Community Impact in Action

Shin-Kawasaki Town Campus (K2) was established in the Shin-Kawasaki Forest of Creation in the year 2000, in collaboration with Kawasaki City. As a base for industry-government-academia collaboration, the campus promotes cutting-edge research, new industries, and new business initiatives. Specifically, 18 research projects in the fields of robotics, environment, energy and other areas have been implemented in AY 2023 and the campus has brought forth new technologies, new industries, and venture companies by linking the diverse research outcomes of each of these projects with the resources and needs of companies or other organizations. In addition, some of its research achievements were also introduced at open seminars organized for companies, research institutions, and the general public based on partnership activities with Kawasaki City.
(In AY 2023, these seminars were held both in-person and online a total of three times.)
Furthermore, the campus organized events such as “A Happy Day Playing with Science” aimed at young children, providing a space that allows people to interactively learn about science and technology in an enjoyable manner.
(The "Happy Day Playing with Science" in AY 2023 was the first regular event in four years since the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. It featured 25 hands-on science sessions held indoors and outdoors)

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The Wellbeing Research Center is located on the Keio University Tonomachi Town Campus, established in the Tonomachi district (King Sky Front) of Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City in April 2016. Keio University led and jointly proposed the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) “Program for the Promotion of a World-class Regional Research and Development/Verification Hub (Research Complex)” [AY2015–2019] with the four local authorities of Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokohama City and Ota Ward, Tokyo, alongside universities and research institutions (Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology; The University of Tokyo; Tokyo Institute of Technology; and Yokohama City University), and corporate entities (Fujifilm; CYBEDYNE). Following the conclusion of this program we have contributed to the promotion of interdisciplinary research through industry-academia-government partnerships in the four domains of drug discovery; quality evaluation for regenerative and cellular medicine; data and information infrastructure via the Person centered Open Platform for well-being (PeOPLe); and medical apparatus and robotics. We also continue to further joint research with various organizations, including those in the localities of the Tonomachi campus, which combined with the aforementioned research partnership initiatives, is building towards the development of a Wellbeing Research Campus to create world-class social systems and new industries using revolutionary technologies.This initiative is currently promoting production and quality evaluation projects particularly in the fields of regenerative and cellular medicine, in cooperation with regional institutions. In addition, a personnel development course (https://www.keio-pmx.jp/archives.html) for the methodical study of pharmacometrics by the foremost experts in Japan in the field, in addition to a Junior Doctor Training School for 5th grade elementary school children to 3rd grade junior high school students with classes once per month were held. 9 students took the advanced course of the Junior Doctor Training School from May 21, 2023 to December 24, 2023, while 41 students took the basic course from September 24, 2023 to February 18, 2024. We have developed various research and education activities (https://www.tonomachi-wb.jp/juniordoctor/report/), including those engaged with the continuous development of the future leaders of the innovation ecosystem, aimed at young people through to working adults. We are thus contributing to the growth and development of the Tonomachi King Skyfront area.

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In collaboration with Takada Junior High School in Yokohama, a workshop was held as part of a social studies class to address local disaster prevention issues through systems thinking, design thinking, and data analysis.
The workshop consisted of two sessions and was designed in accordance with the process of systems thinking and design thinking, from analysis of the issue to creation of a solution proposal. In the first session, the participants first set the target user based on the content of the prior lectures and research study, analyzed the data obtained through the field survey from the target user's perspective, verified the hypothesis, and defined the problem. Then, the participants analyzed the relationships among stakeholders in realizing the scenario as a service and presented the content in the form of a skit.
In the first session, three classes of second-year students, 115 in total, participated in a workshop held at a junior high school. In the second workshop, six selected groups of students participated in a workshop held at the Hiyoshi Campus, where they engaged in dialogue and co-creation with university students and Yokohama City Kohoku Ward Office staff. Many of the students who participated in the program showed a change in their awareness toward disaster prevention through questionnaires before and after the program, as well as a willingness to apply the knowledge and ideas they learned to other fields.

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In 2007, a groundwater supply system using a "groundwater membrane filtration system" for a stand-alone water supply dedicated for private use began operation.Until April 2020, well water was used as drinking water and greywater, but due to the closure of campuses as a result of the spread of COVID-19, water usage had decreased considerably. Therefore, well water was used only in the greywater system for miscellaneous purposes. Water usage has since recovered from May 2022 onwards and usage of well water as potable water has resumed. Approximately 17,500㎥ of well water was used in AY 2023.

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Working towards the realization of Level 4 automated operation in passenger transportation based on the memorandum of understanding for joint research between Keio and Kanachu, Keio promoted the operation, problem identification, system improvement, and evaluation of the automated loop shuttle bus system at SFC (Shonan Fujisawa Campus).

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Keio University’s Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) has, over the around 30 years since its opening in April 1990, conducted various research, education, and development alongside diverse local actors to lead the way into the future while respecting the communities and culture of Shonan. In 2020, which marked the 30th anniversary of SFC, the Keio Research Institute at SFC and five local authorities in the Shonan region, pledging to continue to collaborate in various initiatives founded in their accumulated experience and achievements, concluded a partnership agreement for the realization of “Future Cities for Well-being in Shonan area”. To coincide with this, the “SHONAN FUTURE CITY” research project was launched based on the research consortium system at the Keio Research Institute at SFC. This calls on various actors in industry, government, academia, and the financial and private sector, to strengthen mutual cooperation and endeavor to build frameworks to promote research development which co-creates the future.
In AY 2023, Keio University collaborated with Fujisawa City to increase exchange opportunities there between students and residents at “chiiki no engawa” (literally “local veranda”) sites, which serve as local spaces providing a sense of community and belonging. This initiative originally had one location providing interaction opportunities with senior citizens. However, the number of sites was expanded to four, and participating Keio students now hold exchanges with not only the elderly but also elementary school students and infants along with their parents. Keio additionally collaborated on a project hosted at the community center in Fujisawa City’s Endo ward that gave elementary school students the opportunity to interact with nature. Keio faculty members and undergraduate students participated in this project as volunteers ten times over the course of the year. Besides these projects, various surveys and research studies were conducted in the districts of Fujisawa and Chigasaki cities.

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