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Kyushu University has been selected by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology（MEXT）as an Exploration and Development of Global Entrepreneurship for NEXT generation（EDGE-NEXT）Program for FY2017.

On July 10, 2017, the Innovation x Diversity x Entrepreneurship Education Alliance（hereinafter referred to as the “IDEA”） consortium comprising the Robert T. Huang Entrepreneurship Center of  Kyushu University（QREC）as the leading university and Ritsumeikan University, Nara  Institute of Science and Technology（NAIST）, and Osaka Prefecture University（OPU）as partner universities was selected as an EDGE-NEXT Program.

●Exploration and Development of Global Entrepreneurship for NEXT Generation（EDGE-NEXT）Program
The EDGE-NEXT Program has been built on the achievements of and issues for the entrepreneurship education that has thus far been undertaken by universities selected for the EDGE Program* and other universities throughout Japan. The program aims to nurture human resources to take on the challenges of stating or creating new businesses based on the R&D results of universities and other institutions as well as to create a venture ecosystem involving stakeholders and related organizations. This year, five consortium were selected out of twelve applications.

●Innovation x Diversity x Entrepreneurship Education Alliance（IDEA）Consortium
Headed by Kyushu University as its leading university the objective of the IDEA consortium is to nurture “Next-generation global entrepreneurs” capable of taking the lead in value creation and social transformation, crystalizing diversity into products, events, and services. Aiming towards this objective, the consortium organically fuses the diverse human resources training concepts of organizations both in Japan and overseas to construct “Asia-originated next-generation global entrepreneur training platforms”, led by its core membership of Kyushu University,  Ritsumeikan University, Nara Institute of Science and Technology（NAIST）, and Osaka Prefecture University（OPU）ーuniversities that are implementing unique entrepreneurship education/innovator training programs. In addition to implementing cutting-edge programs that are expanded and sophisticated versions of these universities’ EDGE programs, the consortium is conducting an Interstate Collaboration Program and a Regional Core Program, mulch-level cooperative programs enabling and encouraging students from the Kyushu and Kansai regions and even overseas to join together and learning from each other in harmony. Each program pursues the possibilities of creative cooperation for transforming the unique vitality and diversity of Asia into innovation, and is organized around the core concept of developing practical capabilities that lead to new value creation and social transformation.

●Participating organizations
*Listed in no particular order

Leading university		Kyushu University
Partner universities		Ritsumeikan University, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Osaka Prefecture University (OPU)
Overseas cooperators		University of Gothenburg (Sweden),  Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), Aalto University (Finland), Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), Royal University of Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
Cooperators（companies, etc.）		PORT, Inc., the Nishi-Nippon City Bank, Ltd., Fukuoka City, Fukuoka D.C., Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd., Fukuoka Jisho Co., Ltd., TAKTOPIA & Co., SIGMAXYZ Inc., Teach For Japan, Proassist, Ltd., Shimizu Corporation, Pharma Science Co., Ltd., FM-KYOTO Inc., Nishio Rent All Co., Ltd.
Cooperators（universities in Japan)		Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), Sojo University, Fukuoka University, Hiroshima University
Other participating organizations, etc. (listing is voluntarily)	Universities, etc.	Kyoto Women’s University, Baika Women’s University, Osaka University of Arts, Osaka City University, Nagaoka University of Technology, Osaka Prefecture University College of Technology
	Overseas organizations (educational institutions, research institutions)	Ateneo de Manila University (the Philippines), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad (India), Symbiosis International University (India), Nitte University (India), Kasetsart University (Thailand), Politecnico Milano (Italy), the Technical University of Munich (TUM) (Germany), the University of New South Wales (UNSW) (Australia), National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) (Taiwan), Brown University (US), the University of New Mexico (UNM) (US)
	Private-sector organizations	Resona Bank Ltd., Osaka Shinkin Bank, INDEE Japan Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, ROHM Co., Ltd., Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Fujitsu Semiconductor Ltd.
	Local governments and other agencies	Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, Ibaraki City (Osaka Prefecture), Shiga Prefecture, Osaka Urban Industry Promotion Center

 

●Programs

The consortium has developed two programs: the Regional Core Program (RCP), which is a program promoting regional cooperation amongst consortium members; and the Interstate Collaboration Program (ICP), which is a program promoting inter-regional cooperation.

