Waseda Institute for Sport SciencesWaseda University

Masashi Miyashita, Ph.D.
Director of Waseda Institute for Sport Sciences

The Waseda Institute for Sport Sciences was established in 2006 as a research institute of the Faculty of Sport Sciences. Its role is to collaborate with the Centre’s researchers, national and international research institutes, various companies, administrative bodies and sports-related organisations from a multifaceted perspective in the broad academic field of ‘sports science’, and to widely disseminate research findings back to society.

About 160 researchers from the Centre, consisting of faculty members, visiting researchers and invited researchers from the Faculty of Sport Sciences, carry out cutting-edge and original research in a variety of specialised fields, from basic research to practical research. Furthermore, the findings are not only disseminated through presentations and invited lectures at national and international conferences and universities, but also through news releases on the Centre’s website, in an effort to share the findings to society at large.

The ‘Colloquium on Sport Sciences’ for research seminars and lectures is another important project of the Centre. The meetings are held 10-15 times a year at the Tokorozawa and Higashifushimi campuses, inviting internationally active domestic and foreign researchers to provide a wide range of the latest findings and trends not only to the Centre’s researchers, but also to students, postgraduate students and the general public. The Centre’s most important task is to promote joint and commissioned research in collaboration with various companies, government agencies and sports-related organisations. In order to further disseminate and implement the research conducted by the Centre’s researchers to society at large, the Centre collaborates on research activities such as health promotion, improvement of sports performance, injury prevention and rehabilitation, and policy, culture and education related to sport. Through these activities, the findings are applied to solving social problems, and efforts are made to disseminate them widely throughout the world.

In addition, as part of its human resources development, the Sport MBA Essence (Sport Master of Business Administration Essence) has been offered since 2017. This is a non-degree educational programme for working professionals interested in acquiring knowledge about sports management and business. The programme is a joint venture with Waseda University’s Institute for Business and Finance, and has already produced a large number of graduates who are active in the sports business world.

Behind these projects is the Global COE (Center of Excellence) Program entitled ‘Sport Sciences for the Promotion of Active Life’ by the MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology). Through the formation of an internationally competitive university, agreements have been concluded with leading universities, and many excellent domestic and international students have been attracted to the Graduate School of Sport Sciences for educational and research exchange. These students have gone on to become highly successful in the world after obtaining their doctoral degrees. The legacy of the programme was further continued with the Top Global University Project (SGU) ‘Health Promotion: The Joy of Sports and Exercise.’ Through the formation of even stronger networks, including new partnerships, we have deepened our exchanges and cooperation with the world’s top universities.

We are also a Council Member of the Global Sport University Network, a global network of sport-related universities established in September 2023. As a member of the Network, we will continue to steadily promote activities that lead to solutions to global issues that cannot be solved by a single institution, in cooperation with universities, various companies, government agencies and sports-related organisations.

Currently, Waseda University is promoting education and research with the aim of enhancing its international presence to become a leading university in Asia. Sport science, which is capable of interdisciplinary development, will increasingly be expected to address social issues. We believe that the Centre plays a role in this process.

21 September, 2024