Co-Innovation University Gathers First-Term Students Who Ask Their Own Questions – Students Challenging Society Through Co-creation Enroll –
Co-Innovation University (CoIU), set to open in April 2026 in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, has welcomed its first-term students. Emphasizing the ability to pose questions and co-create rather than traditional academic scores, CoIU focuses on project-based learning, integrating theory, dialogue, and practice. The university aims to foster a 'Co-innovation Ecosystem' by collaborating with regions, companies, and residents, leveraging 'empathy as funding' through local tax donations to support student initiatives and community development.
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- 📰 Published: April 3, 2026 at 22:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 3, 2026 at 17:10
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School Juridical Person CoIU (Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, Chairman: Hironari Inoue) announces that Co-Innovation University (hereinafter referred to as CoIU), which will open on April 1, 2026, will welcome its first-term incoming students.
High school students who resonate with the philosophy of "asking questions themselves and implementing learning with society" have gathered from all over the country for this university.
The university life of students who empathize with the university's philosophy and have decided to study in the CoIU environment by their own will is about to begin.
◯ Learning that Begins with Questions, Towards Education Implemented with Society
CoIU, which opened in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, is a four-year university that aims to cultivate individuals who challenge value creation connected to society by upholding the founding spirit of "Questioning Civilization Together, Co-creating the Future," while iterating between theory, dialogue, and practice.
Amidst increasing societal uncertainty, education centered solely on acquiring existing knowledge is becoming insufficient to address complex challenges. In this environment, what is required for the coming era is not "the ability to memorize correct answers," but "the ability to pose questions and move towards solutions with others."
At CoIU, we will develop an educational program that "iterates between theory, dialogue, and practice," centered on project-based learning that confronts real-world issues in collaboration with regions, companies, and research institutions.
By iterating between the three elements of systematically learning specialized knowledge ("theory"), deepening questions within relationships with diverse others ("dialogue"), and practical application in the real world ("practice"), we will cultivate each student's ability to pose questions and move towards solutions with others, in other words, co-creation skills.
To select individuals who learn theory, dialogue, and practice for co-creation, this university will prioritize the perspective of "what kind of questions they have and how they intend to engage with society," rather than focusing on academic ability tests like written exams based on deviation scores, and we wish to welcome many such students.
◯ Towards an Admissions System Focused on "What Questions Do You Have for the Future Society?"
CoIU has emphasized not just written exams, but rather what kind of issues students are aware of, how they intend to spend their university years, and how they wish to connect with society.
The perspective is not about "already completed abilities or experiences," but about "what questions will be deepened moving forward."
What kind of actions are they trying to take, starting from their own original experiences and societal issues.
In terms of admission categories, approximately 90% of the capacity will be allocated to comprehensive selection and school recommendation-based selection, with about 10% allocated to general selection (choosing 2 subjects from Japanese, English, and Mathematics I A), which focuses on written exams.
To select individuals who embody CoIU's philosophy, iterate between theory, dialogue, and practice for co-creation, possess questions, and co-create the future, we believe it is important to increase the proportion of comprehensive selection and school recommendation-based selection, and have implemented it accordingly.
As for the specific examination methods for comprehensive selection and school recommendation-based selection, in addition to documents such as letters of intent and recommendation letters, group dialogues and individual interviews were conducted, and selection was made through careful dialogue regarding "what kind of questions do you have for the future society?"
The application and acceptance status for the 2026 academic year entrance examinations is as follows.
| Entrance Exam Type | Capacity | Applicants | Accepted Students | Application Ratio |
| :------------------------------ | :------- | :--------- | :---------------- | :---------------- |
| Comprehensive Selection | 68 | 62 | 54 | 0.9 |
| School Recommendation-based Selection | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0.05 |
| General Selection | 12 | 36 | 18 | 3.0 |
Furthermore, for the school recommendation-based selection, due to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's accreditation notification on August 29th and the start of admissions in September for the first year, the number of applications was limited due to the timing gap between the disclosure of designated school recommendation slots and the students' decision-making period.
