Ministry OKs Institute of Science Tokyo's Enhancement Plan

Tokyo, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--Japan's education ministry said Friday that it has approved the Institute of Science Tokyo's 25-year plan to strengthen its research capabilities.

The national institution was selected last month as the second university eligible for aid from the government's 10-trillion-yen fund set up under its project to foster universities with world-class research capabilities.

The 25-year plan will start in April. The university will receive about 12.4 billion yen in subsidies for the first year soon.

"We hope the Institute of Science Tokyo will lead Japan's research capabilities," education minister Yohei Matsumoto told a news conference Friday.

Under the plan, the Institute of Science Tokyo aims to implement reform to foster broad cooperation inside the university and with other institutions across research fields by eliminating organizational barriers.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]