Kitakami City in Iwate Prefecture is planning to establish "Kitakami Municipal Institute of Technology (tentative name)" as a core base for global standard education, research, and human resource development. On Saturday, August 29, 2026, they will host a lecture entitled "Thinking about the Future of Learning and the City," with the president of Sanjo City University (Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture) as the guest speaker.
In recent years, plans for new science and engineering faculties at public universities have been spreading throughout Japan. Examples include the proposed Gifu City University and the Yokkaichi Industrial Co-creation University Group, as well as the consideration of establishing and expanding a prefectural university in Kagawa Prefecture. While these projects are attracting attention as a means of regional revitalization, rising construction costs and other factors have increased initial investment, leading to active discussions about profitability.
Kitakami City in Iwate Prefecture is planning to establish the "Kitakami Municipal Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Advanced Engineering (tentative name, enrollment capacity of 120 students)." Kitakami City is located in the central part of the prefecture and has good transportation access via Shinkansen and expressways. Industrial promotion through industry-academia-government collaboration has progressed, and it has developed into the largest industrial city in the prefecture. Eleven industrial parks have been developed within the city, and semiconductor manufacturer Kioxia Iwate Corporation is located in one of them.
Based on these regional characteristics, the aim is to cultivate engineering talent capable of creating new value in order to realize a prosperous and sustainable society. Two workshops have already been held to organize the elements necessary to maximize the value and functions of the university and make it a university of choice for the region, from the perspective of university location and student recruitment.
This time, as an opportunity to learn more concretely about and consider what a town with a university looks like, we will be hosting a lecture by Mr. Ahmed Shahriar, Chairman and President of Sanjo City University, a public university corporation that opened in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture in April 2021. Sanjo City University leverages the regional characteristics of Tsubame-Sanjo, a town known for its manufacturing, to provide learning that integrates practical engineering and management, and aims to cultivate human resources that can generate innovation. The lecture, titled "Regional Universities Transforming Towns - Universities as New Main Players in Regional Revitalization," will introduce the university's initiatives on themes such as "Towns with Universities" and "The Role of Universities in Regional Cities."
<Summary of special lecture>
Date and Time: Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location: Japan Museum of Modern Poetry and Literature Auditorium (2-5-60 Honishimachi, Kitakami City)
Cost: Free
Application: Not required
Lecture Title: "Local Universities Transforming Towns - Universities as New Key Players in Regional Revitalization"
Ahmed Shahriar, Chairman and President of the Board of Trustees, Sanjo City University (a public university corporation)
Reference: [Kitakami City] Lecture to consider the future of learning and the city