◯ Co-creators from Across the Country, Bringing Diverse Backgrounds and Perspectives
The first-term students consist of 51 individuals from across Japan who resonate with the university's philosophy and approach learning with their own questions. A new learning environment, where diverse backgrounds and perspectives intersect, begins here.
It is characterized by students from urban areas to rural regions, each raised in different environments and possessing different values and concerns.
【Regions of Origin】 Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Ibaraki, Saitama, Gifu, Aichi, Toyama, Ishikawa, Shiga, Osaka, Hyogo, Tottori, Shimane, Kagawa, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Oita, etc.
【High Schools of Origin】 Clark Memorial International High School, Tsukuba Shuei High School, Johoku Saitama High School, Showa Gakuin High School, Kaetsu Ariake High School, University of Tsukuba High School Attached, Tokyo Metropolitan Ueno High School, Kissho Joshi High School, Tokyo Metropolitan Yashio High School, Science and Technology High School, Yokohama Soei High School, Kanagawa Prefectural Yokohama International High School, Kumon Kokusai Gakuen High School, Toin Gakuen High School, Toyama Prefectural Toyama South High School, Gifu Tokai High School, Gifu Municipal Gifu Commercial High School, Uguisudani High School, Gifu Prefectural Kani High School, Gifu Prefectural Hida Takayama High School, Saibi High School, Reizei Mizunami High School, Gifu Prefectural Hida High School, Kyoei High School, Nagoya University School of Education High School Attached, Nagoya Keizai University Ichimura High School, Sakuragaoka High School, Ainō Gakuen Agricultural High School, Kinki University High School Attached, Baika High School, Osaka Prefectural Suito Kokusai High School, Osaka Prefectural Osaka Business Frontier High School, Daiichi Gakuen High School Yabu Main Campus, Mita Gakuen High School, Shimane Prefectural Okinoshima-mae High School, Shimane Prefectural Iinan High School, Shoin High School, Tokushima Prefectural Josai High School Kamiyama Campus, Kagawa Prefectural Takamatsu Commercial High School, Kochi Prefectural Shimanto High School, Miyazaki Prefectural Iino High School, N High School
Their high schools of origin span a wide range, from prestigious schools to specialized vocational high schools and correspondence high schools, and their learning styles and experiences are also diverse.
Furthermore, several students have lived away from home since high school, experiencing dormitory life in remote areas while learning alongside the local community.
Thus, this university's unique characteristic is demonstrated in how students, not bound by uniform careers or paths, have chosen their own courses based on their interests and original experiences.
Through students with such diverse perspectives meeting, dialoguing, and challenging each other's questions, new insights and ideas will emerge. At CoIU, we view these "differences" themselves as valuable and use them as a starting point for co-creation.
The first-term students will be more than just enrollees; they will be "co-creators" who, while bringing diverse perspectives, will jointly establish a new learning environment.
◯ First-Term Students Stepping Out into Society, Starting from Their Own Questions
The greatest characteristic of our first-term students is that they "possess their own questions."
A major characteristic is their approach: instead of tackling given themes, they raise questions from their own original experiences, discomfort, or interests, and seek to deepen their learning starting from those questions.
Among the incoming students are those with themes such as the following.
"Living My Own Questions, Not Searching for Answers" - The Origins of Three CoIU First-Term Students
"I want to reduce the lives lost in disasters" – A Choice Begun with a Question About Disaster Prevention.
I encountered disaster prevention at a young age, and the desire to "protect lives" bloomed within me. Starting from that desire, I have taken action, including obtaining a disaster prevention specialist qualification, establishing a disaster prevention club, and conducting research and outreach both domestically and internationally. Through experiences in disaster-stricken areas and dialogues with diverse people, I have realized that disaster prevention is not just knowledge, but something built through human connections. Therefore, I want to engage with the field, repeatedly engaging in dialogue and practice to explore new approaches to disaster prevention. I have decided to come to this place with the resolve to "create a society where lives can be protected, with my own hands."
