Ritsumeikan University (Kyoto, Japan; President Yoshio Nakatani) has been selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for its Support Program for Strengthening the Functions of Universities and Colleges of Technology (Growth Sector Transition Fund) under Support Category 2: Support for Strengthening Institutional Functions to Secure Advanced Information Professionals (Priority Field Support Framework). Through its selected initiative, the “Ritsumeikan University Project to Establish a Hub for Developing Earth and Space Frontier Professionals through the Integration of Space, Earth, and Information,” Ritsumeikan will strengthen its educational and research foundations in science and engineering related to space, Earth, and the planets, and it will promote the development of advanced professionals.

The MEXT program supports initiatives to strengthen the development of advanced information professionals who will support growth sectors driven by digital technology. Ritsumeikan aims to establish a new hub for developing these professionals within the tentatively named Graduate School of Frontier Exploration in Earth and Space, scheduled to open in April 2028. (This graduate school is currently in the planning stage, and details of the plan are subject to change.)

With information technologies such as AI, data science, modeling, and simulation serving as a common foundation, Ritsumeikan will develop advanced professionals capable of maintaining a comprehensive view of the entire process, from observation and exploration to design and verification, operations, and real-world applications. In addition to creating a hands-on educational program emphasizing seminars, experiments, practical training, fieldwork, and project-based learning (PBL), Ritsumeikan will develop its educational and research facilities, enhance its faculty framework, and strengthen collaboration with universities, research institutions, companies, and local governments both in Japan and overseas.

In 2023, Ritsumeikan established the Earth & Space Exploration Center (ESEC), which has advanced research in lunar and planetary exploration, space equipment development, and technologies that utilize the space environment. The university will connect the research foundations it has built through participation in national projects such as the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) and the Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission, as well as through its selection for projects under the Space Strategy Fund, with graduate education, and it will promote research, education, and talent development in an integrated manner.

Through this project, Ritsumeikan will strengthen its educational and research capabilities by integrating the fields of space and Earth with information science. By continuously developing advanced professionals capable of applying research findings to real-world settings and creating new industries, the university will also contribute to the advancement of society as a “next-generation research university that creates new value for coexistence with society.”

Comment from Yoshio Nakatani, President of Ritsumeikan University