Science Tokyo has now started “Program for Development of Next-Generation Front-Runners with Comprehensive Knowledge and Humanity (Science Tokyo SPRING)” to support doctoral students who will play a key role in the future of science, technology, and innovation in Japan on the occasion of the merger of Tokyo Institute of Technology and Tokyo Medical and Dental University in Fall of AY 2024. This program has sought to empower such students to pursue a doctorate without hesitation, financial burden, or career uncertainty, and to choose diverse career paths that maximize their potential.

This program aims to produce highly specialized human resources who will address modern societal challenges and contribute to the welfare and happiness of all members of the global community. It also aims to equip doctoral students with advanced specialized skills and versatility to independently choose their own careers from a variety of professions. Supported students will each receive a research incentive grant equivalent to living expenses and support for research expenses for up to three years, and will participate in various initiatives aimed at improving their research skills and supporting their career paths. One of the options is the off-campus study for more than three months, and we strongly encourage you to take up the challenge of doing off-campus study abroad. Taking the plunge and going out of your laboratory to gain international experience will undoubtedly be a great source of nourishment for you when you take your next step forward. You may also choose to enroll in educational programs offered by the Center of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence or the Center for Entrepreneurship Education. Both of these programs are designed to develop specialized and transferable skills that will be indispensable when you are active in a variety of fields in the future.

After receiving my doctoral degree, I had the great opportunity to spend a total of two and a half years in Switzerland and the U.S. Then I obtained a lot of precious things from the experiences and networks I gained in the countries. In particular, the stimulation I received from my colleagues and surroundings during my six-month stay in Zurich, Switzerland, which was the first overseas experience of my career, shaped the direction of my life thereafter. It expanded my dimension of thinking as a researcher and gave me “hope to design my own life deliberately” as a citizen. Even now, a quarter of a century after that experience in 1998, it is as vivid in my memory as if it were only yesterday. I hope that you too will have such an experience in this program.

We look forward to receiving many applications from highly motivated students who share the objectives of this program and who will be responsible for the future of science, technology, and innovation in Japan.