Collaborative Project between Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture and the Keio Research Institute at SFC regarding Regional Revitalization

Initiatives based on a partnership agreement between Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and the Keio Research Institute at SFC have been implemented through activities at five public junior high schools in Mine City. These activities create educational opportunities that bring out the uniqueness of each student and broaden their horizons, with the aim of addressing regional challenges and developing talent for the future. The partnership agreement with Mine City was initially concluded in April 2022 with then-Associate Professor Yoko Hasebe of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies. In September 2025, the partnership was renewed under Professor Gen Miyagaki from the Faculty of Policy Management.

In AY 2025, the fourth year of the collaborative project with Mine City, two Keio University students worked as kyoiku miryokuka suishinin (“Education Promotion Coordinator”) under the Shuccho Mineto program at public junior high schools in Mine as well as the Mine City Board of Education. One of the Keio students worked with elementary and junior high schools in one district together with the surrounding community, while the other worked more broadly across a school district. Both students learned about the distinctive characteristics, lifestyles, and traditional cultures of Mine City’s various communities while bringing their unique perspectives and strengths as university students to educational activities conducted according to each school's curriculum.

Specifically, the students conducted various workshops such as ones related to international education drawn from their overseas experiences, career education programs encouraging students to take an active approach to choosing future pathways, and workshops on self-understanding and self-expression. They also participated in the daily activities of the schools, including student council and club activities and school events. In addition, opportunities were created for the younger students to connect and interact with university students online, with the initiative focusing on open and high-quality education, as well as the development and strengthening of students’ sense of self, through both in-person and online activities. Furthermore, the university students conducted and assisted in the planning, operation, and provision of language support for exchange class programs between junior high schools in Mine City and Taiwan—before, during, and after the event—in coordination with public junior high schools in Mine City and the Mine City Board of Education. For the university students themselves, the project also provided opportunities for them to deepen their understanding of future school development by participating in school management councils and contributing to discussions on the development of new curricula while stationed on-site. Their work extended outside the schools. They supported local after-school activities together with community members, including community center staff and parents, and helped create spaces where children could feel a sense of belonging. These activities also provided meaningful opportunities for them to deepen their understanding of the local community.

Yamaguchi Prefecture Mine City

April25,2022 - present

美祢市と慶大SFC研究所　地域支援で連携協定 [山口県]：朝日新聞

慶応義塾大学ＳＦＣ研究所と美祢市が連携協定：山口新聞

慶應義塾大学SFC研究所との連携協定締結 及び 中学校でのワークショップの開催について：山口県美祢市（PDF）

A partnership intended to contribute to regional revitalization and mutual development through the exchange and deployment of human and intellectual resources

Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture and Mine City Board of Education

SFC

Faculty of Policy Management Professor Gen Miyagaki