University of Tsukuba Launches Japan-U.S. AI Collaboration Initiative at Kickoff Ceremony

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University of Tsukuba Launches Japan-U.S. AI Collaboration Initiative at Kickoff Ceremony - AppliedHE

The University of Tsukuba recently held a ceremony to inaugurate the Japan-U.S. AI Partnership, held on April 23 at its Tokyo campus. This initiative involves several notable institutions, including the University of Washington, NVIDIA, and Amazon.

Cross-Pacific AI Initiative (X-PAI)

Formally named the Cross-Pacific AI Initiative (X-PAI), the partnership seeks to advance collaboration in areas such as research, human resource development, entrepreneurship, and the practical implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI). A total investment of $50 million, equivalent to approximately 7.5 billion yen, has been earmarked for the initiative over a ten-year period.

Ceremony Highlights

The ceremony saw participation from representatives of the University of Washington, NVIDIA, and Amazon, in addition to officials from the U.S. Embassy in Japan, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Various business leaders from Japan and international entities also attended the event.

Statements from Key Individuals

NAGATA Kyosuke, President of the University of Tsukuba, highlighted the importance of international collaboration between Japan and the U.S. in both academic and industrial sectors. He expressed hope that the partnership would contribute to societal advancements in the field of AI.

SAKURAI Tetsuya, co-director of X-PAI, elaborated on the initiative’s objectives and mentioned the establishment of an AI education and research hub expected to be completed by 2026.

The ceremony also featured comments from Jenq-Neng Hwang, co-director of the initiative at the University of Washington, Anne Szeto, Director of Academic Research Initiatives at Amazon, and Jack Wells, Director of Higher Education and Research Computing at NVIDIA, all of whom emphasized the collaborative prospects in AI research and development presented by this partnership.

Source: University of Tsukuba News