Global Research Center（GRC）Waseda University

Connecting Diverse Knowledge
to Support and Advance Research for Global Impact

Looking ahead to 2032, the 150th anniversary of its founding, and beyond, Waseda University aspires to realize “WASEDA, Contributing to the World.” To achieve the goal set forth by President Takayuki Homma, “leading high-impact research that contributes to society,” we must discover the seeds of original research and bring together knowledge across disciplinary and organizational boundaries. Advances in digital technologies, and in particular AI, are profoundly transforming both the way research is conducted and the shape of society itself. At the same time, challenges related to climate change, resources and energy, social divisions, and human health and well-being affect communities at both the local and global levels, and are intricately intertwined. In such times, universities are expected not only to fulfill their conventional roles but also to open up new possibilities for research by bringing different kinds of knowledge and perspectives together.

The Center for Research Strategy (Research Strategy Section, Research Innovation Center) forms part of the Global Research Center (GRC), a university-wide research promotion organization established in April 2024, and is dedicated to strengthening Waseda University’s research abilities and initiatives. Our activities are built on four main pillars:
    １．Conduct research, analysis and evaluation of research activities in and outside Waseda
    ２．Plan and propose research strategy
    ３．Promote and support research
    ４．Develop a network of connections for research

Specifically, we explore new research opportunities by closely following research trends in and outside the university as well as changes in society. Together with the Center’s University Research Administrators (URAs), we listen to the visions and challenges of researchers engaged in pioneering work, and we incorporate insights from researchers into the strategies we formulate and propose. By expanding networks within and beyond the university and encouraging collaboration across disciplines and organizations, we support Waseda’s interdisciplinary research bridging the humanities and sciences, as well as its industry-academia-government collaboration. We also promote the social implementation of research results and contribute to strengthening industrial competitiveness. Furthermore, in cooperation with the Research Promotion Division and research organizations, we will expand international collaborative research, nurture original research, and create an environment in which research outcomes can be communicated both in Japan and internationally.

Research that brings great value to society does not arise solely from responding to immediate challenges. Deepening basic research, pioneering new fields, and bringing together knowledge from different disciplines each lay the foundation for future discoveries and transformation. The Center for Research Strategy also supports early-career researchers in pursuing new challenges, identifying research with the potential for future breakthroughs and supporting its development.
 
By connecting diverse knowledge, we aim to advance original research that contributes to scholarship worldwide and drives positive change in society. Together with researchers and URAs, the Center for Research Strategy will do its utmost to foster research that contributes to the world.

Yasuhiro Hayashi
Director, Center for Research Strategy

One hundred years ago, Shigenobu Okuma, the founder of Waseda University, advocated “Independence of Learning,” “Practical Utilization of Knowledge,” and “Creation of Good Citizenship” as the mission of the University. More specifically, he declared the University’s mission to develop human resources to contribute to the Earth and human society through academic research in Waseda University. In 2012, Waseda University set forth the “Waseda Vision 150,” which lays out Waseda University’s ideal situation in 2032 (the 150th anniversary of Waseda’s founding), in order to realize this founding philosophy in the modern era. “Waseda Vision 150” is a mid-to long-term plan that consists of four visions for the reorganization of the education and research system, and the fundamental reform of university governance. To achieve this vision, 13 core strategies with numerical targets are currently being implemented.

Four visions

Waseda University establishes world-class global researcher groups and promotes research that is linked to social issues by steadily implementing the initiatives set forth in the “Waseda Vision 150.” We have formulated three research policies based on the three core strategies of “promotion of original research and enhancement of the ability to deliver this internationally,” “education, research, and societal contributions that expand to the world,” and “new challenges in educational and research fields.” We have accelerated development of the research environment and system reforms for establishing Waseda University as an international research university in the next 20 years.

