Associate Professor Seiji Kumagai Appointed as Program Director of Moonshot Goal 9: the Realization of a Spiritually Rich and Dynamic Society by 2050, through Increased Peace and Vitality

With the advancement of science and technology, humanity can enjoy material wealth. However, various problems related to the “mind” remain unsolved, and many people still live with pain and suffering. Without the goal of “mental well-being” as the destination of scientific and technological development, humanity will not be able to realize true happiness, no matter how much science develops in the future.

In January 2021, a joint proposal by the research group (Associate Professor Seiji Kumagai, Senior Lecturer Yoshiyuki Ueda, Associate Professor Hiromitsu Awano (Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University), Professor Noriyuki Miura (Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University) et al.) was selected as a project of the MILLENNIA program (Multifaceted investigation challenge for new normal initiatives program), held by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) as one of the Moonshot R & D projects. Their team conducted a six-month research study, and as a result, two new Moonshot Goals (8 & 9) were decided by the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, Cabinet Office, on September 28, 2021. The results of the research conducted by Associate Professor Kumagai and his colleagues in the MILLENNIA program were applied to Moonshot Goal 9: the Realization of a Spiritually Rich and Dynamic Society by 2050, through Increased Peace and Vitality.

On November 9, 2021, JST started recruiting Program Managers for Moonshot Goals (8 & 9). Among them, Associate Professor Kumagai will be appointed as the Program Director for Moonshot Goal 9. With this goal, research and development on the understanding of mental states and state transition technology will be conducted with the following attitudes: strongly encouraging the integration of the humanities and sciences, and realizing a spiritually rich and dynamic society by increasing peace of mind and vitality through “integrated knowledge” that combines science and technology with the humanities and social sciences.

*For more information, please refer to the website of the Cabinet Office (Japanese Version Only):
　（URL：https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/moonshot/sub9.html）
　（URL：https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/siryo/haihui057/haihu-057.html）

*Please refer to the JST website for details on the Moonshot Goals (Japanese Version Only):
　（URL：https://www.jst.go.jp/moonshot/koubo/）

*Kyoto University Press Release:
(http://kokoro.kyoto-u.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/d1c873b9e3bed3bb24268351c460477a-1.pdf)

2021/11/25