• Business overview
• Event Overview
• Implementation Report
• Contact Information

Business overview

With the increasing sophistication and complexity of education and research in higher education institutions, staff development (SD) has been mandatory since 2017, and it is desirable for faculty and staff to further improve their skills and promote collaboration between faculty and staff.
Furthermore, the environment surrounding higher education institutions is changing rapidly, and university staff are increasingly required to acquire broad knowledge and advanced expertise.
The SD Joint Training Program is a project aimed at improving the capabilities of staff and streamlining and enhancing university operations, while also aiming to reduce costs for member universities by leveraging economies of scale.
Please also take advantage of this opportunity for information exchange and networking across universities.

Event Overview

Organizer:

Kyoto University Consortium (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation)

* Priority will be given to universities and junior colleges affiliated with the Kyoto University Consortium.
* Participation may be refused if the number of applicants exceeds the capacity. (First-come, first-served basis)
* Please note that the course may be canceled if the number of applicants falls significantly below the capacity.
* Participation fees, once paid, are generally non-refundable.

■ Business Manners You’ll Understand and Appreciate

1. Training Overview

• You will learn the necessary knowledge, business etiquette, and basic work procedures required of a university staff member, and develop the ability to adapt to your job and workplace.
• Most of the problems that arise when young employees are assigned to a department relate to communication. For example, they may not report properly, they may not use polite language, they may not answer the phone, or they may make negative remarks. In other words, we will explain approaches to “professional communication skills,” which are crucial in training new and young employees.
• Furthermore, whether or not you can accurately grasp the other person’s intentions and requests largely depends on the responder’s “listening skills.” To ensure you hear all the necessary information without any excess or deficiency, we will teach you how to listen with your whole body—ears, mouth, eyes, head, body, and heart—as well as effective questioning techniques to proactively gather information.

2. Key points for training program management

• By establishing a flow from lectures (knowledge transfer) to exercises (practical application) for each item, we achieve “strengthening practical skills through input ⇒ output.”
• The exercises will include role-playing and telephone practice sessions that simulate real-life situations.
• Because participants use a “training sheet” that they create themselves by writing down what they have learned and their thoughts, they can concentrate more effectively on the course.

Date and time

April 24, 2026 (Friday) 10:00-16:00

venue

Campus Plaza Kyoto

Target criteria

Young employees (1st to 2nd year of employment)	Mid-level employees (with up to 10 years of service)	Proficient (after 10 years of service and in management positions)
○

* Newly hired employees (full-time, part-time, contract, and temporary staff) are welcome to participate, as are those who do not fall under the specified categories.

Capacity

20 people

Participation fee

Kyoto University Consortium member universities: 4,000 yen Others: 10,000 yen
* An invoice will be sent to you. Please transfer the payment to the designated account.
　Payment deadline: Monday, April 20, 2026

Training Overview

Business Etiquette Training: Understanding and Appreciating the Basics [Click here for details]

Instructor

Speaking Education Center Co., Ltd.
Ms. Mariya Fujiwara

■ Facilitation skills training for smoothly conducting meetings

This training aims to equip participants with the facilitation skills necessary to conduct meetings that reach conclusions quickly. Specifically, participants will learn the following four skills essential for smoothly conducting meetings.

① Designing the

Meeting Environment: Learn the importance and methods of pre-meeting preparation, including not only the environment in which the meeting takes place, but also how to raise awareness among participants. ②
Interpersonal Skills

: Learn how to listen attentively and ask questions in a way that encourages participants to speak, and how to intervene when the discussion goes off track during a meeting. ③ Structuring
: Learn how to bring together various opinions in a clear and concise manner that aligns with the meeting’s objectives, and how to summarize them using a whiteboard. ④ Consensus Building:
Learn how to handle disagreements and key points for supporting consensus building in order to reach conclusions based on participant agreement.

Date and time

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 13:00-17:00

venue

Campus Plaza Kyoto

Target criteria

Young employees (with up to 5 years of service)	Mid-level employees (with up to 10 years of service)	Proficient (after 10 years of service and in management positions)
○	○

* People who do not meet the target criteria are also welcome to participate.

Capacity

25 people

Participation fee

Kyoto University Consortium member universities: 4,000 yen Others: 10,000 yen
*An invoice will be sent. Please transfer the payment to the designated account.
　Payment deadline: May 19, 2026 (Tuesday)

Training Overview

Meeting Facilitation Skills Training: Training Overview [Click here for details]

Instructor

Insource Co., Ltd.
Tomohiro Aoki

■ Risk Management in Educational Institutions: Focusing on Legal Risks

This training aims to teach about risk management in school corporations that operate private universities and junior colleges. First, we will explain the internal control system that has become mandatory following the amendment of the Private School Law in 2023. Then, we will explain risk management, one of the components of the internal control system, for each type of legal risk, including its content and countermeasures.
As a result of the recent amendment to the Private School Law, risk management must now be implemented in all school corporations that operate private universities and junior colleges. However, since this affects all faculty and staff, it is essential that everyone understands it as their own responsibility. We hope that this training will provide an opportunity to form a shared understanding of risk management among executives, trustees, senior faculty and staff, as well as mid-career and junior faculty and staff.

