Message from Director
Creating future values through cutting-edge research
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) has been working to develop a talent who can lead social activities in a wide range of fields beyond academic research.
In April 2010, TUAT established “Innovation Advancement Institution”, inheriting the vision of our past programs; “Career Path Support Center Program” and “Agro-Innovation Advanced Human Resources Development Center Program”, for the purpose of training students to be able to innovate technologies, create industries, and propose social policies with regards to 21st-century issues such as food, water resources, environment, population, and infectious diseases. In April 2021, 10 years later, it was reorganized into “FLOuRISH” as an institution to foster highly qualified next-generation innovation leaders.
FLOuRISH has been fostering the next generation researchers by strengthening both research capabilities and entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship, also translated as "entrepreneurial spirit," is not a term limited to the business domain, but means "the attitude and ability to tackle on challenges and overcome difficulties in order to create new values”, which is in line with TUAT’s aim that creating new values based on cutting-edge research.
In order to link our research to "future value creation", I believe it is important to understand the position of own research in society and academic fields, and from there to set the steps to reach our goals. This is carried out based on a thorough investigation of information related to one’s own research. In addition, creative methods are also necessary to break through problems that have been difficult to be solved. By looking at different fields, you may conceive methods to break through the difficulties. By collaborating with researchers in other fields, you may overcome problems that could not be solved alone. In the case of basic research, this can lead to creation of new academic fields, which can be a solution of future social issues. The collaboration requires ability to communicate the value of one’s research with people in different fields and society. When connecting your research to society, it is also important to have the ability to appeal to society about what issues you can solve through your research. If you can make friends who understand and sympathize with you, you will be able to make great progress toward your goals.
FLOuRISH aims to create condition where students can concentrate on their research and to support them acquire the ability to link their own advanced research to the creation of future values as described above by providing financial support and program activities that transcend the boundaries of laboratories and universities. Because TUAT holds a strong research base in agriculture, engineering, and related fields, FLOuRISH can enable them to have cross-sectional perspectives. Furthermore, by promoting study abroad FLOuRISH fosters ability to play an active role in international society. By cooperating with Women’s Future Development Organization, FLOuRISH also does to work with a diverse range of people. Moreover, by collaborating with Deep Tech Industrial Development Organization, FLOuRISH has a system to implement into society the cutting-edge research and entrepreneurship skills acquired in our programs.
In order to create opportunities for students to flourish in the future, FLOuRISH clearly incentivizes them to explore, learn, demonstrate and broaden their abilities, and actively promotes the development and implementation of new educational programs with the united support of staffs in TUAT and society as well. Since it is for sure that innovation goes beyond universities, with your support from within and outside TUAT, I’d like to lead the initiatives to reach our goals. I would sincerely appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
Naoko Ohtsu
Director, FLOuRISH Institute
