Concept of the Commemorative Project

Enhancing NUT’s identity as a “University of Ideas”
as we look toward our 50th Anniversary

NUT will commemorate its 50th anniversary on October 1st, 2026.

The university was founded as an engineering university that emphasizes graduate-level education and research activities focused on the development of practical technologies.

Professor KAWAKAMI Masamitsu, who served as the first president of NUT, stated the following during his address at the School of Engineering’s inaugural entrance ceremony on April 18th, 1978:
“Our university aims to be a ‘University of Ideas’ built upon the three pillars of VOS. Here, V stands for Vitality, O for Originality, and S for Services. It is my sincere hope that the university’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni will never forget this concept.”

Even as times change and we approach a major milestone, we should always bear in mind this spirit of VOS that is our university’s motto: Vitality (V) to constantly implement feedback between theory and practice, Originality (O) to cultivate creative abilities related to GIGAKU (the science of technology), and Services (S) that contribute to humanity’s happiness and sustainable development through GIGAKU. In line with this philosophy, we will enhance our identity as a “University of Ideas” and strive to become a vital institution for the local community and global society.

As an initiative that links the university’s founding aspirations with its future, the 50th Anniversary Commemorative Project will be driven forward not only through the combined efforts of the faculty, staff, students, and alumni, but also of everyone involved with NUT.

Purpose of the Commemorative Project

This project aims to nurture the development of leading engineers with practical and creative skills, promote the revitalization of local industries, and contribute to innovation creation for the attainment of SDGs. To accomplish these aims, the project will advance initiatives to achieve NUT’s Future Vision, and establish facilities to promote intellectual, regional, and international exchanges that bring together students, faculty, staff, alumni, companies, and local governments.

Main uses of the fund

Development of open space facilities (Innovation Commons) where students, faculty, staff, company representatives, local government officials, and alumni can gather and freely engage in intellectual, regional, and international exchanges

Provision of financial support for the development of leading engineers who possess the practical and creative abilities to innovate and contribute to SDGs, as well as the will to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society

Purpose of the Commemorative Project

Main uses of the fund

Innovation Commons

National university campuses, which are supported by the public, are national assets and valuable regional public goods. NUT aims to bring about the development of co-creation hubs (Innovation Commons) that can create new value by optimizing the efforts of our students, faculty, and staff, as well as those of all people in the local community and industries who are associated with the university.

Formation of places for co-
creation with the local
community
and industries
through the application of
convergence research

■Regional GX Innovation Co-Creation Center (New Building)
■DXR Manufacturing Open Innovation Center (New Building)

■Technical Development Center Bldg. 1
■Technical Development Center Bldg. 2
■Faculty Bldg. (Environmental Systems Engineering)

Networking events with
local businesses

Open laboratories with other universities and companies

World-leading cutting-
edge research

Regional revitalization through
technology × local resources

Regional GX Innovation Co-Creation Center (New Building)

In order to build a place where the world’s innovators in green transformation (GX) can gather and create new knowledge to resolve society’s problems, we will establish the Regional GX Innovation Co-Creation Center as a facility that enables verification experiments on the circulation of both resources (mainly food and agricultural products) and energy that cannot be performed elsewhere in the world.
Through the establishment of this facility, NUT aims to become a driving force for social innovations that resolve society’s issues related to “GIGAKU for Carbon Management”. In addition, this facility will provide a platform that brings together top overseas universities, companies, and startups to solve problems in local communities. With this platform as its core, we will develop business producers and co-create new value based on convergence research.

DXR Manufacturing Open Innovation Center (New Building)

The DXR Manufacturing Open Innovation Center will be established with the aim of making breakthroughs and advancements in one-of-a-kind technologies for manufacturing—of which Niigata Prefecture is internationally competitive—through GIGAKU (the science of technology). Furthermore, the Center will also aim to improve the productivity and value of these technologies through the application of DX (digital linkage) and XR (technologies that merge the physical and virtual worlds), and drive their commercialization in order to promote the revitalization of the local economy.
In this way, NUT will build an Open Innovation Center (OIC) that can provide a one-stop venue for research and development, human resource development, commercialization support, and startup support centered on local universities, companies, and governments through the integration of students from KOSEN Colleges of Technology throughout Japan.