Osaka University actively promotes researchers, their research, and university-industry collaboration.

Osaka University's mid-term plan includes CLIC-ON (Cooperation toward Leadership in Innovative Creation -- Open-innovation Network), a program, under the leadership of the president, for nurturing researchers. It is hoped that this program will become a national model.

In 2007, the Renovation Center of Instruments for Science Education and Technology started the Project to Extend the Life of Infrastructure for Education and Research. This project renovates and upgrades expensive laboratory equipment, equipment that may no longer be the latest, most advanced model, however, equipment that is still quite capable of providing valuable research results. Upgraded and renovated, this equipment is then made available to a greatly expanded number of users throughout the university.

Advanced Education in the Liberal Arts is a curriculum for students who have attained a certain level of specialized professional knowledge, students who will soon be entering the real world where understanding and abilities are needed in addition to their specialized professional knowledge.

The Center for the Study of Communication-Design (CSCD) offers communication design classes to develop the design abilities of graduate school students coordinated with education in communication and advanced liberal arts.

Graduate Minor Programs are interdisciplinary education programs for graduate school, aimed at helping graduate students acquire a broad education and the ability to see things from more than one viewpoint while attaining advanced special knowledge in new fields.

GLOCOL (the Global Collaboration Center) was established in 2007 in order to nurture personnel with greater international-mindedness. By coordinating research into global issues with actual practice in cooperation with those working on such issues within and outside of the university, GLOCOL develops education programs to nurture personnel capable of playing a larger role in the real world.

Osaka University was selected as one of the 13 core universities implementing the Project for Establishing Core Universities for Internationalization (Global 30) in 2009. This program aims to nurture superior personnel who can play an active role in the global arena by establishing a system to provide degree programs where all the instruction is in English, improving the system for accepting international students, and promoting international cooperation.

"Basic Seminars" were established as a feature of the advanced liberal arts curriculum at Osaka University in the 2010-2011 academic year. In less than a year, Basic Seminars established themselves as the most popular subject, one in which a limited number of students learn through roundtable-type discussions with a teacher. These seminars take many forms: experiment-focused, practice-focused, debate-style, and seminars focused on fieldwork and/or career development as well as seminars integrating literature and science. There are also "discovery seminars" in which participants jointly "discover" an issue to examine. Since the 2010-2011 academic year, high school students have been able to participate in advanced liberal arts seminars targeted at first year university students. Moreover, from 2011-2012, the President plans to recommend topics and vehicles to further promote Basic Seminars.

Learning Commons are spaces for students to discuss, seek knowledge, and think together. Student Commons are spaces for students to use for various events such as presentation and extra-curriculum activities.

Based on the belief that excellent universities have excellent libraries, Osaka University continually strives to improve and strengthen the functioning of its libraries as a foundation of academic information. In addition to the Main Library (with the second largest floor space of any library in Japan), the university has 3 libraries -- the Life Sciences Library, the Science and Engineering Library, and the International Studies Library.

The Microsoft Enterprise Agreement concluded by Osaka University enables all computers managed by the university to be upgraded to the latest Windows OS and run the latest version of MS Office.

Osaka University considers exposure to primary sources very important and provides faculty, staff, and students with opportunities to be exposed to culture, art, science, and history. The university has, therefore, joined group contracts with various facilities housing primary source materials in the Kansai region. Consequently, persons from Osaka University can enter a large number of such facilities without charge.

In order to facilitate information flow among members of the university community and improve image literacy education, 103 x 58 inch plasma displays have been set up at 14 major hubs on Osaka University's three campuses and in the Nakanoshima Center. The content of broadcasts includes not only information about or from the university but also student-produced content.

The Joint Research Course is designed to enhance the achievement of outstanding research results through its support of joint research by university faculty and researchers from the business world. Osaka University was the first university to introduce this system.

Through the Joint Research Lecture Program, the "Industry on Campus" program brings a business atmosphere to our campuses. Osaka University actively supports university-industry cooperation.

The origins of Osaka University can be traced back to Kaitokudo, a gakumonsho ("place of learning") in the 18th century, and Tekijuku, a gakumonsho started by a prominent doctor in the 19th century. Both of these early institutes possessed a free and forward-looking academic culture and a close relationship with the local community. Inheriting this spirit and philosophy, Osaka University established Kaitokudo for the 21st Century as a place of learning for citizens and members of the university. Kaitokudo for the 21st Century takes the initiative in promoting university-industry activities in cooperation with citizens.

The Lab Café, the major program at the Art Area B1, was designed and is implemented by the Center for the Study of Communication-Design. The Lab Café is an interactive program in which participants freely discuss various topics.

Ebisu-Otoko @ Handai Slope is an event for choosing "Ebisu Otoko" ["Lucky Men"] and "Ebisu Musume" [Lucky Women]. It consists of a race held on January 10th each year. OU students and members of local communities participate in the race. Participants run up the steep slope -- the "Handai Slope" -- linking Osaka University's Toyonaka Campus to the Ishibashi district. This event was started for the purpose of giving local people a sense of familiarity with and connection to the Handai Slope and to publicize the slope as a "bridge" from their community to Osaka University.

The Electricity Consumption Visualization System is a tool for displaying when, where, and how much electricity is being used on Osaka University's campuses and, thereby, contribute to energy conservation and a reduced carbon footprint.

The natural beauty of Nakayama Pond on the Toyonaka Campus and the area surrounding is being restored through funds supplied by the nation, Osaka Prefecture, and Osaka University. This restoration work includes the strengthening of the banks of Nakayama Pond itself.

The 19th Greenery Award was awarded for the incorporation of a greenery planting plan in a beautification project for the East Gate area on the Toyonaka Campus and the areas surrounding it.

The Osaka University Achievement Awards were established for the purpose of recognizing faculty members at Osaka University who achieved outstanding performance in education, research, administration, and social and international contribution in order to further promote education, research, administration, social and international contribution at Osaka University.