Co-Innovation University (CoIU) Signs High School-University Collaboration Agreements with 8 High Schools Nationwide

The school corporation CoIU (Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture; Chairman: Hiromichi Inoue), which operates Co-Innovation University (CoIU), announced on June 5, 2026, the signing of a 'High School-University Collaboration Agreement' with eight high schools nationwide.

The agreement aims to establish ongoing collaboration between high schools and the university to nurture each student's individual 'question' and jointly practice inquiry-based learning essential for future society.

[Eight Collaboration Schools Shaping the Future of Learning]
Tosa Juku High School (Kochi Prefecture) / Yokohama Sōei High School (Kanagawa Prefecture) / Dalton Tokyo Gakuen Senior Division (Tokyo) / FC Imabari High School Satoyama Campus (Ehime Prefecture) / Nagoya University of Commerce & Business Ichimura High School (Aichi Prefecture) / Reitaku Mizunami High School (Gifu Prefecture) / Miyazaki Prefectural Iino High School (Miyazaki Prefecture) / Okinoshima High School (Shimane Prefecture)

※In no particular order

Through this collaboration, CoIU will provide inquiry support programs, university visits and class observations, facilitate access to the university's high school-university admission system, and promote the creation of cross-institutional learning networks.

On the day of the agreement signing, an explanatory meeting and formal ceremony were held at CoIU's Hida Campus for teachers from the participating schools.

The high school-university connection briefing session explained CoIU's educational philosophy and unique learning approach, serving as a dialogue platform where high schools and the university jointly envision the future of education.

In addition to actual class observations and conversations with first-year students, a dialogue and university presentation were conducted by Hiroyoshi Miyata, Co-Representative Director of Co-Innovation Ecosystem and Special Advisor to CoIU, and Akikuni Takagi, President of CoIU. Participants experienced firsthand the concept of 'learning that begins with a question' and the learning environment at CoIU, which had just completed its first month of operation.

Two months after CoIU's opening: 'Learning that begins with a question' takes root in Hida

Welcoming the first cohort: The CoIU entrance ceremony marked the beginning of 'learning that begins with a question' from across Japan.

In April 2026, CoIU welcomed 50 first-year students from 15 prefectures nationwide, all of whom expressed a strong desire to 'pursue their own questions and engage with society.'

Valuing the interaction of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, the university aims to build a vibrant community where each individual's personality and aspirations can thrive. Applicants who resonate with CoIU's philosophy and are committed to learning through their own questions gathered from across the country.

[Home Regions]
Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Ibaraki, Saitama, Gifu, Aichi, Toyama, Ishikawa, Shiga, Osaka, Hyogo, Tottori, Shimane, Kagawa, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Oita, and others

[Previous High Schools]

Showa Gakuin High School, Kaeitsu Ariake High School, Tsukuba University附属 High School, Tokyo Metropolitan Ueno High School, Kichijoshi Girls' High School, Tokyo Metropolitan Yashio High School, Science and Technology Academy High School, Yokohama Sōei High School, Kanagawa Prefectural Yokohama International High School, Kumon International Academy Senior Division, Toei Gakuen High School, Jōhoku Saitama High School, Toyama Prefectural Toyama Minami High School, Gifu Higashi High School, Gifu Municipal Gifu Commercial High School, Uguisudani High School, Gifu Prefectural Kani High School, Seibi High School, Reitaku Mizunami High School, Gifu Prefectural Hida Takayama High School, Kōei High School, Nagoya University Educational Department Attached High School, Nagoya University of Commerce & Business Ichimura High School, Sakuragaoka High School, Ainou Gakuen Agricultural High School, Kinki University Attached High School, Baika High School, Osaka Prefectural Suitoshi International High School, Osaka Prefectural Osaka Business Frontier High School, Santa Gakuen High School, Shimane Prefectural Okinoshima High School, Shimane Prefectural Higashinada High School, Tokushima Prefectural Jōsei High School Kamiyama Campus, Kagawa Prefectural Takamatsu Commercial High School, Kochi Prefectural Shimanto High School, Miyazaki Prefectural Iino High School, N High School, Clark Memorial International High School, Tsukuba Shūei High School, Daiichi Gakuin Yabu Campus, Shoin High School

※In no particular order

Inside the classroom: First-year CoIU students cultivating their 'questions' through engagement with local communities and society

Daily classes emphasize deepening students' personal questions through the continuous cycle of 'theory, dialogue, and practice.'

Learning through dialogue with local residents, businesses, and municipalities in the Hida region, and students discussing across disciplines and values, embody a new model of education distinct from traditional universities.

Through this high school-university collaboration agreement, CoIU aims to connect its unique learning approach with high school education, enabling schools, universities, and communities to jointly practice 'education that nurtures questions.'

Background of the Agreement: Bridging 'Question-Nurturing Education' between High Schools and Universities

As societal changes accelerate, education must cultivate not only knowledge acquisition but also the ability to formulate one's own questions and engage with society through dialogue with diverse others.

Meanwhile, as inquiry-based learning gains importance in high schools, new challenges have emerged:
'How can we deepen students' questions?'
'How can we connect with local communities and society?'
'How can we link learning to future university studies?'

Through ongoing dialogue with high schools nationwide even before its opening, CoIU recognized a shared desire to co-develop 'question-centered learning' from the high school level, leading to the establishment of this collaboration agreement.

Key Initiatives: Fostering Learning Across High Schools, Universities, and Communities

1. Inquiry Support Program Provision

CoIU will offer its unique residential inquiry support programs tailored for high schools.

● Fieldwork-based programs to nurture questions

● Social implementation-type programs

● Dialogue-based programs

By collaborating with partner schools, CoIU will design learning opportunities beyond typical in-school inquiry activities. These experiences will be brought back to high schools to create a cycle of deepening and advancing inquiry.

Students will practice learning not to 'find the correct answer' but to 'cultivate questions.'

2. High School Student Campus Visits and Class Experiences

Students from partner schools are expected to visit CoIU's Hida Campus for the following experiences:

● Observation of actual university classes

● Office hour participation

● Dialogue with current students

● Regional fieldwork

These experiences aim not only to 'learn about the university' but to 'feel how learning happens' firsthand.

3. Integration with the High School-University Admission System

Students from partner schools will be eligible to apply through the 'High School-University Admission (Comprehensive Selection)' system, which includes exclusive scholarship opportunities.

This admissions process will carefully evaluate each student's questions and intentions, emphasizing their inquiry activities, dialogues, and challenges.

4. Building a Network Among Partner Schools

Going forward, multiple partner schools will collaborate on:

● Joint development of inquiry programs

● Teacher training workshops

● Cross-school projects

● Student exchanges

Together, they will cultivate a 'co-creative learning network' that transcends regional and institutional boundaries.

Voices from Partner Schools: Educators Co-Creating the Future

Tosa Juku High School Principal, Hiroshi Kusaka

'The innovative learning approach practiced by CoIU strongly resonates with our school's core value of 'cultivating the ability to ask one's own questions and continue learning.' The insights gained through deepening one's questions via 'theory, dialogue, and practice' will surely connect to creating the future each individual envisions in today's society. Through this collaboration, I look forward to new innovations sparked by the connections between students, communities, and society.'

Yokohama Sōei High School Vice Principal, Keiko Ōmori

'At our school, we emphasize 'autonomy, dialogue, and creation'～