Participation in the "Local Government Policy Practice Course" Established by Ehime University

NTT West Corporation Shikoku Branch (Branch Manager: Yosuke Kumazaki, hereinafter "NTT West Shikoku Branch") and Chiiki Sosei Co-design Laboratory Inc. (President and CEO: Yukihiro Yokoi, hereinafter "Chiiki Sosei Co-design Laboratory") are pleased to announce their participation in the endowed course "Local Government Policy Practice Course" established by the National University Corporation Ehime University (Graduate School of Regional Resilience) as part of their initiative to promote human resource development for the sustainable development of local communities. We have agreed with the purpose of this initiative and will participate.

1. Background

In recent years, against the backdrop of declining populations and changes in social structures, local governments are increasingly required to have the ability to formulate policies that suit local conditions and practical problem-solving skills that utilize data. In particular, fostering human resources who can conceive and implement sustainable local communities, starting with improving the well-being (happiness) of residents, has become an important issue common to all regions.

Amidst this situation, Ehime University will newly establish an endowed course, "Local Government Policy Practice Course," where graduate students and local government officials can learn together and practically learn policy formation for solving regional issues.

This endowed course will be established by Ehime University as the operating entity, with support from multiple companies.

2. Objectives and Overview of the Endowed Course

The objectives of this endowed course are:

To foster human resources responsible for solving regional issues, starting with improving resident well-being and utilizing the concept of smart cities, Through collaborative learning between graduate students and local government officials,

To promote practical education and research

To realize sustainable local communities

The course, as a regular subject within the Graduate School of Regional Resilience at Ehime University, will include:

Practical education where graduate students and local government officials learn together

Learning policy formulation, review, and evaluation centered on the concepts of well-being and data utilization (EBPM)

Fieldwork at local governments within Ehime Prefecture (Uwajima City, Niihime City, etc.) as a field of study

It is also planned to hold a public symposium to share the results of the course with society.

3. Roles of NTT West Shikoku Branch and Chiiki Sosei Co-design Laboratory

In this initiative, NTT West Shikoku Branch and Chiiki Sosei Co-design Laboratory will participate by leveraging their respective functions, based on the division of roles within the NTT West Group.

Specifically, to enrich the educational content of the course, we will support the creation of practical learning opportunities in collaboration with the university and local governments by setting themes and providing case studies based on regional conditions and issues, and sharing knowledge related to data utilization and well-being.

(1) NTT West Shikoku Branch

As a company rooted in the region, NTT West Shikoku Branch considers it an important mission to contribute to the sustainable development of the region and the improvement of regional capabilities through human resource development.

In this initiative, in collaboration with Ehime University and local governments, we will cooperate in creating practical learning opportunities in the course and support the enrichment of educational content that is tailored to regional conditions, while also taking charge of collaboration with regional stakeholders and connecting with the field.

(2) Chiiki Sosei Co-design Laboratory

Chiiki Sosei Co-design Laboratory, which accumulates knowledge and implements it in society regarding regional revitalization within the NTT West Group, has been involved in supporting town development using well-being indicators and supporting the examination and implementation of local government policies using data, thereby accumulating practical knowledge in addressing regional issues.

In this endowed course, we will contribute to improving policy-making capabilities tailored to regional conditions by applying this knowledge and experience to the educational setting where graduate students and local government officials learn together, and by participating in some lectures in collaboration with Ehime University.

Employees from NTT West Shikoku Branch and Chiiki Sosei Co-design Laboratory are scheduled to participate as visiting faculty members and the like in the course management and educational activities, cooperating in the creation of practical learning opportunities in collaboration with Ehime University and local governments.

4. Future Outlook

Through this endowed course led by Ehime University, NTT West Shikoku Branch and Chiiki Sosei Co-design Laboratory will contribute to:

Fostering human resources with policy implementation capabilities rooted in the region

Sustainable regional development through collaboration between universities, local governments, and local communities

We will continue to address regional community issues with sincerity and promote initiatives for regional revitalization through the collaboration of education, research, and practice.

* The information contained in this press release is current as of the date of announcement. Please be aware that it may be subject to change.