The Tokai National Higher Education and Research System, a national university corporation consisting of Nagoya University and Gifu University, will open a research facility on the Higashiyama Campus of Nagoya University in the summer of 2025 that will be open not only to faculty and students of the institution, but also to the local community. The facility will be called "Common Nexus" (nicknamed ComoNe). The website was launched on October 2024, 10, and details of the facility were made public. "Common" means shared knowledge, and "Nexus" means connection.
Komone will be an open space that symbolizes the lush Higashiyama Campus, known as the Greenbelt. It is a distinctive facility with one basement floor and one above ground, directly connected to the Nagoya University subway station, and a roof that looks as if it is turned up from the ground. It is imbued with the idea that a rich soil for creativity will be cultivated by people and different fields meeting and interacting with each other, just like in the world underground.
The center embodies the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System's concept of "Make New Standards for The Public," and aims to disseminate the research results and educational resources of Nagoya University and Gifu University to the general public as public goods, to serve as a showcase open to the world and a place for new exchanges and activities, and to create new value.
From art and design to business, sports, and craftsmanship, there is a membership program (fee required) called the "Membership Program" which is recommended for people who have a theme they want to explore with others, regardless of their hobby or work, or who want to get feedback from experts and researchers, and the "ComoNe Program" where researchers from the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System set a theme every six months based on their field of expertise. Adults and children alike can freely participate according to their goals, interests, and timing. In addition, there are plans to hold a presentation called "Como Market" once every three months as a place to share activities at ComoNe.
Since the 2000s, the number of shared spaces between university faculty and students, and between universities and companies, has increased, but there are few universities that have shared spaces that can be used by local people as a place for research and presentations. With a location directly connected to a subway station, attention is being paid to the value that can be created by utilizing the facility.
Currently, Komone is not only looking for people to participate in the program, but also for supporters to help shape Komone's future, such as donors, ambassadors who will act as part of the community and support young activists, and corporate sponsorships that support the organization's philosophy.
Reference: [Nagoya University] Common Nexus website launched