"Challenging Regional Revitalization with IT" – An Original Experience That Made Challenges "Personal"
Through an experience in junior high school where I realized the significant disparities in educational environments depending on the region, I began to view societal issues as "personal concerns." In high school, I utilized my IT skills to develop a tool with friends to solve attendance management issues. By taking action starting from minor inconveniences, I gained the sense that I could change the environment. I want to extend this experience to broader societal challenges. I was strongly drawn to CoIU's approach of entering communities and creating value through iterations of dialogue and practice. I want to take the first step from here with the aspiration to "draw out the potential of regions through the power of IT and invigorate Japan as a whole."
"New Value for the Region Through Medicinal Herbs" – Potential Discovered from Familiar Nature
From childhood, I sensed the potential of wild and medicinal herbs found around me as regional resources. I want to explore how they can be practically utilized in people's lives and industries, not just as mere knowledge. I was deeply moved by CoIU's education, which starts from questions, deepens learning, and connects with the region and society for implementation. Driven by the desire to "discover new value in familiar natural resources like medicinal herbs through co-creation with diverse people and contribute to a sustainable regional future," I chose to study at CoIU.
What is common among the three is that they "do not already have the answers."
Rather, what is important is "holding unresolved questions as one's own."
CoIU is a place where, starting from those questions, individuals encounter others, connect with society, and lead to implementation.
◯ "Empathy Becomes Funding" – A New Form of University
This university aims to build a "Co-innovation Ecosystem" (abbreviated as CoIE), where education, industry, and the region unite to create value.
This is a vision to not only provide a place for learning but also to promote co-creation with companies, local governments, and residents, with an eye toward social implementation, thereby simultaneously realizing new industries and sustainable regional development.
One of the initiatives that has already been undertaken is the project "Co-Innovation Valley," which unfolds in Hida.
By integrally advancing renewable energy projects utilizing rich forest resources, establishing co-creation hubs, and fostering human resources, we are undertaking the challenge of creating a circular economy in the region.
This is a system where companies that resonate with the university's philosophy and vision participate not just as mere supporters, but as partners who jointly bear value creation, and the circle of co-creation is already expanding with the agreement and support of many companies.
To accommodate this expanding empathy, this university has secured financial resources for university operations through donations, utilizing the "Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation)" and "Corporate Furusato Nozei" systems in cooperation with Hida City, Gifu Prefecture.
All of these financial resources have been donated with the purpose of "supporting CoIU," and since they do not involve financial burdens for Hida City, they can be flexibly utilized for the development of the university's educational environment.
Furthermore, these financial resources are also used for the student support system (entrance congratulatory money and living support funds) provided by Hida City through this university, creating an environment where motivated students can challenge themselves regardless of their economic situation.
◯ Towards a University that Integrates with the City and Circulates Learning and Implementation
CoIU is developing a learning environment integrated with the region under the concept of "the entire city as a campus."
The aim is to simultaneously achieve learning and social implementation by promoting projects in collaboration with local companies and residents, rather than confining activities solely within classrooms.
Furthermore, this model is a groundbreaking initiative from a university management perspective, as it does not involve owning large-scale new land or real estate.
This "city-campus concept" leads to the establishment of a sustainable educational and regional collaboration model, representing a new form of university in regional areas.
◯ First-Term Students Selected Based on "Willingness to Challenge Together"
In the first year, rather than prioritizing the fulfillment of capacity, we conducted selection focused on "students who possess their own questions and have the willingness to challenge together."
What this university emphasized was not already established achievements or evaluations, but the willingness regarding "what they will face moving forward and how they wish to engage with society."
Stepping into unknown territories and continuing to face questions without answers inherently involve uncertainty and difficulties.
Nevertheless, we valued the attitude of collaborating with others, starting from one's own questions, and striving to create new value.
