Coordinator

Takeshi Iwatsubo
Professor, Neuropathology,
Graduate School of Medicine

There are now new and fundamental, societal challenges facing Japan. These include the rapidly aging society, environmental and energy problems. Our hope is that we can conduct world-class research and contribute to society by providing solutions to these challenges. For this, progressive, international leaders with the ability to shape the future of education and research in Japan are vital. Today, more than ever before, we need invention, that translates into innovation, focused on the needs of society. Therefore, we believe our primary task is to develop life innovation leaders who can create such innovation to address real-world challenges, and improve the QOL.

At the University of Tokyo, the Life Innovation, Leading Graduate School’s “Graduate Program for Leaders in Life Innovation” (GPLLI), has the Graduate Schools of Medicine, Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Science collaborating to establish a multidisciplinary, graduate program focused on establishing a globally, best-in-class, advanced medical development system. The program explicitly aims to develop potential, future, international leaders, who have the abilities to integrate knowledge across other scientific fields, people and organizations.

To achieve life innovation, in addition to a number of experts coming together, strong leadership is necessary to coherently lead different stakeholders. Those leaders must have the insight (originality/foresight/sense of morality) to attract and inspire people and, to integrate diverse opinions. In this program, we have developed a curriculum, which shares life science as a common language, and develops leaders who are empowered to share its outcome, with multiple constituencies, across public and private sectors.

There is no question that leaders should rely on the world’s most advanced research outcomes, but in addition, the GPLLI staff members collaborate and co-create to develop genuine leading researchers with high moral sense to address contemporary societal needs.

We look forward to, and thank you for, your active participation in this unique initiative.