About CSTIPS
With the economic and social climate changing significantly, more and more expectations have been placed on science, technology and innovation policies recently as a means to appropriately meet such changes. The promotion of such policies requires the development of human resources who are capable of analyzing economic and social issues from multiple perspectives and developing and implementing, based on evidence, necessary policies to solve them.
Recognizing the worldwide increase in such awareness, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has been promoting “Science for RE-designing Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (SciREX)” program. As part of this initiative, the government issued a call for application for the “Establishment of Hub Institutions for Fundamental Research and Human Resource Development Program” in FY 2011. Through campus-wide collaboration, Kyushu University prepared a project proposal and applied for the program. As a result, the university was successfully selected as one of the Field Pioneering Hub Institutions.
Kyushu University established the Center for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Studies (CSTIPS) as its common education and research institution in April 2012 in order to put this proposal into practice.
Message from the Director
The concept of CSTIPS has three characteristics.
First, it proposes that a human resources development program should be multilayered, consisting of (1) core courses common across the country and (2) focal point courses specific to each institution. Specialists in the new multidisciplinary field of Science of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (Science of STI Policy) are distributed across different universities and research institutions in Japan. To build the discipline at these multiple institutions, it is essential to simultaneously develop both a standard curriculum commonly applicable to all the institutions and institution-specific curricula, through close collaboration among the institutions.
Second, the concept takes advantage of the diverse education and research resources of Kyushu University and its dynamic academic organization that laterally connects them together. Having knowledge of social sciences, such as economics, policy science, sociology and behavioral science, is not enough for the establishment of Science of STI Policy as a multidisciplinary discipline; such knowledge needs to be combined with findings from research and development activities in natural science and engineering. Being a university, we have the foundation that can organically connect these sciences.
Third, we have set a regional focus based on the universitys’ geographical position. Traditionally, Kyushu University has been fostering collaboration with universities in East Asian countries.
Building on these inter-university partnerships, CSTIPS will pursue as one of its missions, the review of innovation systems in these countries and studies on the international harmonization of STI policies. Another important mission is accumulating knowledge of the governance of regional innovation systems by examining regionality in Japan.
The goal of our project concept is to continuously produce policymakers and researchers who can support Japan’s STI policies in the future. I deeply hope that many students motivated to serve the country in such a manner join the effort of CSTIPS toward this goal.
In this regard, I would also like to ask ministries, local governments, operators of STI policy-related organizations, companies and others in every field concerned to offer us continuous assistance and cooperation.
Project plan overview
CSTIPS will mainly implement the following projects.
Creation of a human resources development program
We have established a specialized course in Science of STI Policy since April 2013, which is available as a common academic course for graduate schools. This course consists of core subjects, which center on the learning of basic theory of STI Policy and practical policy analysis methods, and focal point courses related to the focus of this Field Pioneering Hub Institution, including innovation systems in East Asia, environmental and energy policies, and regional sustainability.
Promotion of fundamental research
To contribute to the advancement of Science of STI Policy, CSTIPS conducts basic research especially in the characteristics of regional innovation systems in Japan and STI policies in East Asian countries. The results will be published in not only Japan but also foreign countries.
Commitment to joint programs among institutions
Under the MEXT program, the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies was selected as the Hub of Institution, while the University of Tokyo, Hitotsubashi University, Osaka University and Kyoto University, along with Kyushu University, were chosen to build Field Pioneering Hub Institutions in accordance with their proposals. These institutions are expected to carry out joint programs, such as organizing international symposia and interchanging course credits. CSTIPS will make an active commitment to these joint programs among the institutions.
Staff
| Director | Professor,Faculty of Economics |  Akiya Nagata |
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| Full-time staff | Assosiate Professor |  Toshiya Kobayashi |
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| Assistant Professor |  Kana Moroga |
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| Assistant Professor |  Chika Suzuki |
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| Assistant | Research Fellow | Yasutaka Kuriyama | |
| Technical staff | Masato Shinto | ||
| Clerical Assistant | Yuko Shigematsu | ||
| Supporting staff | Professor,Faculty of Economics | Kenji Iwata | Information |
| Professor,Faculty of Law | Kaoru Izumi | Information | |
| Professor,Faculty of Engineering | Takayuki Shimaoka | Information | |
| Professor,Faculty of Science | Tetsukazu Yahara | Information | |
| Guest staff | Guest Associate Professor | Makoto Hirata |
