MEXT’s Private University Research Branding Project aims to financially support private universities and junior colleges working toward school branding based on unique research. For FY 2017 project, 188 schools applied and 60 schools were selected. Toyo University applied with a research project titled “Adaptation of athlete-supporting technologies to healthcare support for the elderly through multiphase research.” This research project aims to quantify stress response and mental disorders in human beings on multiple levels, and use the findings to establish IoT technologies useful for supporting athletes and, subsequently, healthcare technologies aimed at the elderly. Toyo University intends to expand this research project into an innovative, global-scale project to address extremely aging societies.

On March 9, 2018, the university held a project kickoff symposium, where the research findings on support for Toyo University athletes and healthcare support for the elderly were reported. The symposium also included a special lecture given by guest speaker Professor Kazunari Sugimitsu of K.I.T. Toranomon Graduate School, on a methodology and possibilities for applying brand studies, previously a subject of business administration, to research activities conducted at higher educational institutions.

The Diversity Research Group of the Toyo University Human Value Research Council spent about a year researching, verifying and developing an index, from an original viewpoint, to be used to objectively and chronologically assess the level of women’s empowerment by category of industry, and by company. This initiative was launched as part of the Toyo University Coeducation 100th Anniversary Project. As an achievement of the initiative, in April 2017, the university announced the Women’s Empowerment Indices and the rankings of 910 companies based on the indices. With Lawson, Inc. ranked highest, the rankings attracted public attention. This index is a significant analyzing tool useful for not only quantifying the level of promotion of women’s empowerment by company, but also assessing chronological changes and management reforms, ranking companies, and examining tendencies by industry or by region. Toyo University will continue to announce the company rankings annually based on the data as of the end of March. The university has also made a simulation tool available online at the URL given below, so that users can enter the required figures into the fields to calculate the scores and deviation in women’s empowerment.

https://www.toyo.ac.jp/site/joseikatsuyaku/simulation.html (in Japanese)

Under the research grant program established in AY 2017 to support special projects related to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Toyo University will spend a total budget of about 440 million yen in the subsequent four-year period to financially support research projects within the university that are expected to accomplish achievements helpful in promoting the Games. The expected subjects of research projects under this program include “athlete training through life innovation (sciences and technologies in the fields of food and health)” and “further development of a barrier-free society (development of para-sports using the Paralympic Games as a catalyst, and realization of a society where diverse people can live together harmoniously).”

In AY 2018, the university supports the following eight research projects.

On June 14, 2017, Toyo University’s Center for Global Innovation Studies held an international symposium titled “The Changing Global Order—New U.S.-Japan Relations in the Age of Innovation.” Dr. Robert B. Zoellick, former president of the World Bank, who has also worked in various other important positions, including as U.S. Trade Representative and Deputy Secretary of State, delivered the keynote speech as a guest speaker. A panel discussion was held at the symposium with the participation of Dr. Zoellick; Senior Chairman Yoshihiko Miyauchi, Orix Group; Chairman Emeritus Takashi Kawamura, Hitachi, Ltd.; and Chairman Shinji Fukukawa, Toyo University Incorporated Educational Institution, as speakers. Director Heizo Takenaka of the center moderated the panel discussion.

On June 15, a dialogue meeting took place to celebrate the establishment of the Faculty of Global and Regional Studies, and provided students at the faculty with the opportunity to engage in discussions with Dr. Zoellick. In the meeting held under the theme “Challenges for the U.S. and Japan under the Changing Global Order,” Dr. Zoellick gave comments and advice on how we should address challenges in U.S.-Japan relations and the international community amid the changing global order. In the meeting, in which all roles, including that of the facilitator, were played by students in English, Dr. Zoellick thoughtfully responded to each student who asked questions, graced with a touch of humor.