park's appeal and proposed ideas. Two student proposals were adopted and are scheduled to be sold as products within 2026. This provided students with an opportunity to refine their ideas not just as "works" but as items that would be selected by society.

【Learning Connected to Medical and Welfare Fields】 Hospital Art HAPii+ Project 2025

The Center for Art and Design Education collaborated with Osaka General Medical Center on hospital art to alleviate anxiety in treatment rooms and inpatient care spaces. Designs inspired by animals and fairies were applied to walls and signage, with over 60 locations decorated. For the students, this was an opportunity to consider creating an environment that supports patients, their families, and medical staff. The hospital art "Hapii+" project has been implemented in various medical institutions for 17 years since its commencement in 2009, and is scheduled to continue this year.

【Learning Open to Public Transportation and Communities】 Future Eiden Art Project

The Social Implementation Support Office collaborated with Eizan Electric Railway Co., Ltd. and the Kyoto Prefecture "Kyoto Future Human Resource Development Project." 36 students from 7 departments participated, exhibiting artworks at 9 Eizan Electric Railway stations. The students learned the significance of expressing themselves to local residents in everyday transportation spaces, which differ from gallery settings.

【Learning Connecting Science and Art】 Planning and Operation of "Kids Science Expo 2025"

The Department of Character Design collaborated with NHK Educational Corporation to implement a project linked to the exhibition of the Kyoto University Center for iPS Cell Research and Application at "Kids Science Expo 2025." Children attending the expo learned about iPS cell differentiation through a game and then, with the support of students, attempted character design using cells as their theme.

Approximately 1,000 works were created over three days, providing students with an opportunity to learn how to convey specialized knowledge in an understandable and enjoyable way through expression.

Recent Social Implementation Projects

"Short Video Production" in collaboration with Nippon Steel Corporation

Release URL: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000699.000026069.html

"Product Development" in collaboration with Daiso Industries Co., Ltd.

Release URL: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000321.000039955.html

Future Developments

Looking ahead to its 50th anniversary in 2027, Kyoto University of Art and Design will further connect art and design education with society, expanding opportunities for students to learn, think, and express themselves in the real world.

In FY2026, projects in collaboration with companies, municipalities, and community organizations are underway, including an art project at Kamigamo Shrine and workshops and exhibitions utilizing local resources. Through these initiatives, KUA will continue its educational activities to foster students' ability to identify questions in societal contexts and apply their art and design expertise within society.

⬛︎ About Kyoto University of Art and Design (KUA) Kyoto University of Art and Design is one of Japan's largest comprehensive art universities, comprising full-time programs (10 departments, 24 courses) and a correspondence program (5 departments, 19 courses). The full-time program conducts over 100 "Social Implementation Projects" annually in collaboration with companies and municipalities. The correspondence program was established in 1998 and is Japan's first 4-year art university correspondence program, attracting diverse students from across Japan and overseas.

Location: 2-116 Uryuyama-cho, Kita-Shirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, 606-8271

URL: https://www.kyoto-art.ac.jp/

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