At the ceremony, Professor Masato Miyake, Director of the Ritsumeikan Co-Creation Initiative, provided an overview of the Try Field facility, which was followed by a performance by the Cheering Squad. This intersection where students, society, education, and research all come together marked the start of the Try Field experience.

The event was centered on the first-floor Creative Complex, where visitors could experience a variety of cutting-edge research and the latest technologies, including extended reality (XR), which aims to combine the real and virtual, as well as see the initiatives that Ritsumeikan is pursuing in collaboration with partner companies and organizations. There was also a Future Learning Experience held in Learning Infinity Hall, a brand new classroom unlike anywhere else in the world. Here, visitors experienced what it was like to learn in an active learning classroom with cutting-edge equipment and functions.

The day of the ceremony coincided with Ibaraki x Ritsumeikan Day 2024, and approximately 23,000 visitors flocked to OIC. This meant local citizens and children could also to witness Ritsumeikan’s latest research outcomes and experience its state-of-the-art facilities.

After the hands-on experience, Mr. Gakuji Ito, Deputy Director-General of the Higher Education Bureau of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, delivered remarks in which he expressed his high expectations for Try Field: “The Try Field is a highly innovative facility where both students and members of society can boldly tackle challenges and create new things. I hope this will lead to new kinds of co-creation that will help solve the problems faced by both Japan and the world.” Next, Mr. Shun Shirai, Director of the Cabinet Office’s Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, who delivered remarks on behalf of Mr. Hiroki Matsuo, Secretary General for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, Cabinet Office, said, “I hope Ritsumeikan will continue to develop into a university that contributes to the region, to Japanese society, and to the world in both education and research.”

In his speech, Chairperson Tomomi Morishima stated his aspirations by saying, "Innovation is born from the cross-fertilization of different types of existing knowledge. I would like us to create new knowledge and social impact, not only at Ritsumeikan University, but also by combining our knowledge with the knowledge of various stakeholders and engaging in co-creation with society at large."

This was followed by Chancellor Yoshio Nakatani, who declared, “What is needed is an exciting environment that stimulates curiosity and places that enable extensive and close interaction with others. I want to make Try Field a place where people from all walks of life can create new ideas without being bound by conventional values and where they can earnestly try new things without fear of failure."

Finally, Vice Chancellor Akio Tokuda closed the ceremony with a bold declaration: "'OIC is also an Open Innovation Campus that promotes open innovation in collaboration with industry, academia, government, and the region. In line with the concept of ‘Challenge your mind. Change our Future,’ our motto for the Academy Vision, we will transcend the boundaries of Ritsumeikan University to foster a culture of boldly tackling challenges in the Kansai region and to cultivate innovators who are willing to fail and continue to rising to the challenge.”