Program
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12:30～
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Registration & Doors Open
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13:40～14:00 （20min.）
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ZOOMEN / JP
Opening Remarks
President, Kyushu University
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Tsuyoshi Sugino (President, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) -
14:00～14:30 （30min）
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ZOOMEN / JP
Keynote Speech
Seishi Okamoto (Corporate Executive Officer EVP, Head of Fujitsu Research）
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Short Break（10min.）
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14:40～16:00 （80min.）
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ZOOMEN / JP
Case Presentations & Panel Discussion
“Building an Ecosystem in Which PhD Talent Can Thrive”
Panelists:
Seishi Okamoto (Corporate Executive Officer EVP, Head of Fujitsu Research)
Tadahisa Kagimoto (Hardy TS Kagimoto, MD Chairman & CEO Healios)
Natalie Konomi (Senior Vice President, Kyushu University / Professor, Global Strategies Office, Kyushu University)
Saori Yabumoto (Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. Policy Research and Consulting Group Human Capital and Organizational Strategy Division Senior Researcher)
Industry-University Collaboration Office Innovation and Environment Policy Bureau Ministry of Economy, Trade and IndustryModerator:
Vice President for Education, Kyushu University -
Short Break（20min.）
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16:20～17:50 （90min.）
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※Special Session only (EN/JP)
Parallel Sessions
＊The special session and the student workshop will run in parallel at different venues.
Special Session
“Foreign National Doctoral Talent: Settling and Succeeding in Japan”
Panelists：
Naoya Taniguchi (Specially-appointed Assistant Professor Strategic Initiative for Education and Career Development Nara Institute of Science and Technology(NAIST) / Representative of TRI-PhD SALON)
Aya Puka (Professional and Career Development Specialist at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University(OIST) / Deputy Representative of TRI-PhD SALON)
Kazuya Iseda (Separator Development Promotion Project / Energy Solutions Laboratory / Material Business Research & Development / ASAHI KASEI CORPORATION)
Xing Zhu (Nissan Motor Corporation Nissan Research Center)Moderator:
Vice President for International Affairs, Kyushu UniversityStudent Workshop(Open to Forum Participants for Observation)
“Advancing Well-Being for Doctoral Students: Recommendations Development Workshop”
Facilitator：
Hiroko Takaki（Associate Professor,Promoting Organization for Future Creators,Kyushu University） -
Short Break（20min.）
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18:10～19:30 （80min.）
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Reception
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9:00～
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Doors Open
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9:30～10:45 （75min.）
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EN / JP
Graduate Student Presentations
“Advancing Well-Being for Doctoral Students: Presentation of Recommendations to Diverse Stakeholders”
Moderator:
Osamu Saeki（Coordinator, Math for Innovation Excellence Graduate Program / Professor, Institute of Mathematics for Industry, Kyushu University）
Kosuke Kaneko（Associate Professor, Research and Industrial Collaboration Management Headquarters, Kyushu University） -
10:45～11:45 （60min.）
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ZOOMEN / JP
Featured Guest Talk
Kazuto Ataka (Faculty of Environment and Information Studies / Professor, Keio University Senior Strategist at LY Corporation)
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11:45～12:00 （15min.）
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EN / JP
Closing Remarks
Executive Vice President for Education, Kyushu University
Special Session
Foreign National Doctoral Talent: Settling and Succeeding in Japan
In recent years, many talented foreign nationals holding doctoral degrees have been pursuing their studies and research at Japanese universities. However, relatively few of them go on to build careers and thrive in Japan after obtaining their degrees. Various factors—such as language and cultural differences, employment practices, and anxieties regarding career development—act as barriers to their long-term settlement and the full utilization of their capabilities.
At the same time, amidst a shrinking population and advancing globalization, expectations for these highly skilled foreign doctoral professionals are rising. Across a wide range of sectors—including research, industry, government, and local communities—their knowledge, experience, and diverse perspectives have become indispensable for creating new value and driving innovation.
In this session, Mr. Taniguchi, representative of the TRI-PhD SALON (a platform for the recruitment and development of foreign doctoral talent), will present a vision for facilitating the long-term settlement of these professionals in Japan. Following this, a panel representing diverse backgrounds will engage in a broad discussion. We will explore the underlying challenges and obstacles that hinder their success and retention, while also considering the kind of society that enables them to fully demonstrate their abilities and the roles they can play within Japanese society.
The latter part of the session will be dedicated to an exchange of views with the audience. We hope this will serve as an opportunity to reflect together on what universities, companies, government bodies, and each of us as individuals can do to support the retention and success of foreign doctoral professionals, and to discover insights for the future.
Student Presentations
“Advancing Well-Being for Doctoral Students”
In the group sessions led by graduate students, practical initiatives aimed at enhancing the well-being of doctoral students will be carried out.
Graduate students—including those enrolled in "Program for Leading Graduate Schools" and "Graduate Program for Excellence"—will form cross-disciplinary and inter-university teams to identify issues regarding doctoral student well-being, explore evidence-based solutions, and present their recommendations to diverse stakeholders.
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Date and Time
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Friday, December 18, 2026
16:20–17:50 -
Saturday, December 19, 2026
9:30–10:45 -
Venue
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Medium Hall
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Main hall
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Presentation
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We will organize the top proposals—selected via student voting from those submitted in advance—by stakeholder group and prepare for the group presentations.
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Each group will present its recommendations for the respective stakeholders.
※All proposals submitted by students will be displayed on the screen at the venue on Day 1. They are also scheduled to be published on the website of the Kyushu University Organization for Future Talent Development following the forum.
Leaflet
