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On December 9, 2025, OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon visited Keio's Mita Campus and took part in a signing ceremony with Keio President Kohei Itoh where they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on AI integration. This MoU will promote cooperation in a wide range of areas, including education, talent development, research, and ethics and governance, toward the realization of an "AI-Native University."

At the ceremony, President Itoh gave an overview of what an "AI-Native University" entails. He explained about the establishment of an educational system that allows students to work with AI at will regardless of academic field, the provision of cutting-edge research facilities and digital environments, and the contributions toward solving social issues made through interdisciplinary research. As the advancement of AI is drastically transforming the premise of higher learning and research, Keio has demonstrated strong will to take the lead as a university at the forefront of AI mastery.

Following President Itoh's opening address, CSO Kwon delivered his remarks, where he noted Keio University's more than 150-year history of spearheading Japan's modernization and intellectual leadership. "For OpenAI, it is deeply meaningful to form a strategic partnership with the university that so clearly embodies innovation, responsibility and strong sense of public service," he said. He also emphasized that the MoU is not a formal agreement, but a statement of shared principles to deliver advanced AI to education, research, and society in a responsible manner.

Based on this MoU, Keio University aims to advance AI literacy education and enhance interdisciplinary research, formulate a model for real-world implementation of AI based on ethics, as well as create an ideal environment where students and researchers will be able to better utilize AI within the next three years.