April 6, 2026 (Reiwa 8) National University Corporation Okayama University

https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/

◆Summary

Okayama University (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Okayama City; President: Yasutomo Nasu) held a meeting on March 24, 2026, at Yokohama City University's Fukuura Campus (Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama City) regarding the development and operation of research and development management personnel.

This meeting was held as part of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Program for Developing Research and Development Management Personnel", which aims to strengthen the research capabilities of universities nationwide, promote the activities of R&D management personnel, resolve the quantitative shortage and improve the quality of such personnel throughout Japan, and establish appropriate treatment and career paths. Okayama University is a training provider, and Yokohama City University is a trainee dispatching institution. The meeting was held to discuss better operation and strengthened collaboration for the program's implementation from fiscal year 2026 onwards.

On the day of the meeting, attendees from Yokohama City University included Vice President (URA Division Director) Satoshi Kinoshita, Research Promotion Department Manager (URA Division Director Assistant) Tetsuya Kurobe, URA Division Deputy Director Hiromichi Suzuki, URA Division Deputy Director Shinji Sakamoto, Research and Industry-Academia Collaboration Promotion Division Manager Rie Yamazaki, and Research Planning Section Chief Tatsuki Muramatsu. From Okayama University, the project implementation manager, Norihito Sato (Vice President for Research and Industry-Academia Co-creation, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Senior URA), along with Makoto Shoho, General Chief Specialist of the Research Cooperation Division, Research and Innovation Co-creation Management Department, and Kaori Fukuhara, administrative staff, participated.

At the meeting, Vice President Sato gave an opening address and explained the purpose of the meeting. General Chief Specialist Shoho provided a detailed explanation of the training content offered by Okayama University. During the Q&A session, discussions covered not only the details of the training menu but also the strengthening and promotion of the URA system at Yokohama City University, the establishment of on-campus hubs, and the ideal role of R&D management personnel involved in these initiatives.

Regarding this meeting, Norihito Sato, Vice President for Research and Industry-Academia Co-creation, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Senior URA, who is the project implementation manager, stated, "Yokohama City University and Okayama University have both been selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's 'Program for Strengthening Core and Distinctive Research Universities in the Region (J-PEAKS)', and we are also promoting collaboration from the perspective of forming a group of research universities. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the in-depth discussion we had today on the current issues and future direction of the R&D management personnel system, especially regarding the operation of URAs, who play a central role in research management. The career path of Okayama University URAs is referenced by many universities and research institutions, but we will not rest on our laurels. We will learn from the opinions shared today and strive to build an even better system. We will also use this to build a better training program for the R&D management personnel development program."

Okayama University will continue to strengthen collaboration with various stakeholders and promote the advancement of R&D management personnel development and operation. To leverage this, we will swiftly implement flexible organizational and institutional reforms that are not bound by conventional frameworks.

Please continue to look forward to the challenges of Okayama University, an open regional core and distinctive research university that co-creates the future of the region and the Earth and realizes social transformation, and Yokohama City University.

Scene from the meeting

Group photo after the meeting

Open Innovation Lab at Yokohama City University's Fukuura Campus, where the meeting was held

Overview diagram of Okayama University's "Program for Developing Research and Development Management Personnel"

Providing training know-how from distinctive Okayama University URAs

◆References

・Yokohama City University

https://www.yokohama-cu.ac.jp/index.html

・Okayama University Research University Declaration

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003808.000072793.html

・Okayama University Program for Strengthening Core and Distinctive Research Universities in the Region (J-PEAKS)

https://j-peaks.orsd.okayama-u.ac.jp/

◆Reference Information 1

・[Okayama University] Selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Program for Developing Research and Development Management Personnel" ~Developing R&D management personnel who can create new value from "knowledge": Providing training utilizing distinctive initiatives such as the Okayama University URA model~

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003628.000072793.html

・[Okayama University] Exchanged opinions with Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology on the development and operation of R&D management personnel at regional core and distinctive research universities

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003885.000072793.html

・[Okayama University] Held a meeting with Hirosaki University on the development and operation of R&D management personnel for open regional core and distinctive research universities

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003886.000072793.html

・[Okayama University] Held a meeting with Iwate University on the development and operation of R&D management personnel capable of leading university management

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003906.000072793.html

・[Okayama University] Held a meeting with Shimane University on the development and operation of R&D management personnel who can contribute to improving research capabilities with a regional and international perspective

