New KAKEHASHI Program Brings PhD Students and Industry Together

On June 24, OIST hosted the kick-off event for the pilot phase of KAKEHASHI, a new industry-academia collaborative education program designed to connect doctoral students with industry partners through experiential learning and real-world problem solving.

The event brought together eight OIST PhD students and mentors from three partner companies, marking the start of a six-month journey focused on collaboration, professional growth, and leadership development.

Building Bridges Between Academia and Industry

The name KAKEHASHI, meaning “bridge” in Japanese, reflects the program's mission to strengthen connections between academia and industry. Through team-based projects, students will work on real-world challenges proposed by participating companies, applying their scientific expertise beyond the research environment.

Throughout the program, industry mentors will provide guidance, professional insights, and practical perspectives, helping students understand how scientific knowledge can be translated into business and societal impact.

Exploring Leadership Across Sectors

Leadership was a central theme of the kick-off event. Through interactive workshops and discussions, students and mentors explored leadership in both academic and industry settings, shared personal experiences, and reflected on how leadership can be demonstrated at every career stage.

Looking Ahead

Following the event, each team will begin refining its project goals in collaboration with industry partners. Over the next six months, students will work on company-provided case studies while receiving ongoing support from dedicated mentors.

At its core, KAKEHASHI is founded on the belief that developing future PhD talent is a shared responsibility. By bringing together the strengths of academia and industry, the program creates opportunities for students to grow not only as researchers, but also as professionals capable of creating impact beyond their fields.

About KAKEHASHI

KAKEHASHI is a pilot industry-academia collaborative education program developed by the Graduate School Professional and Career Development (PCD) section. Through project-based learning, doctoral students work with industry partners to address real-world challenges, development leadership and professional skills, and strengthen connections between research and society.

This initiative also contributes to the realization of the J-PEAKS mission, “Establish a Career Training System for Next-Generation Leaders.”