Message from the Director
Prof.
Yoshinobu Tsujii
Director, Kyoto University Research Coordination Alliance
Message from the Director
Kyoto University has over 2,700 faculty members and more than 20,000 students. In comparison with other universities in Japan, a distinctive feature of Kyoto University is the nearly 660 researchers/faculty members working exclusively at 18 different affiliated institutes and centers. These facilities are designated as Kyoto University Institutes and Centers (KUICs). Researchers and faculty members working at KUICs are expected to achieve internationally recognized, high-level research output. The Kyoto University Research Coordination Alliance (KURCA), which was launched as an in-school organization in 2015, supports the research activities of these researchers/faculty members and their affiliated graduated students. KURCA encourages challenging, original research projects while fostering the growth of capable personnel and talented research leaders.
KUCRA designates research groups called Research Units Exploring Future Horizons to execute special collaboration programs through the leadership of various institutes and centers. Cooperative projects led by foreign researchers are also promoted within the framework of these Research Units Exploring Future Horizons. These research units provide interdisciplinary platforms shared by otherwise noninteracting researchers. The 18 constituent bodies of KURCA cover a wide range of research fields and include researchers from the humanities and social sciences, engineering, medical, pharmaceutical, and life sciences. KURCA facilitates discussions and the exchange of ideas among these different fields. The organization also realizes a variety of programs for sending young researchers overseas, inviting eminent researchers from abroad, and subsidizing publications in international journals and books.
In 2020, four new Research Units Exploring Future Horizons were set up as part of KURCA’s second term of activities. These interdisciplinary research groups will create cutting-edge science and innovative new technology, and nurture the next generation of researchers.
Your support and encouragement for the research and educational activities promoted by KURCA would be very much appreciated.