Announcing Partnership with Japan's Keio University to Advance Global AI Innovation

April 09, 2024

Dear Members of the CMU Community:

This afternoon, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo hosted government, university and private sector leaders in Washington, D.C., to announce two new major university partnerships between the United States and Japan in the area of artificial intelligence.

I am delighted to share that Carnegie Mellon University — one of just two U.S. universities engaged in this effort — will partner with Japan’s Keio University to advance AI innovation on a global scale. The other U.S. university, the University of Washington, has signed a commitment to partner with the University of Tsukuba in Japan.

The four universities will receive $110 million in combined private sector investment to accelerate AI research and innovation in both the United States and Japan. Private sector collaborators and sponsors include Amazon, Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA and SoftBank Group, as well as a consortium of Japanese companies.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is one of several media outlets covering this announcement, and subscribers can read their initial story here.

This development positions CMU faculty and students to work with our counterparts at Keio — and leverage our shared strengths in AI — to promote innovation, strengthen private sector partnerships and advance the education and research missions of our respective institutions.

Our industry partners in the effort have expressed strong support for this collaborative approach. As Arm CEO Rene Haas notes, “The unprecedented progress we've seen in AI will transform virtually every industry and improve countless lives, but to maximize this opportunity, close cooperation will be required between the private sector, academia, and government.”

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith adds, “Collaborative research has the power to address some of the world’s toughest challenges. And in an era of AI innovation, this partnership is a timely collaboration between world-class institutions.”

I am grateful for the many leaders who have helped us realize this new partnership, including, at the federal level, Secretary Raimondo and the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel. I am also deeply appreciative of the innovative vision and commitment to academic excellence shared by my counterpart at Keio University, President Kohei Itoh, as well as the driving force behind this partnership here at Carnegie Mellon, our colleagues at the School of Computer Science, led by Dean Martial Hebert.

While this new endeavor is just beginning, it underscores the global reach of Carnegie Mellon’s reputation as a leader in AI, robotics and other emerging technologies. I am immensely proud of our faculty and students whose talents and brilliance have inspired this partnership, and I look forward to collaborating with Keio University and our private sector partners around the globe to redefine what’s possible — for the benefit of society — in the years to come.

Warm regards,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair