Institute of Science Tokyo Brand Action! spurs participation in creation of new university

As Tokyo Tech and Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) seek to intertwine their traditions, fuse their innovative spirits, and form a new university in the fall of 2024, the communities have jointly launched a project to encourage active public participation in the creation of Institute of Science Tokyo.

The "Institute of Science Tokyo Brand Action!" project began with its first phase in October 2023. A massive voting board was set up on the Tokyo Tech and TMDU campuses to gather opinions on the new university from students, faculty, staff, and other interested members of the public. The board contained four questions about the future institution:

The first votes were cast by visitors to the Ochanomizu Festival at TMDU on October 14 and 15. The second batch of red stickers were placed on the voting board at the Tokyo Tech Festival two weeks later. A total of approximately 3,000 votes were cast, with similar trends emerging at both institutions. Those who felt that their opinions differed significantly from the options available were also able to share their views online.

In addition to submitting their votes, many participants were happy to voice their individual opinions out loud. A number of these comments reflected the positive outlook held by the voters regarding the new university's potential research prowess and enhanced role as a global academic institution, particularly if the integration results in increased acquisition of funding.