[News] Report on Visit to Carnegie Mellon University to Deepen Partnership
2025.10.09Overview
On Monday, September 8 and Tuesday, September 9, 2025, a visit was made to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in the United States. The visit included a top-level exchange between CMU President Farnam Jahanian and Keio University President Kohei Itoh, along with sharing the current status of the Keio AI Research Center.
Based on its AI partnership with CMU, Keio University established the Keio AI Research Center, a leader in next-generation AI, together with nine corporate research members. As the Center marked its first anniversary in September, its leaders gathered to inspect multiple research facilities and exchange views with CMU professors, confirming possibilities for future collaboration.
The visit was also attended by nine Keio AI Center partner companies, including KDDI, Itochu Techno-Solutions, Tokio Marine Holdings, and NEC, and the possibility of dispatching corporate researchers was also discussed. Keio University plays a crucial role in deepening its partnership with CMU while also strengthening ties with key players in Japanese industry to accelerate the social implementation of AI, a role it will continue to pursue.
Objectives of the Visit
The visit was timed to leverage the top-level exchange between CMU and Keio University, focusing on three main objectives:
・Confirming the significance of the exchange between CMU President Jahanian and Keio President Itoh and exploring the potential for future expansion.
・Reconfirming the Keio AI Research Center's activities from a management perspective, inspecting local research facility expansion plans, and utilizing this for future research planning.
・Accelerating discussions on strengthening corporate collaboration and promoting social implementation by matching the interests of partner companies with CMU research themes, informed by the Keio AI Research Center's expertise.
Report on Activities
・Monday, September 8: Morning Session
The morning session began with greetings from CMU leadership, including Dean Martial Hebert and Vice President Theresa Mayer, as well as Keio President Itoh. The session saw a total of 20 participants from Keio University (13 members including professors from the Keio AI Research Center and students studying at CMU) and 7 from partner companies, along with about 30 attendees from CMU (including professors and students).
Project status was shared by Professor Komei Sugiura, Director of the Keio AI Research Center. This included a review of milestones since the partnership agreement, as well as achievements of international students studying at CMU and future plans. Updates on projects were then presented by professors from both universities, followed by introductions of key focus areas by the partner companies.
・Monday, September 8: CMU Research Facility Tour
The group toured research facilities, including buildings planned for expansion, located slightly away from the CMU campus. The facilities confirmed that ample space has been secured and that efforts are being made, such as collaborating with experts, to achieve social implementation in a short timeframe.
・Monday, September 8: Evening Reception
The evening reception provided an opportunity to deepen fellowship, including CMU President Jahanian, Keio President Itoh, and corporate executives.
・Tuesday, September 9: Open Session with Partner Companies
Discussions with partner companies were held at the CMU campus facilities on the topics of Extended Reality (XR) and Human-Computer Interaction. This session created opportunities for even greater future collaboration.
Inquiries
Keio AI Research Center Office, Keio University
kai-center-office@keio.jp
