In April 2025, the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) launched the Future Science Talent Academy to provide middle and high school students, who will lead the future of science and technology, with opportunities to engage with cutting-edge research and scientific thinking.

Through this initiative, students can experience the excitement of science and its connection to society via interactions with researchers and site visits. These experiences offer a unique JIRCAS learning environment that helps students reflect on their future career paths.

A total of 28 sessions were held for fiscal year 2025, with approximately 1,000 middle and high school students participating. These students had the valuable opportunity to explore the appeal of science and experience international research settings firsthand.

An optional post-course survey received responses from nearly half of the participants, with an impressive rating of 4.4 out of 5 (as of March 25, 2026). The many comments received will be used to improve future courses and plan new programs.

To share this initiative more widely, JIRCAS has launched a page introducing the program.

JIRCAS Future Science Talent Academy Introduction Page

On the introduction page, you can view summaries of past courses and photos capturing moments during the lectures. You can get a sense of how participating students interacted with researchers and deepened their interest in science. In addition, inquiries and course applications can be submitted via a form on the page.

JIRCAS will continue to provide middle and high school students, who will support the future of science and society, with opportunities to engage with cutting-edge research and develop scientific thinking.

We invite students to explore and experience the opportunities offered by the JIRCAS Future Science Talent Academy.