【Interstate Collaboration Program (ICP)】

1. Multicultural Venture Life Challenge
For this Project-Based Learning (PBL) program, students from not only the leading and partner universities, but also cooperators in Japan and overseas and related universities join together to form mixed/multinational teams and undertake problem-solving related to actual management at ventures or companies that maintains a pronounced venture-spirited quality?

● Activity report
(Students carrying out tasks at a growing business called Good Luck 3 Inc. (Tenjin, Fukuoka). Please also refer to the student-made movie, which is also available.)

2. Inter- Alliance-University Management Game Program
Utilizing the “MarkStrat” management game developed by INSTEAD (France), students experientially acquire management know-how and decision-making skills for innovation-driven manufacturing.

3. IDEA Asia Pacific Summer Camp
As part of the Interstate Collaboration Program (ICP), students studying at not only the leading and partner universities, but also cooperators and participating organizations in Japan and overseas, as well as other stakeholders, gather together at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) to participate in the IDEA Asia Pacific Summer Camp.

● Activity report  （sorry, Japanese only)

【Regional Core Program in Kyushu (RCP-Kyushu)】

4. Kyushu University Entrepreneurs Club Program
Under the slogan “Just as the Soccer Club does soccer, the Entrepreneurs Club will do university student startups,” the club carries out practical activities aimed at launching businesses.

5. USA Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
Under this program, students from not only Kyushi University but also Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) participate in a hands-on practical business startup program, conducted over approx. 10 days, that follows the same steps as those taken by founders of venture companies originating from the universities in Boston. This camp is implemented in Boston (USA) through the cooperation of universities such as Harvard and MIT as well as startups, venture capitalists, and other collaborators.

【Independent Kyushu University Programs】

6. Asia IoT Design Workshop
Under this program, students and academic staff members from alliance universities in Japan and other Asian countries visit each other, with the visitors staying at each university for periods of one week and participating in cooperative workshops on themes related to IoT and design.

7. Social Ecosystem Program
Based on the educational knowledge built up through the Collaborative Joint PBL Training Program with Aalto University conducted under the EDGE Program, programs are conducted jointly by Kyushi University and Aalto University (Finland) with the aim of nurturing “social creative entrepreneurs” who have acquired the ability to create designs from social issues.

8. Medical Next-generation Entrepreneur Training Program
At the Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE), the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Kyushu University conducts joint workshops of approx. one week’s duration for students of both institutions. These workshops enable participants to share various kinds of information related to the creation of new business, including intellectual property, by Kyushu University and the UNSW, thereby nurturing a medical entrepreneurial mindset.

【Regional Core Program in Kansai (RCP-Kansai)】

9. Woman-trepreneur Compass Program
As part of the “RCP-Kansai” cooperative program conducted in the Kansai region, programs aimed at female students are developed and implemented with the objectives of generating innovation from a female perspective as well as raise the percentage of female entrepreneurs.

【Independent Ritsumeikan University Programs】

10. Dual-Design Scope Program
This program seeks to nurture innovators with multifaceted skills and mindsets for generating innovation by newly incorporating the Design-Driven Innovation method, which aims to achieve “radical innovation of meaning”, adding this to Design Thinking, which aspires to “innovation aimed at problem-solving”.

11. Field-based Design Program
Under this program, themes focusing on local problems in specific regions either in Japan or overseas are set and workshops conducted.

12. Business Sprout Program
Business plans constructed during the course of program and business ideas contributed by students are further honed and made more concrete.

13. Development of the Knowledge Boost System cutting-edge idea generation support tool
The genetic algorithm-based Knowledge Boost System cutting-edge idea generation support tool (developed in collaboration with Pharma Science Co., Ltd.) is used as a software tool supporting students’ generation of ideas.

【Independent Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) Programs】

14. Implementation of the Multifaceted Crossover PBL Entrepreneur Training Program X x X (Cross-by-Cross)
Under this program, business plan development PBL is planned and implemented by teams of students proactively put together using multifaceted crossover (mixing of heterogeneous human resources on the plural axes aimed at a chemical reaction/synergistic effect. Examples: age (undergraduate students x Master’s program students x doctoral students x working adults); academic discipline (information x biology x materials x culture/art); social role (students x general working adults x researchers); region (Kansai x Kyushu; developed countries x developing countries); and gender (male x female).)

【Independent Osaka Prefecture University (OPU) Programs】

15. Entrepreneur training in the Asia region linked to the IDEA Asia Pacific Summer Camp
Exchange programs sending Japanese students to Cambodia and bringing Cambodian students to Japan are being implemented, and entrepreneurship mindsets and glocal mindsets are being nurtured.