Furthermore, the first-term students are not merely recipients of learning; they are also individuals who will co-create the very nature of CoIU, this new form of education.
That is precisely why this university has positioned "whether one possesses the willingness to challenge together" as one of the most important criteria.
As a result, students who strongly resonate with the university's philosophy have gathered, marking the start of the university. While each possesses different questions, they are the "first companions" striving to carve out the future through co-creation.
◯ Towards the Next Phase Where Questions Link and Co-creation Expands
Moving forward, through recruitment for the second term and beyond, we will promote the participation of a more diverse student body and further expand our initiatives in education, research, and social implementation.
We will transition to a phase where the questions brought by the first-term students serve as a starting point, generating new questions and thereby expanding the very cycle of learning.
At CoIU, we aim to build a "co-creation ecosystem" involving not only students but also diverse players such as the region, companies, local governments, and research institutions.
Individual questions will be refined through encounters with others, leading to concrete projects and social implementation.
For more details, click here
Co-Innovation University, Opening in April 2026, Enters a New Phase – Announcing the Launch of the "Co-Innovation Ecosystem" and New Structure –
These initiatives aim to function as a place for value creation open to the entire region and society, extending beyond the confines of a university. The goal is for questions to be shared within society, to link up, and to generate new challenges, rather than remaining solely within the individual.
This cycle is precisely the form of learning that CoIU envisions.
CoIU will continue to present new learning models required for the future society, based on this co-creation ecosystem.
■About Co-Innovation University (Abbreviation: CoIU)
Co-Innovation University (CoIU), operated by School Juridical Person CoIU, is a four-year university that fosters "the ability to pose questions" and "co-creation skills." Through regional practice and learning that iterates between diverse theories and dialogues, students, faculty, and working adults together tackle regional challenges. Its base is in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture. It aims to be a "new form of university" that learns across generations and positions by developing satellite campuses nationwide.
◯ University Name: Co-Innovation University (School Juridical Person CoIU)
◯ Opening: April 1, 2026
◯ Special Advisor: Hironori Miyata
Chairman: Hironori Inoue
President: Rokugi Takagi
Department/Major: Faculty of Co-creation, Department of Regional Co-creation
◯ Location: 11-15 Kanamori-cho, Furukawa-cho, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture
Instagram: ＠coiu_2026: https://www.instagram.com/coiu_2026/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coiu2026
Note: https://note.com/coiu_2026
High school students who resonate with the philosophy of "asking questions themselves and implementing learning with society" have gathered from all over the country for this university.
The university life of students who empathize with the university's philosophy and have decided to study in the CoIU environment by their own will is about to begin.
◯ Learning that Begins with Questions, Towards Education Implemented with Society
CoIU, which opened in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, is a four-year university that aims to cultivate individuals who challenge value creation connected to society by upholding the founding spirit of "Questioning Civilization Together, Co-creating the Future," while iterating between theory, dialogue, and practice.
Amidst increasing societal uncertainty, education centered solely on acquiring existing knowledge is becoming insufficient to address complex challenges. In this environment, what is required for the coming era is not "the ability to memorize correct answers," but "the ability to pose questions and move towards solutions with others."
At CoIU, we will develop an educational program that "iterates between theory, dialogue, and practice," centered on project-based learning that confronts real-world issues in collaboration with regions, companies, and research institutions.
By iterating between the three elements of systematically learning specialized knowledge ("theory"), deepening questions within relationships with diverse others ("dialogue"), and practical application in the real world ("practice"), we will cultivate each student's ability to pose questions and move towards solutions with others, in other words, co-creation skills.
To select individuals who learn theory, dialogue, and practice for co-creation, this university will prioritize the perspective of "what kind of questions they have and how they intend to engage with society," rather than focusing on academic ability tests like written exams based on deviation scores, and we wish to welcome many such students.
◯ Towards an Admissions System Focused on "What Questions Do You Have for the Future Society?"
