Contract-based university departments, a system where universities and companies collaborate to cultivate specialized, high-level talent with the premise of employment, are expected to be introduced in Japan.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to establish such departments at five universities, including the University of Tokyo and Kobe University, starting in the 2028 academic year.
Contract-based departments are a system where universities, having entered into agreements with national or local governments or companies, operate departments outside of standard enrollment quotas to train specialized talent and connect them directly to employment. In South Korea, semiconductor-focused contract departments operated by companies like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are well-known examples.
The Yomiuri Shimbun explained that while Japan has previously had industry-academia cooperation systems such as joint research and development, this is the first time the country will establish contract-based departments.
The University of Tokyo plans to partner with Sony Group, a global leader in image sensors, to cultivate customized doctoral-level talent, while Kobe University intends to collaborate with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, a major industrial robot manufacturer, to train specialists in the field of physical AI.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has decided to establish a research base at Kobe University to advance the development of "Kaleido," a quadruped robot showcased at the Osaka-Kansai Expo last year, and to foster doctoral-level talent.
In addition, Niigata University, Tohoku University, and Kanazawa University have been selected as the first institutions to establish these contract-based departments.
Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) issued a call for applications to establish these departments and selected five out of 24 applicant universities. It is reported that the government plans to gradually increase the number of participating universities.
Universities that establish these departments must operate them for at least 10 years, while companies are expected to cooperate through joint research, scholarship support, and the hiring of specialized personnel.
The Japanese government has decided to provide up to 2.5 billion yen, or approximately 23.7 billion won, to universities that establish research bases related to these contract-based departments.
(Photo: Yonhap News)