Why am I creating iU?

Why am I creating iU?       

　The shortage of ICT talent has been complained about for over 30 years, but today there are cries of a lack of AI and IoT talent. Japan arrived late to ICT, and cannot afford to repeat the same mistake when it comes to AI and IoT. The fact that an organization is necessary that provides top-class talent does not require an explanation.

　Nonetheless, the establishment of iU is the establishment of a huge venture organization, and is challenging and full of risks. Why am I creating this by myself, and even discarding the position I have had until now to do so?

　That is because this is also the culmination of everything I have done up to this point. 

　I currently have the titles of a scholar or a teacher, but as I have not been putting effort into scholarship or education, these are misleading designations, and I have been calling myself a “policy person”. This is a coined term, and among terms that are used in society, “social entrepreneur” is the closest. After creating songs in a band, creating bills and policies in government office, and then shifting to university, I have started over 20 social enterprises.

　I have started public-service corporations and projects in the field of “Tech and Pop”. CiP, which creates a “Tech & Pop Special Zone”, is all of these multiplied together. iU is another project to create a place for Tech and Pop, and is linked together with civil projects such as CiP.

　On the other hand, ICT and education are also my life’s work. In the domain of early childhood education, I have established organizations ranging from the MIT Okawa Center to NPO CANVAS, while I have promoted elementary, middle, and high school education in schools through DiTT. In the field of graduate-school research education, I have also taken part in the establishment of KMD, which is oriented towards projects done through industry-academia collaboration. Four-year universities are a missing piece for me, and this project is also meant to fill that gap.