As “shared use research institutes for all universities” in each research field, the Inter-University Research Institutes offer large-scale, state-of-the-art equipment, massive quantities of academic data, and valuable materials and analytical methods that are difficult to prepare and maintain at individual universities to scholars nationwide free of charge, in order to promote collaborative research in Japan beyond the boundaries of individual universities. Since their establishment in 1974, 17 organizations have been created to date, due to strong requests received from the researcher community regarding their need to achieve breakthrough developments in each academic field, as well as the reorganization of the attached research institutes of the national universities. Members of the research community also participate in the management of each institute, and as a core base for each academic field, joint research is conducted to collect the knowledge of researchers nationwide. In addition, their role is to substantively consolidate the research community and to represent Japan institutionally in international activities.

In 2004, the Inter-University Research Institute Corporation was reorganized into four independent organizations under the National University Corporation Act, and their operations were revitalized within an autonomous environment. In addition, it was decided to promote strategic initiatives aimed at improving shared use, collaborative research functions, and new academic fields creation.

Due to the background of the organization’s establishment, the Inter-University Research Institute Corporation is operated in close collaboration with the research community, especially universities. Covering unique viewpoints and a wide variety of research fields using “information and systems” as keywords, the organization connects over 700 universities and research institutions through a network. In addition, by constructing a large-scale database and providing it to the research community, it has made collaborative research using large amounts of data possible, which has contributed to the development of academic research. As a member of the Inter-University Research Institute Corporation, while supporting academic research centered on universities, we will continue to act as an institution of academic research that is on par with that of a university, and aim for truth in research and knowledge creation based on the free thinking of researchers.

Functions of the Inter-University Research Institute Corporation

1. Advanced research

We promote state-of-the-art research unique to the institution based on the free thinking of researchers.

2. Shared use and collaborative research

While echoing the voices of the research community, we provide researchers nationwide with research space as a hub for each academic field.

3. Postgraduate education

With a state-of-the-art research environment, and as the founding organization of the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), we accept graduate students and cooperate in developing human resources that will be responsible for the next generation.