Second series of Town Hall Meetings focuses on Science Tokyo’s vision for future

Science Tokyo held the second series of Town Hall Meetings — gatherings that aim for open discussion on various issues across the community — from May 26 to June 2 on its campuses.

As in late 2024 during the first meetings, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Naoto Ohtake, President and Chief Academic Officer (CAO) Yujiro Tanaka, Executive Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer Kotaro Inoue, and other executive team members were present. Chief Integration Officers Kaori Iida and Kaoru Kuwata again acted as facilitators. The five meetings, including one held in English, attracted a total of 305 faculty, administrative and technical staff, and other community members.

Science Tokyo was established in October 2024 following the merger between Tokyo Medical and Dental University and Tokyo Institute of Technology. Ohtake and Tanaka place great importance on uniting the Science Tokyo community as a dynamic team while respecting the history and culture of its two predecessor universities. The Town Hall Meetings not only form a crucial step in creating this team mentality, but also in bringing pressing issues and needs into the open.

While building on discussions in the first series of meetings in November, the May-June discussions focused mainly on Science Tokyo’s vision for the future. At each meeting, the executive team explained the Institute’s efforts to secure accreditation as a University for International Research Excellence.

Applications for the Universities for International Research Excellence program, an initiative by the government of Japan to boost the research capabilities of its universities, were first accepted in 2023. In its 2025 application for the program, the Institute states that it “will take advantage of the momentum of university integration to promote fundamental reforms. The Institute will rapidly innovate interdisciplinary, vision-driven research and education approaches that combine different fields, including medicine and engineering, to achieve world-leading research, teaching, and learning. As a globally engaged open-system university, Institute of Science Tokyo will co-create an ecosystem with its partners and generate impact by solving societal issues through the power of science to create a better, brighter future.”

At each Town Hall Meeting in May and June, many questions and comments from the community were related to the University for International Research Excellence system. Ohtake and Tanaka answered each question individually, and shared their thoughts and vision openly.

Once again, the Town Hall Meetings provided Science Tokyo’s executives with new insights regarding future organization and direction, while encouraging faculty and staff members to communicate their ideas and thoughts directly to the leadership team. The main points of the discussions will be shared with the entire Science Tokyo community, and responses to requests and opinions will be considered in due course.

In the future, Town Hall Meetings will also be held with smaller target groups such as the healthcare professionals working at the Institute of Science Tokyo Hospital, allowing for more focused dialogue that aims to tackle specific needs.

The Institute will continue to engage regularly in open dialogue with its community members in order to discover and realize the possibilities that emerge from the establishment of Science Tokyo.

• New Town Hall Meetings encourage open dialogue across Science Tokyo community | Science Tokyo News