On Tuesday, March 3, Keio Colloquium 2026 was held at the Mita Campus West School Building Hall and classrooms. The event was planned by a student executive committee as part of the Keio-SPRING project (*), which supports students in Doctoral Programs.
On the day of the event, approximately 160 students attended in person and about 70 online, bringing together a total of around 230 Keio University doctoral students to engage in exchange in English across various specialized fields.
In the opening Keynote Speech, Mr. Norihiko Ishihara, President and CEO of Datasection Inc., and Professor Yu Xiong of the University of Surrey, a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in the UK, took the stage. They delivered passionate lectures from both practical and academic perspectives on how doctoral talent should envision their future careers, incorporating insights into the continuously evolving field of AI technology.
Afterward, breakout sessions were held in the morning, divided into four themes: Food, Climate Change, Future of Work, and Ethics of AI, leading to lively discussions.
In the afternoon Student Session, final-year students presented their research, followed by questions and an exchange of opinions. Participants moved freely around the venue, sharing their impressions and feedback in real time.
Next, the Keio-SPRING Presentation served as a platform to present the results of career development and training content implemented within the project during the fiscal year. Participants from three programs—the ADC (Art/Design/Communication) Program Tohoku Tour, the Global Citizenship Program, and the Doctoral Egg Society—shared their learnings and future challenges.
In the final Co-Creation Session, four representatives presented the outcomes of the discussions from the Breakout Sessions.
At the closing, representatives shared their impressions, and the event concluded on a high note.
As the university's largest exchange opportunity for students in Doctoral Programs, it served as an important catalyst for new collaborative research and networking across disciplines.
*A project implemented with the support of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) "Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation (SPRING)" program, aimed at fostering aspiring doctoral students.
Photography: Aki Takematsu