Tokyo Tech Launches California-based International Collaboration Hub

Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) established Tokyo Tech ANNEX Berkeley (c/o. JSPS San Francisco, 2001 Addison Street, Suite 260, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA), an overseas hub for promoting international collaboration on Oct. 1, 2021.

Tokyo Tech created similar hubs in Thailand in 2018, with Tokyo Tech ANNEX Bangkok, and in Germany in 2019, with Tokyo Tech ANNEX Aachen. The ANNEXes are designed to provide a pathway for showcasing research and discovering opportunities for collaboration. Tokyo Tech ANNEX Berkeley is the continuation of that purpose.

The new hub is part of Tokyo Tech’s efforts to support global education and research. Having a hub in the San Francisco Bay area, where the world’s most advanced companies, universities, and research facilities converge, will not only bridge the distance between Japan and the US, but also allow Tokyo Tech to utilize its established relations and networks toward further exchanges.

“This year marks the 140th anniversary of Tokyo Tech,” said Tetsuya Mizumoto, Tokyo Tech EVP for education. “We seek to make further strides toward becoming the top university in science and engineering. The US is a leader in scientific and technological innovation, leveraging the creativity and diversity of its people.

“For many years, collaboration with partner universities in the US and many other countries has been a vital and integral part of Tokyo Tech education and research,” added Mizumoto. “It is crucial to have a hub in Berkeley, the cradle of cutting-edge technology and innovation. Together with our partners, utilizing our individual strengths, we will achieve mutual benefit and promote the creation of new knowledge.”

“The San Francisco Bay Area is a global hub of innovation, where world-class research and entrepreneurship happens,” noted Hiroo Ueda, director, Tokyo Tech ANNEX Berkeley. “Therefore, it is a natural progression for Tokyo Tech to establish a hub in this region to promote exchange and collaboration. Along with the generation of interdisciplinary knowledge and promotion of open innovation, we will work to further expand the value of Tokyo Tech research globally and share our knowledge in the US.”