Okayama University held the completion ceremony for the first doctoral degree recipient under the "Graduate School Study Support Program," launched in FY2024, at the Main Administration Building on the Tsushima Campus on May 22.

The program was established as part of the effort to realize Okayama University Long-Term Vision 2050: A Research University that Cocreates the Future for the Region and the Earth and Contributes to Global Innovation. Its purpose is to enhance the expertise of university staff by providing tuition waivers, career-path support, and other measures. Ms. KOBAYASHI Chie, Technical Specialist at the Division of Medical Support Technologies, Institute of Technical Support for Education and Research, became the first doctoral degree recipient through this program.

Ms. KOBAYASHI specialized in forensic medicine, her area of responsibility. Her doctoral research focused on the leakage of myoglobin from muscle tissue and demonstrated the importance of sample preservation conditions. Based on this research, she was awarded the Doctor of Medicine degree in March 2025.

The university has also appointed Ms. KOBAYASHI as a Designated Assistant Professor. She is expected to contribute to Okayama University’s development through research in forensic medicine, securing external funding such as Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI), and fostering advanced technical personnel with specialized knowledge in forensic autopsies.

At the ceremony, SATO Norito, Vice Executive Director; Vice President for Academic Affairs; and Senior University Research Administrator (URA), who oversees the program, delivered the opening address:

“The Graduate School Study Support Program is designed to enable administrative, technical, and library staff at Okayama University to acquire advanced knowledge and to ensure a well-structured career path as a research university. While rare in Japan, this initiative has been recognized as a significant effort, even being featured in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Guidebook. In contrast, it is not uncommon overseas for university staff to hold doctoral degrees and to play active roles as professionals in university management. The awarding of a doctoral degree to a technical staff member is a great achievement for our university and an exemplary case. We aim to create an environment where doctoral personnel can thrive, just as they do abroad.”

Following this, President NASU Yasutomo presented Ms. KOBAYASHI with the program completion certificate and the notification of her appointment as a Designated Assistant Professor, along with words of encouragement.

Expressing her determination, Ms. KOBAYASHI remarked:

“I am deeply grateful for the support that enabled me to obtain my doctoral degree and to be appointed as a Designated Assistant Professor. I will continue to devote myself as a member of Okayama University, a research university.”

This program is implemented as part of the MEXT initiative "Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS)" (operated by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science), for which Okayama University has been selected. Currently, five staff members are engaged in research activities aiming to obtain master's or doctoral degrees. Please look forward to Okayama University’s continued initiatives as a distinctive local core research university.

●Comment from President NASU Yasutomo

“Ms. KOBAYASHI is the first graduate of this innovative program, and I am very proud as President. Having contributed in various ways in the field of forensic medicine, she has now obtained her doctorate and been appointed as a Designated Assistant Professor. We expect even greater achievements from her in the future.

Our university is shifting away from the conventional faculty-centered governance model, in which faculty members handle all roles, toward a management style in which professionals in diverse fields assume specific responsibilities. This approach ensures faculty members’ research time and contributes to the effective use of labor costs. We will continue to strategically promote the advancement of our staff and further develop Okayama University as a distinctive local core research university. We ask for your continued support for our dedicated and ambitious staff.”

●Recipients of Okayama University’s "Graduate School Study Support Program" (including graduates)

・FY2024, Second Semester
- Ms. ASAKURA Mami, Technical Specialist, Division of Educational Support Technologies, Institute of Technical Support for Education and Research (Doctoral Course)
- Ms. KOBAYASHI Chie, Technical Specialist, Division of Medical Support Technologies, Institute of Technical Support for Education and Research (Doctoral Course)

・FY2025, First Semester
- Mr. UEKI Hideo, Technical Specialist, Division of Medical Support Technologies, Institute of Technical Support for Education and Research (Doctoral Course)
- Mr. KIMURA Ryota, Technical Staff, Division of Medical Support Technologies, Institute of Technical Support for Education and Research (Doctoral Course)
- Ms. NAKAMURA Yuri, Technical Specialist, Division of Educational Support Technologies, Institute of Technical Support for Education and Research (Master’s Course)
- Mr. UEYAMA Hiroki, Library Staff, Division of Information Management, Okayama University Library (Master’s Course)