【Z-kai Group and MIT Media Lab】
Notice Regarding Participation in the Consortium of MIT Media Lab
July 3, 2017
Zoshinkai Publishers Inc.
Zoshinkai Publishers Inc.(1) (“Zoshinkai”), the holding company of Z-kai Group, announces that the company has formed a consortium agreement with the MIT Media Lab(2) and will collaborate as a Consortium Lab Member starting July 2017. The Z-kai Group expects this participation will provide a significant rise in education by utilizing MIT’s cutting-edge technology and research.
In order to keep up with the societal changes worldwide as Japan’s current education system and the traditional approaches to human resource development are considered limited, the Japanese government recently published a reform plan of the national education system to promote human resource development, including the proposal for a new National Common Test for University Admissions in 2020. By promoting the acquisition of necessary general skills, effective learning services, and benefits in the 21st century through the utilization of ICT-based learning materials, resources and knowledge among the group and partners, The Z-kai group will develop new services with cutting-edge technology and network to meet customer expectations and to increase corporate value.
Participation
The Z-kai group will join the Consortium with the goal of offering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational services socially required to embody the corporate philosophy, “excellence in education for future leaders”.
Nature of collaboration (projected)
- Joint research in the domain of computing education and the development of new learning tools
- Joint research and the acquisition of knowledge in the domain of sentiment analysis
The Z-kai Group will continue to discuss this collaborative development in order to encourage the advancement of human resources worldwide. The results will be released publicly to enable learners to implement excellence.
Information
Z-kai Inc., a division of Zoshinkai, will launch Program Z(3) (21st century skills learning course) in July 2017 on the online learning service Z-kai Asteria, whose aim is to enable junior high school students to enhance their problem-solving skills through collaborative learning.
The first guest presenter is Joi Ito, Director of the MIT Media Lab. The lecture will be live streamed.
Press Contact:
◆Zoshinkai Publishers Inc.
Tel: 055-976-5568 (hours: 9am-5:30pm)
◆Z-kai Inc.
Tel: 055-976-8947 (hours: 9am-5:30pm)
E-mail: press@zkai.co.jp
- Headquarters located in the Suntō District of Shizuoka, Japan
- The Media Lab is a research laboratory within the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The lab’s model of unique, antidisciplinary, undirected research encourages exploration at the periphery-the undiscovered edges where disruptive innovations grow.
- Program Z (21st century skills learning course), Z-kai Asteria:
http://www.zkai.co.jp/home/z-asteria/class/sougou.html
Theme of the first session : Learning needed for a new era, Innovation and collaboration for the 21st century.
