2026 New Year’s greeting by Yujiro Tanaka, president and CAO
Our first steps toward building “a better, brighter future”
Science Tokyo President and Chief Academic Officer (CAO) Yujiro Tanaka
January 2026
This is the second New Year for Institute of Science Tokyo. As we begin 2026, which I hope will bring further progress for the Institute, I would like to extend New Year's greetings to everyone who supports Science Tokyo: our students, the students of Institute of Science Tokyo High School, the faculty and staff who support our everyday educational and research activities, and the hospital staff working tirelessly on the front lines of healthcare.
This year, we will take our first substantive steps as a “University for International Research Excellence.” For example, preparations will begin for the transition to a “single graduate school system,” starting with students entering in the 2028 academic year. For undergraduates, we are also considering ways to realize a system starting in 2028 where students from the medical and dental sciences and science and engineering fields will take their first-year classes together at Ookayama Campus.
Furthermore, students from our high school are scheduled to relocate to Ookayama a year earlier, in the 2027 academic year. Please look forward to this change, which will bring everyone in the high school closer to the university campus.
Where all these changes are concerned, even for those of you who may be entering, graduating, or completing your studies before they take place, simply taking your own next step will mean participating as a member of society in building our new university. For those completing graduate school, a new career path (tenure-track system) will also begin to help you take on new challenges.
In terms of research, steady progress is being made in developing large-scale centers to directly address societal issues. At the core of this effort is the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, founded last July. It brings together world-class researchers in medicine, dentistry, and science and engineering to accelerate translational research that immediately applies cutting-edge engineering technologies to clinical settings. The synergistic effects of this medical-engineering collaboration are already beginning to yield concrete results, such as elucidating previously unexplored areas of disease and developing innovative treatments.
Our ultimate goal is to work together with everyone who shares our vision to build a “better, brighter future” for the world and all people. Realizing a society where each person can live healthily and authentically—that is the fundamental purpose of Science Tokyo's existence. The dedicated efforts of our faculty, staff, and hospital personnel are the very foundation of the Institute's vision for a “better life,” “better society,” and “better planet.” Questions from the field drive research, and research helps the field. Let us continue to strengthen this noble cycle together.
In the administration of Science Tokyo, President and Chief Executive Officer Ohtake and I engage in close and frequent dialogue. I experience daily how the collaboration between two individuals with distinct backgrounds—the president and CEO, specializing in mechanical engineering, and myself, specializing in clinical medicine—leads to a higher perspective and opens up broader networks. I sincerely hope to share this experience with students and faculty members from both medical and dental and science and engineering backgrounds, as well as with staff members who previously belonged to two different universities. The “fusion of living knowledge”—where diverse insights resonate to create new value—is the path we are pursuing.
The series of reforms about to begin will naturally involve a process of trial and error. Precisely for this reason, it is also a period when we can more flexibly incorporate your opinions. We will provide information about new developments on a regular basis, so please be sure to share your thoughts with us. We sincerely look forward to your active participation.
This year is the Year of the Horse. Since ancient times, horses have symbolized vitality and dynamism, and have been powerful partners in humanity’s efforts to propel civilization forward. We too will respond to society's expectations with the speed of a horse galloping across the open plains, advancing into uncharted territory.
I sincerely hope this year will be one of brilliant progress for all of you and for society as a whole.