CoIU has emphasized not just written exams, but rather what kind of issues students are aware of, how they intend to spend their university years, and how they wish to connect with society.
The perspective is not about "already completed abilities or experiences," but about "what questions will be deepened moving forward."
What kind of actions are they trying to take, starting from their own original experiences and societal issues.
In terms of admission categories, approximately 90% of the capacity will be allocated to comprehensive selection and school recommendation-based selection, with about 10% allocated to general selection (choosing 2 subjects from Japanese, English, and Mathematics I A), which focuses on written exams.
To select individuals who embody CoIU's philosophy, iterate between theory, dialogue, and practice for co-creation, possess questions, and co-create the future, we believe it is important to increase the proportion of comprehensive selection and school recommendation-based selection, and have implemented it accordingly.
As for the specific examination methods for comprehensive selection and school recommendation-based selection, in addition to documents such as letters of intent and recommendation letters, group dialogues and individual interviews were conducted, and selection was made through careful dialogue regarding "what kind of questions do you have for the future society?"
The application and acceptance status for the 2026 academic year entrance examinations is as follows.
| Entrance Exam Type | Capacity | Applicants | Accepted Students | Application Ratio |
| :------------------------------ | :------- | :--------- | :---------------- | :---------------- |
| Comprehensive Selection | 68 | 62 | 54 | 0.9 |
| School Recommendation-based Selection | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0.05 |
| General Selection | 12 | 36 | 18 | 3.0 |
Furthermore, for the school recommendation-based selection, due to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's accreditation notification on August 29th and the start of admissions in September for the first year, the number of applications was limited due to the timing gap between the disclosure of designated school recommendation slots and the students' decision-making period.
◯ Co-creators from Across the Country, Bringing Diverse Backgrounds and Perspectives
The first-term students consist of 51 individuals from across Japan who resonate with the university's philosophy and approach learning with their own questions. A new learning environment, where diverse backgrounds and perspectives intersect, begins here.
It is characterized by students from urban areas to rural regions, each raised in different environments and possessing different values and concerns.
【Regions of Origin】 Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Ibaraki, Saitama, Gifu, Aichi, Toyama, Ishikawa, Shiga, Osaka, Hyogo, Tottori, Shimane, Kagawa, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Oita, etc.
【High Schools of Origin】 Clark Memorial International High School, Tsukuba Shuei High School, Johoku Saitama High School, Showa Gakuin High School, Kaetsu Ariake High School, University of Tsukuba High School Attached, Tokyo Metropolitan Ueno High School, Kissho Joshi High School, Tokyo Metropolitan Yashio High School, Science and Technology High School, Yokohama Soei High School, Kanagawa Prefectural Yokohama International High School, Kumon Kokusai Gakuen High School, Toin Gakuen High School, Toyama Prefectural Toyama South High School, Gifu Tokai High School, Gifu Municipal Gifu Commercial High School, Uguisudani High School, Gifu Prefectural Kani High School, Gifu Prefectural Hida Takayama High School, Saibi High School, Reizei Mizunami High School, Gifu Prefectural Hida High School, Kyoei High School, Nagoya University School of Education High School Attached, Nagoya Keizai University Ichimura High School, Sakuragaoka High School, Ainō Gakuen Agricultural High School, Kinki University High School Attached, Baika High School, Osaka Prefectural Suito Kokusai High School, Osaka Prefectural Osaka Business Frontier High School, Daiichi Gakuen High School Yabu Main Campus, Mita Gakuen High School, Shimane Prefectural Okinoshima-mae High School, Shimane Prefectural Iinan High School, Shoin High School, Tokushima Prefectural Josai High School Kamiyama Campus, Kagawa Prefectural Takamatsu Commercial High School, Kochi Prefectural Shimanto High School, Miyazaki Prefectural Iino High School, N High School
Their high schools of origin span a wide range, from prestigious schools to specialized vocational high schools and correspondence high schools, and their learning styles and experiences are also diverse.