Three research policies

Waseda University has established a Research Enhancement Head Office, headed by the President of Waseda University. The Research Strategy Section, Research Innovation Center and the Research Promotion Division play a focal role in strengthening research functions in Waseda University, and work jointly to promote research activities across the University. University Research Administrators (URA) are deployed to the Research Strategy Section, Research Innovation Center, and work to revitalize research activities in each faculty and research council.

Mission

The Research Strategy Section, Research Innovation Center aims at revitalizing academic research in Waseda to make the university more internationally competitive and to enhance the presence, exerting significant impact on the research community outside the university.
For this purpose, the center examines, analyzes and evaluates the research environment and systems, plans research strategies and makes recommendations to fulfill our responsibilities through academic research activities, promotes and supports research activities through assisting faculty members in obtaining competitive research funds and awards, and develops an extensive network of connections for research among industry, academia, and government.

Research, analysis and evaluation

The Research Strategy Section is responsible for conducting research, analyzing and evaluating roles which universities are expected to play in response to a changing global society, economy and environment and serves as the basis for Waseda to formulate its research strategies. We have conducted extensive research on relevant policy trends, such as in the field of science, technology and innovation and government funding for research. We have also closely monitored and surveyed current research trends in Waseda.

Research strategies and recommendations

The Research Strategy Section examines a number of research strategy choices based on surveys and research outcomes, actively interacts with researchers, departments and research centers in Waseda, and frames and proposes the most feasible and effective research plans.
We provided the university, outside agencies and the government with policy recommendations concerning research challenges and questions. We also developed training/educational programs for research administrators in universities as a commissioned project of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Research promotion and support

The Research Strategy Section assists faculty members in designing research projects, making plans and improving the research environment by recommending system reforms for revitalizing research activities, assisting applications for major competitive funds, collaborating with research institutions in Japan and abroad, and promoting industry-academia-government collaboration.

Expanding network of connections for research

The Research Strategy Section intends to enhance strategic as well as organizational planning abilities through acquiring various expertise and information valuable for research revitalization and developing a network of researchers in and outside of the university.
We have been active in networking by internally providing information on public funding programs and research evaluation systems, and externally providing our expertise with JST and overseas partners.

Yasuhiro Hayashi

Director, Center for Research Strategy Section / Professor,Faculty of Advanced Science and Engineering
■Research interests
Power System Engineering and Energy Management Systems
■Short Bio
Yasuhiro Hayashi Ph.D. in Engineering, Waseda University, 1994 (B.E., 1989; M.E., 1991). Former Lecturer at Ibaraki University; former Associate Professor at the University of Fukui; Professor at Waseda University since 2009. Former Commissioner of the Electricity and Gas Market Surveillance Commission (METI); Chair of study groups at the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE). Director of the Waseda Center for a Carbon Neutral Society (WCANS). President-Elect of the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ) since 2026; IEEJ Fellow. Awards: IEEJ Distinguished Paper Award (2008); Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Research Category) (2019).

Yasushi Matsunaga

Associate Director and Professor
■Research interests
Research Strategy/Evaluation, Micro plasma, Nano Plasma, Process Plasma Technology, Carbon Nanotubes, Nonequilibrium Statistical Physics
■Short Bio
M.Sci. in Plasma Physics, Waseda University (1990). Joined ULSI Research Center, Toshiba Corp. in 1990. Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University (1995 -1998). Earned Ph.D. in Plasma Physics, Waseda in 1997. Associate Professor and Head of Secretariat at 21st COE Physics Program (2004-2009), Associate Professor, CRS Waseda (2009-2012). Professor, CRS Waseda (2013-2019.5). With restructuring our organization, Professor, RIC Waseda（2019.6-2023.3). Associate Director and Professor, CRS Waseda (2023.4-).

