Along with education and research, another mission of universities is to make substantial asocial contributions. To this end, Hiroshima University has established the Outreach and Partnership Promotion Organization to identify the needs of society and to encourage various outreach and partnership programs geared to diverse individuals and organizations. These programs are designed to share and utilize the results of the research and educational activities of some 20,000 members of Hiroshima University. By doing so, we hope to make Hiroshima University more open to society and to continue to develop with society.
University Open to the Local Community
Hiroshima University keeps its doors open to the general public, from working adults to middle-aged and senior citizens. The university provides learning opportunities through carious programs, including the Selection Systems for Working Adults, for those who wish to study while maintaining their working life; the Phoenix Admission System for Middle-Aged and Senior Citizens, which enables older people to study alongside younger HU students; and the Pert-Time Student Admission System for those who wish to study one or several specific subjects of their choice. Moreover, the university’s library and other facilities are also gradually opening up to the general public. Every Friday afternoon, HU students offer a guide tour of the Higashi-Hiroshima Campus.
Hiroshima University Provides Opportunities for Continued Education in the Community
Hiroshima University has a rich and long experience of continued education and provides a wide range of leaning opportunities through various programs: Public Lectures are organized across Hiroshima Prefecture for the general public, while campus visit, mock university classes and open seminars and lectures are held for high school students. The Entrepreneur Training Seminar is intended for those who are contemplating starting their own businesses. Hiroshima Sekigaku Lectures involve satellite-aided broadcasting of business-related lectures held in Tokyo. The university also broadcasts seminars via TV and radio and publishes important documents in its possession or selected courses on the internet.
Collaboration and Joint research with Business Communities and Municipalities in and outside Japan
Drawing on its intellectual assets, Hiroshima University conducts various activities to contribute to both the local and international communities. To promote such activities, the university publishes its research achievements in its online research database “Himawari,” disseminates information on research seeds in various e-zines, holds information meetings on new technologies in and outside Japan, and provides technology- related advice for domestic and international businesses with an eye toward possible joint or commissioned research projects. In 2010, Hiroshima University organized a technology showcase in New York City. The university is also active in sponsoring MOT (Management and Technology) and technical training programs to develop human resources. Since 2008, the university has been continuing a production management training program in a Japanese-affiliated industrial park in Indonesia, contributing to local manufacturing.
Domestic and International Patent Licensing
Hiroshima University owns 150 patents in Japan and 100 overseas. Licensing of these patents is actively pursues by locally stationed coordinators in charge of industry-academia-government cooperation. The university is also active in providing training related to intellectual properties, international legal works, and contracts.
Contributing to the Local Community with Hiroshima University’s Distinctive Research System
In cooperation with local municipalities and other organizations. Hiroshima University implements projects and builds networks with the aim of revitalizing the local community. The university thus carries out research projects that contribute to the local community, i.e., projects utilizing the university’s financial and human resources, and whose results are shared with society. Hiroshima University is also committed to supporting the local community through efforts such as volunteer activities devised or participated in by students and faculty members.