Mission and Objectives
Center for International Collaborative Research, Nagasaki University
Project on strengthening the area of international collaborative research (2005 ― 2010)
Mission and Objectives of International Collaborative Research
Combined with its geographic proximity to the Asian Continent, the East China Sea, and its history of international exchange with various countries worldwide, it comes as no surprise that Nagasaki University has established a Centre for International Collaborative Research, which honors the past of vibrant cultural, educational and international exchange in this part of Japan. Taking on this tradition, the main mission of Nagasaki University is to firmly establish itself within the grounds of the leading academic institutions of the world, which would also continue to assume its role as a major "information source for knowledge" through strong collaborative linkages with other research institutions worldwide.
As a medium-sized University situated in regional city, southwest of Japan, Nagasaki University continues to mark its important contributions to various academic disciplines through refining and promoting its strengths in specific fields in training and research. Capitalizing on its unique attributes for academic excellence and research, particularly in the internationally recognized field of tropical medicine/infectious diseases and radiation medical research, the University continues to make important contributions through innovative research designs and valuable research outcomes in these respective areas. Furthering its contributions to the already established foundation of academic excellence, the university is also strengthening its marine science research activities by rendering the subject area as one of the three core areas for international collaborative research. Through these three main pillars of academic disciplines, Nagasaki University seeks to firmly establish itself and expand its academic excellence capacity into other disciplines by becoming one of the leading academic institutions for scientific research and higher education in these respective fields.
Over the years, Nagasaki University has become the leading academic institution among national universities in Japan in the area of tropical diseases/infectious diseases and radiation medical research. Both of these areas of research have been awarded the Center of Excellence (COE), which is a new initiative promoted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Technology and Science (MEXT), Japan, that aims to endorse universities across Japan to become centers of world-standard research institutes. In the area of tropical/infectious diseases, the University has been chosen as one of the four main universities to establish a foremost research center in collaboration with research counterparts in Vietnam on emerging/reemerging infectious diseases. In the area of radiation medical research, a global consortium has been established and was approved as yet another COE program by MEXT. In furthering our capacity as a world-renowned research center, the University is strengthening its research capacity in marine science research by forging partnerships with universities in China and South Korea for joint research activities in neighboring bodies of waters, particularly in East China Sea. All of these disciplines stand as core research areas which raise imminent issues for the global trends today. These joint research efforts are boundless in its educational and research capacity and aims to contribute to the overall human well-being through innovative research outcomes.
In this regard, Nagasaki University established a Center for International Collaborative Research (CICORN) in 2005 to ensure that these important research activities are strategically planned, carried out and implemented effectively. CICORN attempts to bridge the gap between the University's research and training expertise and its prospects in expanding and conducting joint research activities globally. In partnership with various organizations, such as international organizations (WHO, UNICEF) and bilateral aid agencies (JICA, JBIC), medical and research institutions, and civil societies, CICORN aims to strategically develop, manage, implement and achieve important research outcomes in these respective disciplines, through observations of research trends and societal needs.
Summary of featuring characteristics of CICORN
- One of the main purposes of launching CICORN as an integral part of Nagasaki University was to establish a center that holds the capacity to comprehensively develop and manage all joint research activities that are based overseas. The center is intended to develop research activities on issues relevant to international development, acquire project grants from international and bilateral aid agencies, administer funds received from donor agencies, secure adequate human resource to carry out projects, and oversee the entire course of managing such projects. As an autonomous center that stands independent of any departments or schools within the university, the CICORN is already well on its way in embarking on its mission in providing oversight to international joint research efforts.
- By establishing itself as a "one-stop service center" that allows for swift decision-making and proficient management schemes, CICORN has a mandate to develop and provide oversight for joint research projects to operate with economy, efficiency, and effectiveness. One strategic characteristic unique to CICORN is that the center has combined all executive, managerial and administrative authorities within the organization by comprising academic and administrative personnel under a single organizational structure. The primary intent of this new initiative is for CICORN to act as a university-wide focal point for proposing, designing, developing and overseeing joint overseas research projects. CICORN's stated strategic objectives also include service delivery that attempts to bridge the gap between external institutions and university faculties interested in conducting overseas joint research activities.
- Benefiting from the renewed recruitment policies, CICORN is now mandated to recruit staff with various expertise on a term-limited basis. The new-found flexibility in personnel recruitment would allow for CICORN to strategically develop, acquire and manage research activities on a project basis. Staff recruitments on term-limited basis may either be academic or administrative professionals, depending on the requirements of the project. Qualified staff may further cultivate their expertise through the enrollment of overseas training programme.
Expected Objectives and Achievements from international project operations
- Benefiting from years of experience on overseas research projects in the area of tropical medicine and infectious diseases, Nagasaki University seeks to further lead this unique area of discipline. In this connection, the University has embarked on two main projects funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) this fiscal year in Kenya and Vietnam, respectively. Both of these projects will have permanent staff in the field, which is expected to strengthen collaborative research efforts with local research partners. Having permanent staff in the field would also allow for better expected results that are designed to assist respective regions for better policy recommendations, which may further contribute to overall human development and security
- In the area of radiation medical research, by capitalizing on the expertise on clinical research and molecular epidemiology, the University seeks to contribute to the international community on the appropriate transfer of technical skills. In particular, important skills for transfer include the diagnosis of individuals in need of therapy, reducing the risk of diseases (e.g. cancer) through uses of medical technologies such as X-rays, and making important contributions to international communities in presenting evidence-based scientific outcomes for research studies. These outcomes would particularly be useful for Asian countries, whose increase in economic activities have forced them to be dependent on of nuclear electricity plants, by ensuring their well-being through the development of Asian Regional Emergency Hibaku Medical Network.
- In the area of marine science research, the university seeks to develop a research network with universities from China, Korea and Japan, by having the center of the research network based in Nagasaki University, known as the Network for Recovering the Marine Ecology of East China Sea. Through this Network, joint research activities such as monitoring, database development and management will be one of the main efforts for collaboration. These research efforts are designed to be further promoted through joint-hosting of symposia, workshops and forums in the Network?Cs overall endeavors to secure and preserve the biodiversity and resources of the East China Sea.
- By ensuring the effective operation of CICORN, the University and its faculty members may benefit from the potential collaborative efforts and prospects for further research, particularly in Asia, by partnering with multi/bilateral agencies such as JICA, JBIC and WHO, and civil societies
- Through its international collaborative research activities, the University aims to contribute to human resource development by training individuals to develop leadership skills in the field of international development. The University holds aspirations in becoming one of the leading institutions for human resource development and training in international development. Through this initiative, Nagasaki University aims to develop and forge strong networks with various research institutes and researchers worldwide, by also promoting the University's core research mandate through these research partnerships.