Since its foundation in 1897, Kyoto University upholded its ” academic freedom” that emphasizes dialogue based on the spirit of “Self-Reliance and Self-Respect”. To date, the university has respected diverse and creative research and produced 11 Nobel Prize laureates and 2 Fields Medalists. In 2017 it was granted Designated National University status by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (文部科学大臣) and has been aiming to become a world-class research university, making steady progress in creating new intellectual value and nurturing rich talented human resources.

Kyoto University will continue to make steady progress in education and research which was inherited over the past 125 years, and will take on the multifaceted challenge of solving the many difficult, complex issues facing modern society and humankind from a variety of perspectives. We will contribute to the harmonious coexistence of global society.

To this end, it is important to create a research environment in which researchers can explore the essence of their studies and promote original research that can lead the world, as well as provide a place where researchers themselves can encounter different abilities, ideas so that intellectual interaction can occur.

In response to this, Kyoto University established the Kyoto University Research Administration Office (KURA) directly under the Executive-Vice President for Research in 2012.  Research Administrators (URAs) are assigned to strategically support and promote university’s reform, strengthen research capabilities, and accelerate its internationalization.  Their roles include operating a variety of programs to nurture the seeds of interdisciplinary research and to enhance the international presence of the university.

 In October 2022, newly renamed Kyoto University Research Administration Center (KURA) will further enhance its research capability promotion and support system and strive to become the “model” of research administration in Japan.

 We would like to ask for your continued understanding and support.

October 2022

Nagahiro Minato

The 27th President

Kyoto University

In academic research, important discoveries are often made by delving deeper into the particular research field but also by engaging with fields that are different from your own. You have probably heard a lecture by a speaker from a completely different disciplinary field, been impressed by such a way of thinking, and wondered if you could apply it to your own research. However, as busy researchers, you may not be able to attend a variety of interdisciplinary seminars, so you may be missing the chance to take such a leap forward in your research.

URAs (University Research Administrators), each of whom has a track record of research in academia or industry and a disciplinary specialization (many have PhDs) are particularly keen to connect and link researchers from different disciplines and steer academic conversations towards joint and multidisciplinary research projects. The URAs are also part of efforts to strategize for the future research planning at Kyoto University. In particular, we aim to influence and help design the overall academic ambitions for the university (IR, institutional research) and assemble institutional pathways by which Kyoto University can acquire a commanding international position. In sum, the mission of the URA is to contribute to strategically strengthening the university’s research capacities.

KURA was established in 2012 as Kyoto University Research Administration Office. In 2016, the university’s URAs became part of a single organization working in the same facility (Research Administration Building) to further expand the network of URAs. In October 2022, we will further enhance URA activities and become Kyoto University Research Administration Center (abbreviations remain unchanged as KURA) and will contribute to the research development of Kyoto University. At present, more than 40 URAs are enthusiastically pursuing the research missions in a wide range of fields, from the humanities and social sciences to science, engineering, life science, medicine and agricultural sciences, and are highly regarded. We ask for your understanding and cooperation with KURA, and if you require any support, please contact your URA.

October 2022

Fuyuki Ishikawa

Director

Kyoto University Research Administration Center (KURA)