Date and time

June 5, 2026 (Friday) 14:00-16:00

venue

Campus Plaza Kyoto

subject

This training program is designed for educational institutions that operate private universities and junior colleges. While staff from national and public universities are also welcome to participate, please be aware of this before applying.

Target criteria

Young employees (with up to 5 years of service)	Mid-level employees (with up to 10 years of service)	Proficient (after 10 years of service and in management positions)
	○	○

* People who do not meet the target criteria are also welcome to participate.

Capacity

50 people

Participation fee

Kyoto University Consortium member universities: 1,000 yen Others: 2,000 yen
*An invoice will be sent. Please transfer the payment to the designated account.
　Payment deadline: June 1, 2026 (Monday)

Training Overview

Risk Management in Educational Institutions: Focusing on Legal Risks – Training Overview [Click here for details]

Instructor

TMI Associates
Partner Attorney Ryohei Okawara

Application period

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 10:00 to Friday, May 22, 2026 17:00

■ An Introduction to Generative AI for University Administration

Many people feel that AI is difficult to understand and irrelevant to their work. However, generative AI is rapidly advancing and is beginning to impact even university administrative work. This training program focuses not on the “techniques for using” generative AI, but on acquiring the “mindset for working effectively with AI.” By learning what generative AI is and experiencing it firsthand, each participant aims to take away insights into “how they can utilize it in their own work.” Let’s take the first step from being merely a “customer” of AI to becoming an “involved party” who helps to nurture AI together.

Date and time

July 3, 2026 (Friday) 13:00-16:00

venue

Campus Plaza Kyoto

Target criteria

Young employees (with up to 5 years of service)	Mid-level employees (with up to 10 years of service)	Proficient (after 10 years of service and in management positions)
○	○

* People who do not meet the target criteria are also welcome to participate.

Capacity

30 people

Participation fee

Kyoto University Consortium member universities: 1,000 yen Others: 4,000 yen
*An invoice will be sent. Please transfer the payment to the designated account.
　Payment deadline: June 29, 2026 (Monday)

Training Overview

Introduction to Generative AI for University Administration: Training Overview [Click here for details]

Instructor

Ginji Moriki

Application period

May 21, 2026 (Thursday) 10:00 to June 19, 2026 (Friday) 17:00

■ Designing a new education for the AI ​​era using generative AI and the metaverse

With advancements in technologies such as generative AI, the way we learn and conduct research at universities is undergoing a fundamental transformation.
This training program is designed to help university staff consider how to support the activities of faculty and students and create an appropriate environment. We will provide an overview of future educational trends, including new teaching styles in which humans and AI collaborate, and a shift from evaluating “process” to evaluating “outputs.”
Based on this, we will discuss how to create an environment where faculty can focus on teaching and research, and how to create infrastructure that supports diverse learning, exploring together how to update the support provided by frontline staff that is required in the coming era.

Date and time

July 30, 2026 (Thursday) 13:00-16:00

venue

Campus Plaza Kyoto

Target criteria

Young employees (with up to 5 years of service)	Mid-level employees (with up to 10 years of service)	Proficient (after 10 years of service and in management positions)
○	○	○

Capacity

40 people

Participation fee

Kyoto University Consortium member universities: 1,000 yen Others: 4,000 yen
*An invoice will be sent. Please transfer the payment to the designated account.
　Payment deadline: July 27, 2026 (Monday)

Training Overview

Designing a New Educational Approach for the AI ​​Era Using Generative AI and the Metaverse: Training Overview [Click here for details]

Instructor

Takeshi Terao
Terao Consulting

Application period

Wednesday, June 17, 2026 10:00 to Friday, July 17, 2026 17:00

Application

■ Successful DX vs. Failed DX
*This training is a repeat of the program conducted in FY2025.

With declining birth rates and the rapid digitalization of society, universities are required to enhance their educational and research functions and strengthen their management foundations. To respond to this external environment, digital transformation (DX) of operations is essential. DX not only improves operational efficiency but also contributes to improving student services and the quality of education. This training program is designed to help staff understand the significance of business improvement and DX, and to review their own responsibilities and consider directions for improvement.

[Training Objectives]
To learn about methods for streamlining administrative tasks and the latest technologies (DX) in order to increase the time spent interacting with students and improve the quality of education.