Takashi Ichinose

Professor, RIC
■Research interests
Research Strategy/Evaluation, Sports Medical Sciences
■Short Bio
B.A. in Human Sciences, Waseda University (1998), M.A. in Human Sciences, Waseda University (2000), Ph.D. in Medicine, Shinshu University (2004). Research Associate, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University (2004-2007). Waseda Research Institute Corporation (2008-2014). Assistant Professor, CRS Waseda (2014-2015). Associate Professor, CRS Waseda (2016-2019.5). With restructuring our organization, Associate Professor, RIC Waseda（2019.6-2022.3）. Professor, CRS Waseda（2022.4-）.

Shunya Itami

Professor, RIC
■Research interests
ICT Research Strategy・Contribution to solving Social Issues、Risk Management
■Short Bio
Earned ME in Electrical Engineering from Kobe University in 1985. Joined Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (Now Ministry of Internal affairs and Communications) in 1985, Vice President and Member of the Boad of Directors of NICT in 2015-2017, Director General of Tohoku Regional Bureau of Telecommunications in 2017-2019, Executive Adviser of KDDI Research, Inc. in 2019-2021, Executive Adviser of TBS Television, Inc. in 2021-2024. In these careers, engaged in ICT research strategy planning and management tasks regarding communication and broadcasting issues. Professor, CRS Waseda (2025.4-).

Michio Kondo

Professor, RIC
■Research interests
Semiconductor Materials and Devices, Solar Photovoltaics, Carbon Neutral, International Standardization, International Collaboration in Research and Development on Carbon Neutrality
■Short Bio
Earned Ph.D. Material Science from Osaka University (1987). Joined Electrotechnical Laboratory (1993). Director of Research Center for Photovoltaics, AIST (2004), Supervisory Innovation Coordinator (2013). Chair of TC82, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) (2016-). Vice Chair of Technical Advisory Group, Mission Innovation (2022-) . Professor, CRS Waseda（2023.4-）.

Kazuhiro Kusunoki

Professor, RIC
■Research interests
Research Strategy/Evaluation, Research Management, Information Technology, OT/IT Integrated System
■Short Bio
Earned ME from Kyushu University in 1988. Joined Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in 1988. 2003 Doctor of Engineering, Kyushu University. Senior General Manager of IT R&D Center in 2019, and
Chief Technology Officer of the Factory Automation Systems Group of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation　(2022).
Served board member of Manufacturing Science and Technology Center, Working Group Co-Chair of
Robot Revolution & Industrial IoT Initiative, and board member of Industrial Value Chain Initiative.
Professor, CRS Waseda（2023.4-）.

Kohei Maruyama

Professor, RIC
■Research interests
Research Strategy/Evaluation, Research Management, Measurement and Control, Biosensing
■Short Bio
M.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering, Meiji University (1994). Ph.D. in Biotechnology, Tokyo University Agr & Technol (2004). JUKI Corporation (1994-2005). Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Waseda University (2005-2009). Associate Professor, CRS Waseda (2009-2012). Fellow, Center for Research and Development Strategy (CRDS), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) (2009-2012). Senior Research Administrator, Tokyo University Agr & Technol (2012-2014). Associate Professor, CRS Waseda (2014-2016). Professor, CRS Waseda (2017-).

Hiromi Omoe

Professor, RIC
■Research interests
Research Strategy, Research Management, Science and Technology Policy, Public Health, Zoonosis
■Short Bio
Earned Ph.D. from The University of Tokyo in 1992. Veterinarian. Worked for the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, the Cancer Institute, and the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in 1992-2003. Unit Chief of the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (2004-2005). Senior Researcher of the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (2006-2021), Deputy Director of Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (2015- 2017). Specially-appointed professor of Tohoku University (2021-2023). Professor, CRS Waseda（2023.4-）.

