The Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for Innovative Research Ecosystem (ASPIRE) program aims to continuously promote global talent circulation by strengthening networks among leading domestic and international researchers and nurturing the next generation of research leaders.

On March 28, 2025, ASPIRE held the 2025 ASPIRE Workshop ­Enhancing Japan’s Research Capabilities and Cultivating Global Talent through Sustainable International Partnerships­ in the fields of semiconductor and telecommunications. The event took place at Tokyo City University as a sponsored session of the General Conference, held annually by the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE).

The workshop began with keynote lectures by Dr. Jim Kurose, Distinguished University Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Dr. Irina Filonova, former Associate Fellow of JST. These were followed by presentations from 12 projects selected in FY2023 in the fields of semiconductor and telecommunications.

In addition to Program Director Dr. Kenjiro Miyano and Program Officers (POs) Dr. Hideharu Amano in the semiconductor field and Prof. Naoaki Yamamoto in the telecommunications field, approximately 90 participants, including researchers and experts, attended both in-person and online. The event featured active exchanges of opinions and vibrant information sharing.

Drawing on his extensive experience with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and years of collaboration with Japan, Dr. Kurose emphasized the growing need for the establishment of frameworks for international joint research between Japan and the United States. He added that it is necessary to pursue research with future applications in mind, especially in these fields. His talk enriched with the latest findings was very insightful.

Dr. Filonova, who participated in person, presented issues to improve Japan's research capabilities, as well as ways to raise awareness more easily from the perspective of fostering researchers who can play an active role in the international arena. Her stimulating presentation was well received by the participants.

Each Principal Investigator introduced their accomplishments and future prospects, roughly one year since the start of their research. Additionally, young researchers who have been conducting research at their partner research institutes through ASPIRE support presented their experiences, differences between Japan and their host countries, and what could be learned from these differences.

Their reflections sparked many questions from the participants, resulting in an engaging Q&A session. Some researchers participated online from their host institutions abroad, and their real-time participation highlighted the immersive experience of the program.

The lunch session, moderated by Dr. Amano, was a special program to identify various challenges in international joint research under the ASPIRE program and to explore solutions among participants. Numerous opinions were raised, including Collaborative Research Agreements (CRAs) with overseas institutions, ASPIRE’s unique use of budget, and travel-related administrative procedures. We could learn that the researchers themselves are making various efforts to achieve the objectives of ASPIRE, including complex adjustments with both home and partner institutions.

Within just one year, ASPIRE research activities have achieved remarkable results in forming Centers of Excellence (CoE) by networking with top international researchers in various ways. Particularly noteworthy is the impressive work conducted by young researchers at their host institutions, and their contributions will continue to be closely followed.