Education

The Japanese government will set up a fund of about 50 billion yen ($458 million) to provide young researchers with financial security and kick-start a new round of technological innovation.

The government plans to spend around ¥400 billion ($3.7 billion) to supply more computers to public schools as part of an economic stimulus package, government sources said Friday.

Toshiba Corp. said Thursday it will team up with the University of Tokyo to nurture specialists in artificial intelligence as part of efforts to secure talent in the hot next-generation technology.

Society 5.0 is the name the government has given to a new society to be brought about by progress in such technologies as artificial intelligence, robotics, self-driving vehicles and the internet of things. If such a naming is to be accepted, it is logical to assume that there existed in human history societies 1.0 through 4.0. They were, in chronological order, the hunting society, farming society, industrial society and the information society. Today we live in the information society, but the transition to Society 5.0 is just around the corner.

The University of Tokyo rose to 36th from 42nd in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020, announced Wednesday.

EU and Japan are partnering up to offer joint degree programs under the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree Partnerships. Switzerland is participating as an associate partner in the Master of Science in Imaging and Light in Extended Reality program between Toyohashi University of Technology and the University of Eastern Finland, one of the three programs selected by the European Commission and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Students representing Japan have done well again at this year’s International Science Olympiads, at which high school pupils and equivalent-level students from various countries use their intellect to compete in a variety of scientific fields. Excellent individuals should be fostered extensively.

The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry announced a comprehensive plan to improve Japanese language education for foreign children, following the launch of a new system for accepting foreign workers in April.

In an unusual combination of disciplines, a basketball-shooting robot created by Japan’s leading automaker helped students at a Tokyo elementary school on Friday to learn math.

Many universities are establishing departments to help foster students in the age of artificial intelligence and big data, which refers to the collection of huge data sets that are often analyzed to reveal trends in human behavior. Amid calls from the government to accelerate efforts to train individuals in such fields, prestigious institutions are getting on board.