Furthermore, several students have lived away from home since high school, experiencing dormitory life in remote areas while learning alongside the local community.
Thus, this university's unique characteristic is demonstrated in how students, not bound by uniform careers or paths, have chosen their own courses based on their interests and original experiences.
Through students with such diverse perspectives meeting, dialoguing, and challenging each other's questions, new insights and ideas will emerge. At CoIU, we view these "differences" themselves as valuable and use them as a starting point for co-creation.
The first-term students will be more than just enrollees; they will be "co-creators" who, while bringing diverse perspectives, will jointly establish a new learning environment.
◯ First-Term Students Stepping Out into Society, Starting from Their Own Questions
The greatest characteristic of our first-term students is that they "possess their own questions."
A major characteristic is their approach: instead of tackling given themes, they raise questions from their own original experiences, discomfort, or interests, and seek to deepen their learning starting from those questions.
Among the incoming students are those with themes such as the following.
"Living My Own Questions, Not Searching for Answers" - The Origins of Three CoIU First-Term Students
"I want to reduce the lives lost in disasters" – A Choice Begun with a Question About Disaster Prevention.
I encountered disaster prevention at a young age, and the desire to "protect lives" bloomed within me. Starting from that desire, I have taken action, including obtaining a disaster prevention specialist qualification, establishing a disaster prevention club, and conducting research and outreach both domestically and internationally. Through experiences in disaster-stricken areas and dialogues with diverse people, I have realized that disaster prevention is not just knowledge, but something built through human connections. Therefore, I want to engage with the field, repeatedly engaging in dialogue and practice to explore new approaches to disaster prevention. I have decided to come to this place with the resolve to "create a society where lives can be protected, with my own hands."
"Challenging Regional Revitalization with IT" – An Original Experience That Made Challenges "Personal"
Through an experience in junior high school where I realized the significant disparities in educational environments depending on the region, I began to view societal issues as "personal concerns." In high school, I utilized my IT skills to develop a tool with friends to solve attendance management issues. By taking action starting from minor inconveniences, I gained the sense that I could change the environment. I want to extend this experience to broader societal challenges. I was strongly drawn to CoIU's approach of entering communities and creating value through iterations of dialogue and practice. I want to take the first step from here with the aspiration to "draw out the potential of regions through the power of IT and invigorate Japan as a whole."
"New Value for the Region Through Medicinal Herbs" – Potential Discovered from Familiar Nature
From childhood, I sensed the potential of wild and medicinal herbs found around me as regional resources. I want to explore how they can be practically utilized in people's lives and industries, not just as mere knowledge. I was deeply moved by CoIU's education, which starts from questions, deepens learning, and connects with the region and society for implementation. Driven by the desire to "discover new value in familiar natural resources like medicinal herbs through co-creation with diverse people and contribute to a sustainable regional future," I chose to study at CoIU.
What is common among the three is that they "do not already have the answers."
Rather, what is important is "holding unresolved questions as one's own."
CoIU is a place where, starting from those questions, individuals encounter others, connect with society, and lead to implementation.
◯ "Empathy Becomes Funding" – A New Form of University
This university aims to build a "Co-innovation Ecosystem" (abbreviated as CoIE), where education, industry, and the region unite to create value.
This is a vision to not only provide a place for learning but also to promote co-creation with companies, local governments, and residents, with an eye toward social implementation, thereby simultaneously realizing new industries and sustainable regional development.
One of the initiatives that has already been undertaken is the project "Co-Innovation Valley," which unfolds in Hida.
By integrally advancing renewable energy projects utilizing rich forest resources, establishing co-creation hubs, and fostering human resources, we are undertaking the challenge of creating a circular economy in the region.
This is a system where companies that resonate with the university's philosophy and vision participate not just as mere supporters, but as partners who jointly bear value creation, and the circle of co-creation is already expanding with the agreement and support of many companies.
