iU vs. Minerva Schools

 ■iU vs. Minerva Schools

Hideki Yamamoto is the author of “Minerva Schools at KGI: The Most Desired Destination for the Global Elite.”

This is the oft-discussed punk university that students enroll in instead of universities like Harvard and Stanford.

I am observing it as a benchmark for iU, which aims to open in 2020.

Although it shares a lot of similarities with iU, there are also points where the two differ.

Let’s look at the similarities first

1. All classes are conducted online at Minerva. Lectures are prohibited, as the model involves flipped classrooms and completely active learning. There are few students in each class.

I also want to do this for iU. Knowledge can be attained through the smartphone. Real classes involve debate and creation. It will be completely different from conventional universities.

2. Students attain skills sought by companies and society.

iU will be the same way. The needs of the market will be reflected in what the university teaches in order to avoid any discrepancies with what companies seek.

3. There is no tenure (lifelong employment).

iU will do the same. Tenure removes competitiveness and incentives for growth for faculty.

Instead, I will emphasize a design that encourages proactively entering a competitive environment.

4. There is cooperation with companies and an emphasis on internships.

iU will take this a step further and become a university “that is created with companies” and requires internships. Its concept itself is being designed with tens of companies, and cooperation with companies serves as the axis for education.

Initially, the ideas of Ben Nelson, the founder of Minerva Schools, were rejected by investors. Following that, his ideas began to materialize through approval from Peter Thiel, Larry Summers, and other major players. iU has been supported by numerous companies since its inception, and I believe that it matches the needs of companies.

5. The tuition is inexpensive.

Tuition for iU will be at a similar level (roughly 1.5 million yen each year) as Minerva Schools. It is a fraction of the tuition for Ivy League schools in the United States. Moreover, iU will adopt a framework that allows students to earn their school expenses and strive to enable an actual burden of 0 or even opportunities to earn income that is higher than the school expenses

Next, I would like to list the differences between Minerva Schools and iU

1. Minerva professes to be a “top elite university.” Faculty members also come from top-level academic institutions

Instead of having iU aim for this, I would like to produce professionals and innovators who thrive in the industrial world. Therefore, a majority of faculty members will be professionals from the industrial world.

2. By also setting up the “Minerva Institute,” there is also an effort put into research. They carry out education and research.

Although iU will carry out many experimental studies connecting industry and academia, it is not a research institute. Instead, I will also set up “i Co., Ltd.,” which supports entrepreneurship by students, as all faculty members and students develop businesses.

3. Minerva does not have a campus.

This is good. Based on regulations in Japan, iU will have campuses. Therefore, I will utilize the campuses to their fullest extent. The main campus will be in Sumida, while there will also be a campus for entrepreneurship in Takeshiba, Minato. This will be an educational district where various experiments and demonstrations will take place. I will build a rich space for connecting industry and academia

The idea that Minerva allows students to learn in 7 cities across the world is appealing. There are facilities in Seoul and Taipei in Asia. All students reside in residence halls. I would like to take on the challenge of accomplishing this goal for iU also. I would like to prepare a Global Campus Passport that allows students to come and go by cooperating with foreign universities

Meanwhile, iU will offer all students the opportunity to become an entrepreneur. I will prepare an environment in which students will take on challenges without the fear of failure, including social entrepreneurship. This does not exist in Minerva, and I would like to produce results that make sense.

I would also like to try out numerous systems that do not exist anywhere else in the world.