It is becoming increasingly important for universities to strengthen the priority research areas and build research initiatives strategically in order to promote high-quality research and implement its outcomes into the society as a research university. Active young researchers are the key driving force to achieve the goal.

Against such a backdrop, Okayama University has established a new award system, “Okayama University Research Professor Program” to encourage outstanding young associate professors, who achieve significant research results in their fields, remarkable research activities as principal investigators and obtain large-scale external research grants.

Under the program, associate professors are given the title of Research Professor. This program was launched in October, 2018, and five associate professors were awarded at the first awarding ceremony held on November 16 and 29, 2018.

At the ceremony, President Hirofumi Makino gave a speech: he expressed his hope that the five associate professors would play a greater role in their fields in the future. Subsequently, Executive Vice President for Research Daiji Takeuchi explained the University’s research professor program, including the background leading to the creation of this program, and how this program is run.

Faculty members who have been awarded the title of Research Professor:
Nobuyuki Kawahara, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering
Akira Satoh, Research Core for Interdisciplinary Sciences
Yuta Nishina, Research Core for Interdisciplinary Sciences
Takaaki Miyaji, Advanced Science Research Center
Takeshi Takarada, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Medical School