2. Advancing Research and Supporting Graduate Students and Early-Career Researchers

With a view to realizing a next-generation research university, Ritsumeikan University has formulated and implemented its Fourth Medium-Term Plan for Research Advancement (AY 2021–AY 2025), setting as its fundamental goal the “realization of a next-generation research university that generates new values for social coexistence and fosters creative talent.” With this goal in mind, we have established three visions for the university and have been working to advance research accordingly: (1) A university that enhances individual research capabilities through support tailored to researchers’ career stages; (2) A university that serves as a “hub of knowledge” by building global research networks and strengthening the international dissemination of research findings; and (3) A university that promotes interdisciplinary collaborative research and societal implementation to create and utilize “comprehensive knowledge.”

To realize these visions, we have implemented new research support measures, including the establishment of the Ritsumeikan Advanced Research Academy (RARA), the promotion of international collaborative research based on the Ritsumeikan Knowledge Nodes (RKN) initiative, and support for publishing in high-impact journals. As a result of these efforts, research has made steady progress, with the number of papers published in 2024 reaching 1,391 — an increase of approximately 1.5 times from ten years ago. The amount of external funding reached 5 billion yen in AY 2024, and 669 KAKENHI grants totaling 1.6 billion yen were received, ranking 20th nationally and 4th among private universities. Furthermore, through multiple successful applications for competitive grants totaling several billion yen—such as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities” (J-PEAKS) and JAXA’s “Space Strategy Fund” (SX R&D Hub), our initiatives aimed at becoming a next-generation research university are gaining recognition from external institutions as well.

In conjunction with these measures to advance research, we have also been providing support tailored to the career stages of doctoral students and other early-career researchers. In the realm of graduate education, building on the establishment of the Doctoral Career Path Promotion Office in 2010, we reorganized the office into the Graduate School Career Path Promotion Office in AY 2013, thereby establishing a system that provides integrated support for education, research, and career development. Through ongoing discussions with the Graduate Student Council, we are working to improve the research environment based on the needs of the parties involved.

In order to improve the research capabilities of graduate students, we have certified doctoral students as RARA Student Fellows and established a system of guidance by RARA Fellows, who serve as core researchers, as well as a system for them to participate in on-campus research institutes and centers as well as international collaborative research projects. This is expanding the environment for graduate students to take on the challenge of international-level research and deepen their expertise while collaborating with a diverse range of researchers.

In terms of financial support, in addition to student-fee waivers and support for research achievements through the university’s own scholarship programs, we have strengthened our efforts to utilize the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation (SPRING)” program and to assist students in securing external funding, such as JSPS Research Fellowships and grants from private foundations. In this way, we place a high priority on expanding the foundation that allows graduate students to focus on their research without relying solely on internal funding.

In terms of career path support, we have also promoted diverse career development through initiatives such as the “Young Researchers Development Program,” which hires PhD graduates as research fellows, and advanced professional internships conducted in collaboration with companies. As a result, more doctoral graduates, not only in science and engineering but also in the humanities and social sciences, are finding employment in the private sector, and there are now instances where companies are introducing new compensation systems that reflect the value of a PhD.

Furthermore, rather than confining research to graduate schools and researchers alone, the university has been working to create opportunities for students, from elementary, junior high, and high school levels, to experience the appeal and potential of research through collaboration with undergraduate students and our affiliated schools. Through initiatives such as the Rice Ball Seminars organized by research departments, doctoral students are given the opportunity to present their research to undergraduate students in different fields and students at affiliated schools. These experiences of cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration foster the ability to reexamine one’s research within the context of relationships with others and society, while remaining grounded in one’s specialized field.