Memorandum of Cooperation in Education Signed Between the United States and Japan

The U.S. Department of State and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) have concluded a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of education.  Following the signing of the memorandum by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and MEXT Minister Nagaoka Keiko at an event in Hiroshima, Japan, U.S. technology companies and U.S. and Japanese universities signed a series of partnership agreements, totaling more than $210 million in total investment, in the fields of quantum science and semiconductors.   

New Ways to Support Student and Faculty Education Exchange Infrastructure

The Memorandum of Cooperation will initiate an annual high-level education dialogue between the United States and Japan supported by a joint education working group and an action plan.  This is our first dedicated bilateral platform for policymakers to chart a pathway forward on education cooperation.

Following the lifting of pandemic-related barriers, American and Japanese students are once again traveling abroad to study and learn about the world and each other.  This resurgence in overseas study and research is a trend which we can take advantage of to positively shape the future of U.S.-Japan educational exchange.

This Memorandum also enables our two governments to create opportunities for our students, faculty, and researchers to secure our positions as global leaders in creating safe and reliable technologies.

Business and Academia Working Together for a Brighter Future

Alongside the signing of the memorandum between the United States and Japanese governments, three leading U.S. technology companies and 13 top universities initiated a series of groundbreaking partnerships in quantum science and semiconductor research and development.

• IBM announced a landmark $100 million/10-year quantum computing partnership with the University of Tokyo and University of Chicago to develop the world’s first quantum-centric supercomputer powered by 100,000 qubits. Together, they will develop the novel technologies that will usher in an entirely new paradigm of computing with quantum computing at its core.

• Google committed to a $50 million/10-year strategic partnership on quantum computing with the University of Tokyo and University of Chicago. The three institutions will invest in critical research to accelerate the development of a fault-tolerant quantum computer, support the development and exchange of research and ideas, promote quantum computing entrepreneurship and business, and develop the workforce needed for the next generation.

• Micron launched a $60 million/five-year University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors (UPWARDS) for the Future. UPWARDS brings together a network of 11 founding universities from across the United States and Japan known for high-quality education and a proven commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

These partnerships will strengthen a talent pipeline in critical technologies with a trusted ally to promote economic opportunity and protect economic security.  Alongside partners like Japan, the United States seeks to lead the next technological breakthroughs.  Our two scientific communities have a strong tradition of collaboration and innovation.  Today’s signings underscore the importance of collective public and private sector action and positions us for greater future successes.