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003922.000072793.html

◆Reference Information 2

・[Okayama University] Selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Program for Strengthening Core and Distinctive Research Universities in the Region (J-PEAKS)" ~Accelerating the realization of Okayama University as a research university that co-creates the future of the region and the Earth and becomes a core of global innovation, and building a mountain range of world-class research universities in Japan~

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001935.000072793.html

・[Okayama University x PMI Japan Chapter] Concluded an inter-organizational cooperation agreement on project management ~Strengthening R&D management personnel development and activating project management across academia in Japan~

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003776.000072793.html

・Management of R&D Innovation and Human Resources ~From the perspectives of "project management" and "organization"~

https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20240531-mxt_kiban03-000035730_3.pdf

・Highly specialized research personnel who steer research universities ~The past and future of Okayama University Research Administrators (URAs)~

https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/up_load_files/press_r5/press20230831-1-1.pdf

Okayama University Tsushima Campus (Kita-ku, Okayama City)

◆Contact for this matter

Okayama University, Research and Innovation Co-creation Management Department, Research Cooperation Division

1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-8530, Okayama University Tsushima Campus, Main Building TEL: 086-251-7116 E-mail: kenkyu-management◎adm.okayama-u.ac.jp * @ has been replaced with ◎

https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/tp/news/news_id15236.html

＜Regarding collaboration with Okayama University Hospital, etc. (for pharmaceutical and medical device company personnel)＞ Okayama University Hospital, New Medical Research and Development Center 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-8558 Please inquire about relevant cases from the URL below http://shin-iryo.hospital.okayama-u.ac.jp/ph_company/

＜Regarding collaboration with Okayama University Hospital, etc. (for medical personnel and researchers)＞ Okayama University Hospital, Research Promotion Division, Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Promotion Section 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-8558 TEL: 086-235-7983 E-mail: ouh-csnw◎adm.okayama-u.ac.jp * Please replace ◎ with @ http://shin-iryo.hospital.okayama-u.ac.jp/medical/

＜Contact for industry-academia-government collaboration at Okayama University＞ Okayama University Research and Innovation Co-creation Organization, Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Headquarters 1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-8530, Okayama University Tsushima Campus, Main Building 1F TEL: 086-251-8463 E-mail: sangaku◎okayama-u.ac.jp * Please replace ◎ with @ https://www.orsd.okayama-u.ac.jp/

＜Contact for shared research equipment (core facility) at Okayama University＞ Okayama University Task Force for Strengthening and Promoting the Shared Use and Maintenance of Research Equipment (Abbreviation: Team Shared Use) 1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-8530, Okayama University Tsushima Campus, Main Building 1F TEL: 086-251-8705 FAX: 086-251-7114 E-mail: cfp◎okayama-u.ac.jp * Please replace ◎ with @ https://corefacility-potal.fsp.okayama-u.ac.jp/

＜Contact for startups and ventures at Okayama University＞

Okayama University Research and Innovation Co-creation Organization, Startup and Venture Creation Headquarters

1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-8530, Okayama University Tsushima Campus, Main Building 1F E-mail: start-up1◎adm.okayama-u.ac.jp * Please replace ◎ with @

https://venture.okayama-u.ac.jp/

Okayama University Media "OTD" (App): https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000011.000072793.html Okayama University Media "OTD" (Web): https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000215.000072793.html

Okayama University Original Goods Online Shop: https://okadaigoods.official.ec/

Okayama University Integrated Report 2025: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003715.000072793.html Okayama University SDGs Website: https://sdgs.okayama-u.ac.jp/ Okayama University SDGs ~Thinking about the sustainability of local communities (YouTube): https://youtu.be/Qdqjy4mw4ik Okayama University Image Movie (YouTube): https://youtu.be/pKMHm4XJLtw

Okayama University Program for Strengthening Core and Distinctive Research Universities in the Region (J-PEAKS): https://j-peaks.orsd.okayama-u.ac.jp/

Industry-Academia Co-creation Activity "Okayama University Open Innovation Challenge" April 2026 Co-creation Partner Recruitment: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000003912.000072793.html

Affordable research equipment rental/lease "SX Platform" with no installation, maintenance, repair, or removal costs

https://sxplatform.jp/

Okayama University supports the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also received a special award at the first "Japan SDGs Award" by the government. Please look forward to Okayama University, which promotes co-education and co-creation as a regional core and distinctive research university.

・ Okayama University selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Program for Strengthening Core and Distinctive Research Universities in the Region (J-PEAKS)" ~Accelerating the realization of Okayama University as a research university that co-creates the future of the region and the Earth and becomes a core of global innovation, and building a mountain range of world-class research universities in Japan~

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001935.000072793.html

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  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: News