Okayama University Holds Meeting with Ehime University on Fostering and Operating R&D Management Professionals to Support and Promote Reforms in Distinctive Regional National Universities
Okayama University, in collaboration with Osaka University, visited Ehime University on March 27, 2026, to discuss the cultivation and operation of research and development management professionals. This meeting is part of a MEXT initiative aimed at revitalizing academia in the Chugoku-Shikoku region and promoting university reforms.
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- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 11:50
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April 7, 2026
Okayama University
https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/
◆ Overview
Okayama University (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Okayama City; President: Yasutomo Nasu), a national university corporation, announced that on March 27, 2026, the university, along with Osaka University, visited the main administration building of Ehime University's Jōhoku Campus (Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture) to hold a meeting regarding the cultivation and operation of research and development management professionals.
This meeting was held as part of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "System Development Project for Research and Development Management Professionals," which aims to strengthen the research capabilities of universities nationwide by promoting the activities of research and development management professionals, resolving the quantitative shortage and improving the quality of such personnel across Japan, and establishing appropriate treatment and career paths. Okayama University and Osaka University are training providers, and Ehime University is a dispatching institution for trainees (system strengthening institution). The meeting was held with the aim of achieving better operation and strengthening collaboration in the implementation of the project from fiscal year 2026 onwards.
On the day of the meeting, Shinichiro Yoshida, Deputy Manager of the Research and Industry-Academia Collaboration Support Department, and Mamoru Horigane, Personnel Manager of the General Affairs Department, participated from Ehime University. From Okayama University, Seiji Yamamoto, Manager of the Research Cooperation Division, Research and Innovation Co-creation Management Department, and Miwako Kakae, Chief Specialist of the Management Planning Division, Planning Department, participated.
At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Yamamoto, Manager of Okayama University, gave an address and explained the purpose of the meeting and the details of the training content provided by Okayama University. Afterwards, an explanation of the training content provided by Osaka University was also given by the responsible person.
Following the explanation of the training content from Okayama University and Osaka University, a lively discussion took place. During the Q&A session, in addition to detailed confirmation of the training curriculum, topics such as Okayama University's faculty-staff collaboration and multi-track personnel system were also touched upon.
Regarding this meeting, Dr. Hironori Sato, Vice President (in charge of Research and Industry-Academia Co-creation) and Vice President (in charge of Academic Affairs) and Senior URA, who is the project implementation manager for Okayama University, stated, "We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Shinichiro Yoshida, Deputy Manager, and all others who responded to us during their busy year-end schedule. Okayama University and Ehime University, as national universities in the Chugoku-Shikoku region, have been carrying out various collaborations as familiar universities. In terms of research and development management professionals, we intend to collaborate firmly and energize the academia in the Chugoku-Shikoku region, promoting better reforms."
Okayama University will continue to strengthen cooperation with various stakeholders and promote the advancement of research and development management professional training and operation. To leverage this, the university will rapidly implement flexible organizational and institutional reforms that are not bound by conventional frameworks.
Please continue to look forward to the challenges of Okayama University and Ehime University, "open regional core and distinctive research universities" that co-create the future of the region and the Earth and realize social change.
Okayama University
https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/
◆ Overview
Okayama University (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Okayama City; President: Yasutomo Nasu), a national university corporation, announced that on March 27, 2026, the university, along with Osaka University, visited the main administration building of Ehime University's Jōhoku Campus (Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture) to hold a meeting regarding the cultivation and operation of research and development management professionals.
This meeting was held as part of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "System Development Project for Research and Development Management Professionals," which aims to strengthen the research capabilities of universities nationwide by promoting the activities of research and development management professionals, resolving the quantitative shortage and improving the quality of such personnel across Japan, and establishing appropriate treatment and career paths. Okayama University and Osaka University are training providers, and Ehime University is a dispatching institution for trainees (system strengthening institution). The meeting was held with the aim of achieving better operation and strengthening collaboration in the implementation of the project from fiscal year 2026 onwards.
On the day of the meeting, Shinichiro Yoshida, Deputy Manager of the Research and Industry-Academia Collaboration Support Department, and Mamoru Horigane, Personnel Manager of the General Affairs Department, participated from Ehime University. From Okayama University, Seiji Yamamoto, Manager of the Research Cooperation Division, Research and Innovation Co-creation Management Department, and Miwako Kakae, Chief Specialist of the Management Planning Division, Planning Department, participated.
At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Yamamoto, Manager of Okayama University, gave an address and explained the purpose of the meeting and the details of the training content provided by Okayama University. Afterwards, an explanation of the training content provided by Osaka University was also given by the responsible person.
Following the explanation of the training content from Okayama University and Osaka University, a lively discussion took place. During the Q&A session, in addition to detailed confirmation of the training curriculum, topics such as Okayama University's faculty-staff collaboration and multi-track personnel system were also touched upon.
Regarding this meeting, Dr. Hironori Sato, Vice President (in charge of Research and Industry-Academia Co-creation) and Vice President (in charge of Academic Affairs) and Senior URA, who is the project implementation manager for Okayama University, stated, "We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Shinichiro Yoshida, Deputy Manager, and all others who responded to us during their busy year-end schedule. Okayama University and Ehime University, as national universities in the Chugoku-Shikoku region, have been carrying out various collaborations as familiar universities. In terms of research and development management professionals, we intend to collaborate firmly and energize the academia in the Chugoku-Shikoku region, promoting better reforms."
Okayama University will continue to strengthen cooperation with various stakeholders and promote the advancement of research and development management professional training and operation. To leverage this, the university will rapidly implement flexible organizational and institutional reforms that are not bound by conventional frameworks.
Please continue to look forward to the challenges of Okayama University and Ehime University, "open regional core and distinctive research universities" that co-create the future of the region and the Earth and realize social change.