Research Strategy of Chiba University
Under the leadership of President Takeshi Tokuhisa, Chiba University is cultivating globally excellent research groups in the three areas of 1) the humanities and social sciences, 2) science and engineering, and 3) life science. The university refers to these as the “Triple Peak Challenge” and is making concerted efforts in these areas to create innovation that will pave the way for the next generation. At the same time, the university is formulating a strategy to foster researchers who will create innovation (a request of society in general to national universities), and to contribute to the continuous development of wide variety of academic research that will form a basis for the integration of research areas and the creation of new research areas. This strategy essentially aims at creating unique next-generation research and strategically promoting it through the Institute for Global Prominent Research.
Establishment of the Institute for Global Prominent Research
Chiba University established the Institute for Global Prominent Research (IGPR) in April 2016 as a framework during the Third Mid-term Plan’s period for the implementation of the research strategy and long-term ongoing creation of research groups with novelty, originality and potential, which will play a key role in research at the university. IGPR will promote research in strategic, priority research areas of the university, which were identified by analyses of various research areas through institutional research (IR) and advanced, leading research projects implemented in an interdisciplinary manner and will give priority support to these projects.
Overview of the Institute for Global Prominent Research
IGPR has divisions that promote research at two levels: 1) the Research Division for promoting “cultivation of globally excellent research groups and the formation of world prominent research centers based on this,” and 2) the Next generation Research Incubator for nurturing the university’s prospective priority research areas. A number of research projects are assigned to these divisions.
1) Research Division
Top priority projects to be promoted during the Third Mid-term Plan’s period are selected by President from the six “priority research areas” and assigned to the research division. Research Division aims the establishment of world prominent research centers and creation of innovation by:
- acceleration of research by participation of the world’s top-class researchers,
- building a research network among internationally advanced research centers.
2) Next generation Research Incubator
With a view to strengthening research and ensuring diversity, young researchers assume leading roles in projects selected from research areas that have the potential to become a nextgeneration priority area.
Each project has access to research resources strategically aggregated in IGPR (employment of researchers, research instruments, research funds, lab-space, and securing of research time), and under the leadership of the President, research resources are allocated based on the requirement of each group and the evaluation of the progress of the projects.
In addition, IGPR aims to enhance Chiba University’s research capability by establishment of 3) the Young Researcher Fostering Division, and 4) Management Division. The Management Division evaluates and selects the research projects, conducts institutional research, strategically aggregates and allocates the research resources, and practicing PDCA cycles.
