About NII
International Exchange
NII set up Global Liaison Office (GLO) to promote international exchange with overseas universities and research institutes.
GLO handles various activities including entering into international exchange agreements through Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), running the NII International Internship Program for students from institutes under MOU agreements with NII, and coordinating MOU Grant/Non-MOU Grant to dispatch and invite researchers and students under research exchange grants.
International Exchange Agreements (MOU)
NII enters into international exchange agreements through MOU to systematically and actively promote international exchange with overseas universities and research institutes.
As of July 2023, we have agreements with 116 institutions in 35 countries and regions.
NII International Internship Program
NII enters into international exchange agreements through MOU to systematically and actively promote international exchange with overseas universities and research institutes. As of July 2023, we have agreements with 116 institutions in 35 countries and regions.
The NII International Internship Program welcomes students in masters or doctoral courses from institutions having MOU with NII.
We accept applications from MOU signatory institutes twice a year on a broad range of nearly 100 research topics proposed each time by NII faculty members.
Students work on their research topics under the supervision of their NII academic advisor during the internship period of two to six months (up to 180 days).
Living expenses for the duration of the internship are covered and certificates of completion are issued upon completion.
Since the start of the program in FY2005, NII has accepted more than 1,700 students and the program has greatly contributed to NII's research activities by promoting exchanges with MOU signatory institutions, presentations at international conferences, and a greater number of international papers, as well as other positive effects.
NII International Internship Program - 2023 1st Call
MOU/Non-MOU Grant
MOU Grant was established in FY2005 and Non-MOU Grant was established the following year as a financial assistance program for research exchange with our partner and non-partner institutions.
With the aim of promoting and intensifying research exchange, MOU Grant dispatches and invites researchers and students for research exchanges with institutes under MOU, while Non-MOU Grant accepts foreign researchers for research exchanges with institutes without MOU.
Expenses (travel and stay expenses) are covered for NII faculty and students, as well as for overseas researchers.
International Exchange based on MOU
NII Shonan Meeting
NII launched the NII Shonan Meeting in February 2011. The NII Shonan Meeting constitutes the first seminar series in Asia in the style of the Dagstuhl Seminars, which brings together top-class researchers from around the world for intensive discussions on issues in the field of informatics with the goal of solving difficult problems. The meetings are jointly hosted by NII and Kanagawa Prefecture under a partnership agreement.
The venue, Shonan Village Center, is easily accessible from Narita Airport and Haneda Airport, and is located in an environment blessed by nature where participants can focus on their research work. More than 160 seminars have been held so far. In August 2014, we also launched NII Shonan School, which is intended primarily for students and young researchers.
*Dagstuhl Seminar: A renowned seminar series in the field of informatics held almost every week in Dagstuhl, Germany. It is famous for its training camp style format where participants stay for about a week to hold intensive discussions on a specific topic.
Agreement with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
NII has a special agreement with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) that allows German postdoctoral researchers to carry out research projects under the supervision of NII faculty members.
Under this agreement, postdocs can stay at NII for a minimum of three months (six months is recommended) and up to a maximum of two years with the support of DAAD. During their stay, they will carry out their own programs and receive research advice from the faculty at NII. The postdocs can also enlist the help of Master's and Ph.D. students and engineers on conducting projects.
Since NII is an inter-university research institute, they can visit NII's partner universities and research institutes in Japan to build their network in Japan.
Global Liaison Office (GLO) - DAAD
Japanese-French Laboratory for Informatics (JFLI)
The Japanese-French Laboratory for Informatics (JFLI) was founded in 2008 as a hub for informatics research exchange between France and Japan by five institutions, namely the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France, Sorbonne University (University of Paris VI), The University of Tokyo (Graduate School of Information Science and Technology), Keio University, and NII.
It was turned into a Joint International Unit (UMI) of CNRS in 2012, and has since been more active in conducting research exchange.
JFLI carries out collaborative research with a special emphasis on the important and challenging areas of informatics.
The main research topics are (1) next-generation networks; (2) high-performance computing; (3) software, programming models, and formal methods; (4) virtual reality and multimedia; and (5) quantum computing. The institutions have all engaged in collaborative research, including Japanese institutions accepting researchers and graduate students from French research institutes. Workshops for enhancing collaborative research and research presentations that serve as venues for graduate internship students to present their research are also held regularly. The JFLI Seminar is another one of its regular activities.
Networks of researchers have been forming as a result of such activities conducted through JFLI.
In March 2016, a JFLI-wide workshop was held at NII that invited outside researchers who have been involved with JFLI.
JFLI also organizes joint workshops with universities and other non-member institutions. There are now plans to collaborate with other UMIs of CNRS across the Asian region with similar research interests.
Going forward, JFLI will continue working to promote informatics research through research collaboration between the two countries and in partnership with universities in Japan.
JFLI | Japan French Laboratory for Informatics
NII International advanced lectures series on ICT
Researchers invited to the NII who have had outstanding research accomplishments are asked during their stay to give a series of lectures on informatics from the point of view of their own specialties. With such lectures we have been able to acquire specialized knowledge from these researchers and carrying out meaningful exchange with them.
The lectures are conducted in English and are open to the public. The lectures are announced in the event open to the public. The lectures are announced in the event information column on the NII's home page.
Pamphlet of International Exchange Activities
Introducing Pamphlet of International Exchange Activities. Contents of each pamphlet can be read by PDF.