In 2022, Gifu University (GU) was selected for the "Human Resource Development for Regional Revitalization: Supereminent Program for Activating Regional Collaboration (SPARC)" of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. As part of this activity, GU is carrying out the "Gifu Region Human Resource Development Program: to establish academic infrastructure for regional revitalization^*1 (SPARC-GIFU). The major objectives of the program are 1) to build a regional partnership platform among industry, governments, educational and financial institutions, 2) to identify the desired qualities that can contribute to society, and 3) to provide students with education to develop skills necessary to work for the community.

On Monday, November 20, 2023, we established the "SPARC-GIFU Regional Partnership Platform" and held the first management meeting. Later, in the press conference, the members the partnership expressed their determinations as follows: "The members of the SPARC-GIFU Regional Partnership Platform aim to identify the qualities that can contribute to society, and share them with educational institutions, such as universities. The members also review individual projects to see whether they are in line with the platform objectives. In this way, we keep on pushing our platform forward."

Next, Vice President SUGIYAMA Makoto (General Manager) (Evaluation, General Affairs, Public Relations and Fund) of GU gave a summary of the platform. His speech was followed by the comment by Ms. ITO, President of the Nagaragawa Hot Spring Proprietress Association; "We develop human resources that will become indispensable to society and make our platform instrumental for growth of the community by addressing various challenges."

Ambitions and hopes by the representatives from the Gifu Prefectural Government and The Juroku Bank, Ltd., were also expressed. The press conference ended with the speeches by President YOSHIDA Kazuo of GU, President EMA Satoshi of Chubugakuin University (Gifu Prefecture), and President HATANAKA Shigemitsu of Gifu City Women's College (Gifu Prefecture). They all sent a strong message towards the realization of collaborative education.

We continue to reinforce the partnership between the members and local community and develop human resources that can serve the community. We also collaborate with different organizations and the private sector for the growth of the community and carry out initiatives to meet the needs of society.

1) English name tentative

The members of SPARC-GIFU Regional Partnership Platform:

• Nagaragawa Hot Spring Proprietress Association
• Yanagase Awesome Town Inc.
• Global Mobility Service
• Gifu Doyu.
• Gifu Employer's Association
• Gifu Prefectural Council of Social Welfare
• Gifu Prefecture
• Gifu City
• Takayama City
• Nakatsugawa City
• Gifu University
• Chubugakuin University
• Gifu City Women's College
• The Juroku Bank, Ltd.

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