To accommodate this expanding empathy, this university has secured financial resources for university operations through donations, utilizing the "Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation)" and "Corporate Furusato Nozei" systems in cooperation with Hida City, Gifu Prefecture.
All of these financial resources have been donated with the purpose of "supporting CoIU," and since they do not involve financial burdens for Hida City, they can be flexibly utilized for the development of the university's educational environment.
Furthermore, these financial resources are also used for the student support system (entrance congratulatory money and living support funds) provided by Hida City through this university, creating an environment where motivated students can challenge themselves regardless of their economic situation.
◯ Towards a University that Integrates with the City and Circulates Learning and Implementation
CoIU is developing a learning environment integrated with the region under the concept of "the entire city as a campus."
The aim is to simultaneously achieve learning and social implementation by promoting projects in collaboration with local companies and residents, rather than confining activities solely within classrooms.
Furthermore, this model is a groundbreaking initiative from a university management perspective, as it does not involve owning large-scale new land or real estate.
This "city-campus concept" leads to the establishment of a sustainable educational and regional collaboration model, representing a new form of university in regional areas.
◯ First-Term Students Selected Based on "Willingness to Challenge Together"
In the first year, rather than prioritizing the fulfillment of capacity, we conducted selection focused on "students who possess their own questions and have the willingness to challenge together."
What this university emphasized was not already established achievements or evaluations, but the willingness regarding "what they will face moving forward and how they wish to engage with society."
Stepping into unknown territories and continuing to face questions without answers inherently involve uncertainty and difficulties.
Nevertheless, we valued the attitude of collaborating with others, starting from one's own questions, and striving to create new value.
Furthermore, the first-term students are not merely recipients of learning; they are also individuals who will co-create the very nature of CoIU, this new form of education.
That is precisely why this university has positioned "whether one possesses the willingness to challenge together" as one of the most important criteria.
As a result, students who strongly resonate with the university's philosophy have gathered, marking the start of the university. While each possesses different questions, they are the "first companions" striving to carve out the future through co-creation.
◯ Towards the Next Phase Where Questions Link and Co-creation Expands
Moving forward, through recruitment for the second term and beyond, we will promote the participation of a more diverse student body and further expand our initiatives in education, research, and social implementation.
We will transition to a phase where the questions brought by the first-term students serve as a starting point, generating new questions and thereby expanding the very cycle of learning.
At CoIU, we aim to build a "co-creation ecosystem" involving not only students but also diverse players such as the region, companies, local governments, and research institutions.
Individual questions will be refined through encounters with others, leading to concrete projects and social implementation.
For more details, click here
Co-Innovation University, Opening in April 2026, Enters a New Phase – Announcing the Launch of the "Co-Innovation Ecosystem" and New Structure –
These initiatives aim to function as a place for value creation open to the entire region and society, extending beyond the confines of a university. The goal is for questions to be shared within society, to link up, and to generate new challenges, rather than remaining solely within the individual.
This cycle is precisely the form of learning that CoIU envisions.
CoIU will continue to present new learning models required for the future society, based on this co-creation ecosystem.
■About Co-Innovation University (Abbreviation: CoIU)
Co-Innovation University (CoIU), operated by School Juridical Person CoIU, is a four-year university that fosters "the ability to pose questions" and "co-creation skills." Through regional practice and learning that iterates between diverse theories and dialogues, students, faculty, and working adults together tackle regional challenges. Its base is in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture. It aims to be a "new form of university" that learns across generations and positions by developing satellite campuses nationwide.
◯ University Name: Co-Innovation University (School Juridical Person CoIU)
◯ Opening: April 1, 2026
◯ Special Advisor: Hironori Miyata
Chairman: Hironori Inoue
President: Rokugi Takagi
Department/Major: Faculty of Co-creation, Department of Regional Co-creation
◯ Location: 11-15 Kanamori-cho, Furukawa-cho, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture
Instagram: ＠coiu_2026: https://www.instagram.com/coiu_2026/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coiu2026
Note: https://note.com/coiu_2026