The AJI Priority Research Program

The Priority Research Program in Ritsumeikan University for 2025 (fiscal year) was adopted once more.

The AJI has been in its tenth year since its establishment. As the research institute across the entire university, we connect all campuses of Ritsumeikan University to promote the collaborations between natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The AJI Priority Research Program also includes professors, the next generation of researchers, and graduate students from diverse research fields.

As the Osaka Ibaraki Campus (OIC) strives to be a “gateway to Asia,” the AJI will continue to progress, aligning with OIC as a new “socially connected campus.”

In this fiscal year, the following research themes will be promoted as priority projects in collaboration with the three areas of “Symbiosis,” “Co-creation,” and “Co-commitment” of the Asia-Japan Research Promotion Program.

Some professors and the next generation of researchers from our three campuses, sixteen undergraduate and graduate departments, and four research institutes participate as basic members of this Program. Many members from outside will also participate.

We will continually provide information on research seminars, workshops, symposia, etc. Please see the EVENTS section on this website’s top page.

Project (Project Leader)Overview
Creative Asia-Japan Research from Ritsumeikan University (Project Leader: Professor Yasushi Kosugi [Director of the AJI]) To create and develop Ritsumeikan University’s unique “Asian-Japanese Research,” following the 2024 academic year, 1) the “Japanese Philosophy” Unit, 2) the “Asian Paths of Civilization and Development” Unit, 3) the “Asian Diasporas” unit, 4) the “Culture and Art in East Asia” Unit, 5) the “Cultural Interaction between the Sinographic Culture in East Asian” Unit, and 6) the “Formation of Asia and Japan in Modern and Contemporary Times” Unite will conduct their researches to develop new axes in Japan and Asian studies, mainly by the next generation of researchers. In addition, 7) the “Multilingualism in Asia” Unit will be established anew, aiming at the development of the “Global Forum on Asian-Japan Research” that succeeds the framework of the Meridian180.
Co-Creation and Collaboration in Science and Technology with Southeast Asia (Project Leader: Professor Satoshi　Tanaka [College of Information Science and Engineering] This project will promote co-creation and collaboration in the area of science and technology with Asian regions, and in particular, the research will actively promote research cooperations with academic institutes in Southeast Asian countries.
Understanding Islam in Asia and Political and Economic Dynamics during the Transformational Era (Professor Kota Suechika [College of International Relations]) Understanding Islam in Asia and Political and Economic Dynamics during the Transformational Era (Professor Kota Suechika [College of International Relations]) This project aims to research the actual conditions of moderate and progressive Islam in Asia and clarify the actual situations concerning politics and economics in Islamic countries with a view to the recent significant political changes in West Asia.
International Promotion of Asian-Japan Research based on collaboration with Asian universities (Professor Yuko Yato [College of Comprehensive Psychology]) This project aims to promote (1) the “Asia-Pacific” network, (2) collaboration with universities in East and Southeast Asian countries, and (3) international collaborations that emphasize multilingual research dissemination. Our primary research focus is to implement a clinical intervention program, specifically a parenting empowerment camp, for child-rearing households in need of support. This program will be conducted in collaboration with universities and joint research partners in China, Korea, and Southeast Asian countries, including Japan. We will also assess the effectiveness of this intervention in these regions.

Previous Programs

2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019