Program Overview

Program Summary

The Empowering International Startup Talent to Create an Inclusive Smart Society program is designed to foster international startup talent and create an inclusive smart society. The program involves students from the University of Tsukuba and Ohio State University, who will participate in various activities, including online poster presentations, sports and arts festivals, and social startup proposals.

Spreading Knowledge and Fostering Interest

The program begins with the "Introduction to Inclusive Smart Society" course, where students acquire fundamental knowledge of inclusive smart society and engage in online poster presentations. The "ISS Summer Festival" promotes further interaction through a sports and arts festival themed around "inclusion," where students from both universities connect through activities such as music and para esports competitions.

Acquiring Foundational Knowledge

As part of the "ISS-PBL" program, students participate in introductory classes for proposing social startups and their implementation. UT and OSU students collaborate in group work to develop proposals for social startups, and the winning groups are determined at the final presentation.

Gaining Specialized Knowledge and Skills

The winning groups in ISS-PBL participate in the "ISS Onsite Exchange Program," where they travel to the United States and collaborate with OSU students to refine their proposals. They also participate in international business competitions and other activities.

Human Resources Fostered through the Project

The program aims to develop human resources who can play a leading role in solving global issues and building a society in which diverse people can coexist in harmony. Students from both universities will participate and collaborate from all fields to propose innovative ideas that will change society, involve local governments and private companies, and support the process of social implementation.

Project Features

The program has several key features, including:

• An interdisciplinary program that maximizes the strengths of a comprehensive university
• A project involving Tsukuba City and the city of Columbus, a frontrunner in the United States
• Entrepreneurship education based on EntreComp developed by the European Commission
• A program designed to promote meaningful mid- to long-term exchanges and develop talent who can serve as true bridges between Japan and the US

Fourth Mid-term Goals of University of Tsukuba

The University of Tsukuba has set the following as its "Fourth Mid-term Goals":

• Create new academic disciplines and establish a trans-border educational model
• Accept diverse and excellent students from around the world and establish teaching methods that allow students' individuality and abilities to flourish
• Cultivate students' lifelong abilities to create the future based on their independence and social awareness

Related Terms

Inter-University Exchange Project

The Inter-University Exchange Project is a series of projects launched by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to provide financial support for efforts on the formation of collaborative programs with universities in designated countries and regions.

Society 5.0

Society 5.0 is a society that provides necessary goods and services to those who need them, when they need them, and in the amount they need. It is a society that can respond to the various needs of society in detail and allows all people to receive high-quality services.

Inclusive Smart Society

An inclusive smart society is a society in which people with diverse backgrounds play an equal leading role, going beyond the conventional concept of a smart society that targets the majority.

Difference between "Diversity" and "Inclusion"

"Diversity" means recognizing the diversity of human resources and accepting each other, while "inclusion" refers to an environment where people are given equal opportunities and work together with a sense of unity.

Social Startup

A social startup is entrepreneurship that aims to combine economic value and social benefits with a business theme of high social significance. In this program, the goal is to create a global impact by collaborating with the US, a leading startup nation.