Comprehensive Research Center for Oral Medicine

Objective

1. We promote exchanges and joint research with other Asian countries and foster the development of researchers.
   Fukuoka Prefecture, where our university is headquartered, is geographically close to Asia and has a rich history of exchange with Asian countries. Therefore, it plays a crucial role as a hub in Asia. Leveraging this advantage, we actively promote exchange and collaborative research with other Asian countries and cultivate researchers, serving as a leading center for comprehensive oral medicine research in Asia.
2. To address the challenges of a super-aging society, we will incorporate a research-based approach to navigate the challenges of the times.
   Kitakyushu City is the most rapidly aging designated city in Japan. Within this context, as a university rooted in the community, we have been practicing dental medical education and clinical practice to address the challenges of a super-aging society through projects such as the "Center for Oral Health and Healthy Longevity Promotion (DEMCOP)." With the establishment of this new center, we will add a research-based approach to accelerate measures to overcome the challenges of a super-aging society.
3. We will establish a system to provide comprehensive support for researchers.
   We provide comprehensive support to enable researchers to conduct their research activities efficiently and effectively. This includes a wide range of assistance, such as support for securing research funding, research contracts and intellectual property management, improvement of the research environment, support for research ethics and compliance, dissemination and promotion of research results, and promotion of industry-academia collaboration.

Activities

1. Participation in local consortia, etc.
   In January 2025, we joined the Kitakyushu SDGs Startup Ecosystem Consortium (*1), the All Kyushu/Okinawa and Asia Startup Ecosystem Platform (PARKS) (*2), and the West Japan Academia Translational Research Network (WAT-New) (*3). This will allow us to assume a central role in oral medicine research and further strengthen our collaboration with local communities and industries.
   Furthermore, we aim to create new social value and contribute to local communities through the social implementation of our research results.
2. Holding of an international symposium
   In the 2025 academic year, a symposium was held in Taiwan from September 14th to 16th, co-hosted with National Sun Yat-sen Medical University, where numerous researchers from our university presented their research.
3. Holding seminars
   We held a seminar on entrepreneurship education on campus as part of the PARKS Seminar program.
4. Research collaboration with other universities
   In fiscal year 2025, we are currently working with Kitakyushu City University to match researchers, and we aim to secure external research funding in the future.
5. Research and development support for young researchers
   We provide support tailored to individual needs for faculty and researchers who have been with us for approximately 15 years since graduating from undergraduate school, including assistance with writing applications for grants such as KAKENHI (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research), refining research plans, and sharing past successful grant cases.

6. Promotion of collaborative research and contract research
   Our university has a history of conducting collaborative and commissioned research, primarily in specific fields, and we will now also accept such projects at this center. In addition, we will facilitate matching projects with researchers within the university to meet the needs of companies, organizations, and other groups.
   ※reference:Our university's track record in industry-academia collaborative research and commissioned research.

7. Maintenance of equipment for collaborative research
   We are coordinating to ensure that research equipment is provided in order of high demand among researchers within the university.

Comment from Center Director Shoichiro Furukabu

This center's mission is to pioneer new frontiers in oral medicine through the promotion of collaborative research and the development of researchers. Through collaboration with Asian countries and various consortia, we aim to advance dental medicine and contribute to the local community. We sincerely request your continued support and cooperation.

Related Links

• Kitakyushu City SDGs Startup Ecosystem Consortium
• PARKS
• WAT-New