Kunihiko Shimano

Professor, RIC
■Research interests
Intellectual Property Policy, Electrical Engineering
■Short Bio
Earned M.E. in Electrical Engineering from Waseda University (1985). Joined the Japan Patent Office in 1985, Examiner, Administrative Judge, Counselor of the Intellectual Property Strategy Promotion Headquarters in the Cabinet Secretariat (2005-2006), Director of the Policy Planning and Research Division of the Policy Planning and Coordination Department (2008-2010), Director of the Administrative Affairs Division of the Patent Examination Department (2012-2013), Director-General of the Patent Examination Department, in change of electronic technology (2013-2015), Director General of the Trial and Appeal Department (2015-2017) and Deputy Commissioner (2017-2020). Registered as a Patent Attorney (2020). Professor, RIC Waseda（2021.2-). Director,  Intellectual Property Center and Research Collaboration Support and Professor , CRS Waseda (2022.4-).

Mikiko Shimaoka

Professor, RIC
■Research interests
Research Strategy/Evaluation, Management of Nonprofit Organization, Collaborative Governance, Entrepreneurship Education
■Short Bio
After graduated from Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences at Waseda University, she worked for an international environmental NGO, in charge of climate change and forests, and later became head of the campaigns department. After leaving the NGO, she entered the Graduate School of Public Management at Waseda and obtained Master’s degree in 2008 and Ph.D. in 2013. In 2011, researcher at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, research assistant at the School of Commerce, lecturer at the Center for Research Strategy(CRS) at Waseda(2014-). General Manager of WASEDA-EDGE program (2019-2025). Joint Appointment Professor : School of Health Innovation, Kanagawa University of Human Services(2019-). Professor,CRS Waseda (2021.9-)

Yasuhiro Takishima

Professor, RIC
■Research interests
Video Coding/Multimedia Processing/Human Communication
■Short Bio
M.E. in Electronic Engineering, The University of Tokyo (1988), Visiting Scholar, Stanford University (1994), Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering, The University of Tokyo (1997). Joined KDD (currently KDDI) in 1988, and engaged in research, development and standardization of video coding and application systems. Senior manager of Multimedia Communications Lab. (2004), Intelligent Media Lab. (2007), Executive Director (2010), Senior Expert (2021). Received prizes include “The Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology” (2011). Fellow of IEICE, ITE, and IIEEJ. Professor CRS Waseda (2023.4-).

Motoko Inoue

Associate Professor, RIC
■Research interests
Research Strategy, Research Management, Interdisciplinary Research, Art History, Museum Studie
■Short Bio
Earned Ph.D. in Art and Design, University of Tsukuba (2014).
Earned SHINWA ART AUCTION Co., Ltd (2003-2009). Tokyo National Museum, National Institute for Cultural Heritage (2013-2018). Tokyo Institute of Technology (2018-2025/with restructuring the organization, Institute of Science Tokyo from 2024) as a Senior University Research Administrator, Associate Professor, CRS Waseda（2025.4-).

Yukihito Morimoto

Associate Professor, RIC
■Research interests
Research Strategy/Evaluation, American Economic History
■Short Bio
Ph.D. in Economics from the Graduate School of Economics at Kansai University (2011). Research Coordinator（URA）at Kansai University (2012). The University of Tsukuba as a Research Administrator (URA) in the Research Administration/Management Office (2013-2025.3). I was seconded from the University of Tsukuba to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) (2019). During this time, invented the index for Measuring Diversity (iMD), a tool for assessing diversity in academic journals, and was granted a patent for it in 2022. Chief Research Administrator at the Research Administration/Management Office of the University of Tsukuba (2021.4-2025.3). Deputy Director of the same office (2022-2024). Associate Professor, CRS Waseda (2025.4-).

Kazuyo Shiroya

Associate Professor, RIC
■Research interests
Research promotion, Earth and Environmental Science
■Short Bio
Doctor of Science, The University of Tokyo (2011),
Researcher, Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) (2011-2015 ), Lecturer, Office of Research Management, Kobe University (2015 -2023), Associate Professor, CRS Waseda（2023.4-).

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Contact

Adress:513 Wasedatsurumaki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan

Email:kensen(at)list.waseda.jp