[Training Objectives]
– Understand the definition and purpose of DX.
– Learn about the steps of business process improvement and success/failure cases at other universities.
– Be able to review your own work and devise directions for improvement.

Date and time

Friday, August 7, 2026 13:00-17:00

venue

Campus Plaza Kyoto

Target criteria

Young employees (with up to 5 years of service)	Mid-level employees (with up to 10 years of service)	Proficient (after 10 years of service and in management positions)
○	○	○

Capacity

30 people

Participation fee

Kyoto University Consortium member universities: 4,000 yen Others: 10,000 yen
*An invoice will be sent. Please transfer the payment to the designated account.
　Payment deadline: August 3, 2026 (Monday)

Training Overview

Successful and Unsuccessful DX: Training Overview [Click here for details]

<Pre-assignment>
Please watch the pre-assignment video, identify the tasks you are responsible for and their processes (procedures and deliverables), and summarize any problems in those tasks and any improvements you think you can make in an Excel sheet. On the day of the workshop, we will conduct group work (exchange of opinions) based on this sheet.

Instructor

Educe Co., Ltd. Consulting Department
Takeshi Shibata

Application period

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 10:00 to Friday, July 24, 2026 17:00

Application

■ Update on the Higher Education Situation for University Staff
*This lecture is an updated version of the training program offered in 2023 and 2024, taking into account subsequent changes in educational policy.

Deciphering the rapidly changing landscape of higher education and becoming a “key player” in university management
—Qualities and roles of university staff looking ahead to 2040—

The projected birth rate for 2025 was approximately 665,000, sending shockwaves not only through the university sector but also through society as a whole. With the declining birthrate continuing unabated, the future of universities remains uncertain as long as they depend on the domestic population of 18-year-olds. However, what we must confront is not mere pessimism about “downsizing.” What is being asked now is the “visionary power” to overcome the major crisis facing higher education in Japan, this structural change, and to redefine the social value of universities.
In its report, “A Vision for Improving Japan’s ‘Total Knowledge’ – Reconstruction of the Higher Education System,” presented by the Central Council for Education in February 2025, it was deemed urgent to maintain and develop the “total knowledge” that supports the sustainability of society, even amidst a rapid population decline. In response, the government is strongly promoting inter-university collaboration and integration, a fundamental strengthening of management governance at private universities, and the restructuring of the role of universities in local communities through a “policy package.” Furthermore, the framework of higher education itself is undergoing dramatic transformations, including support measures for regional universities, reskilling for working adults, and the strategic expansion of international student admissions.
In these uncertain times, the role required of university staff is also changing significantly. The era of simply being “administrative staff” who accurately apply established rules is over. With revisions to university establishment standards, the transformation of education and operations due to the penetration of generative AI, and rigorous demands for management transparency and quality assurance of education, university staff are required to be “partners in management,” possessing the ability and qualities to autonomously formulate and implement policies based on evidence.
In this lecture, we will delve into the historical context of past educational policies and explore the impact of the latest reports and discussions on our work. The aim is to understand the past to put the present into perspective and grasp clues for the future.
We hope this will be a forum where participants can gain a broad perspective on the “state of higher education” beyond the confines of their respective universities, and share the “resolve” and “knowledge” necessary to take the first step as independent agents of change upon returning to their own institutions. Let’s work together from Kyoto to cultivate a sense of responsibility as frontrunners who will lead the next generation of university management.

Date and time

Friday, December 18, 2026 13:00-17:00

venue

Campus Plaza Kyoto

Target criteria

Young employees (with up to 5 years of service)	Mid-level employees (with up to 10 years of service)	Proficient (after 10 years of service and in management positions)
○	○	○

Capacity

30 people

Participation fee

Kyoto University Consortium member universities: 1,000 yen Others: 4,000 yen
*An invoice will be sent. Please transfer the payment to the designated account.
　Payment deadline: December 14, 2026 (Monday)

Training Overview

Training Overview for University Staff: Updates on the State of Higher Education [Click here for details]

Instructor

Yusuke Okada Director
, Information Media Center Administrative Department, Corporate DX Promotion Headquarters, Ryukoku University

Application period

November 4, 2026 (Wednesday) 10:00 to December 4, 2026 (Friday) 17:00

Application

The application button will become active on Wednesday, November 4th at 10:00 AM.

Implementation Report

[Click here for the number of participants ▶]

Contact Information

Public Interest Incorporated Foundation University Consortium Kyoto SD Project Contact:
TEL 075-353-9163 FAX 075-353-9101
Address: Campus Plaza Kyoto, Shio-koji-dori, Nishinotoin-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8216
*Business Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 9:00-17:00 (excluding New Year holidays)