A collaborative effort between multiple companies, universities, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has led to the creation of Japan’s first medium- to the long-term research internship program.

We hope that the research internship, which spans over several months, will assist you in developing vital transferable skills. It will also help you to gain a deeper understanding of R&D management, leadership, and teamwork in a company setting. We are confident that this program will boost your motivation and confidence in research.

Experience the real research activities at leading Japanese companies!

  • What is the council of “Collaborative Education for Next-Generation INnovators & Exploration of knowledge intersections(C-ENGINE)”?

C-ENGINE is a consortium that aims to foster human resources who can create innovation through collaboration between universities and companies.
C-ENGINE works with research universities and global companies to help doctoral graduate students grow through research internships.
Students can choose training locations and themes from a variety of companies, and companies can build relationships with university laboratories and explore new research areas.
In addition, C-ENGINE supports students in acquiring the transferable skills necessary to become full-fledged researchers, deepening mutual understanding through industry-academia exchanges, and
The aim is to strengthen Japan’s research capabilities and contribute to the creation of innovation.

  • What are the activities of C-ENGINE?

C-ENGINE’s activities include the following:
1)Promoting research internships: We encourage graduate students in doctoral courses to grow as researchers by engaging in research and development at companies.
2)Industry-academia collaboration planning and management: Companies and university laboratories collaborate to support the exploration of new research areas.
3)Operation of an online human resource exchange system: C-ENGINE provides internship opportunities through a system that supports matching between students and companies.
4)Career development and research ability improvement: C-ENGINE aims to develop students’ careers and improve their research ability through experience in different environments.
5)Support for acquiring transferable skills: C-ENGINE supports the acquisition of skills necessary for researchers and deepen mutual understanding through industry-academia exchanges.

  • How is C-ENGINE different from other industry-academia collaboration programs?

C-ENGINE has the following characteristics compared to other industry-academia collaboration programs:
1)Individual customized program: C-ENGINE has coordinators at each university, and with flexible support,
We will adjust the implementation timing, period, and theme content to realize a win-win internship for both students and companies.
2)Online talent exchange system: Through the online matching system, we support matching of students and companies and provide internship opportunities.
3)Medium- and long-term research internships: Companies accept a wide range of highly specialized interns, and this can also create opportunities for collaboration between companies and university research laboratories.
With these features, C-ENGINE provides an environment where students can make use of their own expertise and easily realize what they want to do. In addition, companies can gain knowledge and fresh perspectives from talented students, making it possible to revitalize the company and explore nascent research areas.

  • What you can achieve through our internships?

C-ENGINE encourages students to acquire transferable skills as researchers through internships. We suggest using the Transferable Skills RISE framework to develop competencies during the internship.

Learn more about RISE here .

Our research internships prioritize gaining awareness, skills, confidence, creativity, and inspiration for exploration.

  • What you can achieve through our internships?

C-ENGINE offers research internships that provide unique experiences that you cannot find in other internships.

  • Online and Offline Matching

By registering with IDM, our online matching system, you gain access to view internship programs offered by companies and apply to programs that suit your interest. After registering your research and other necessary information in the system, companies may offer you internship opportunities that match your expertise, research, and preferences. There is flexibility in terms of themes, and you can be considered for appropriate themes based on your profile.

University coordinators connect students, faculty, and companies for internships. They arrange internship details, such as contents and duration, match students with companies, and ensure mutual benefits.

  • Strong support from partnered companies and universities

Graduate students often prioritize research for their master’s and doctoral degrees, leading some faculty members to hesitate about participating in company internships. Nevertheless, our university strongly encourages graduate students to engage in internships to enrich their research skills. These experiences are believed to deepen their understanding of the subject matter and enhance their future research endeavors.

Our internships are highly specialized and are backed by universities, so there are no exams or group discussions required just for the selection process associated with applying for an internship.

If you are unable to find a suitable research topic in the company’s internship program, you have the option to propose a theme of your own. Additionally, this program not only provides a company experience but also enables the possibility of engaging in joint research and development.

  • IDM system to connect companies and universities

The IDM system is an online platform designed for R&D internships. Its goal is to facilitate the exchange of information and human resources between member companies and universities of the council. This system allows multiple exchanges between member companies and universities, which was not possible before when exchanges were limited to one company and one university.

  • What registered students can do on IDM
  • Creating your profile

By registering your research themes and achievements, you can be contacted by companies that have viewed your page.

  • Searching for internship themes

You can search for information on companies by entering a “keyword” or “research theme”. You can also find highly relevant internships by company from the list provided.

  • Proposing internship themes by yourself

It is also possible to propose internship themes from students.

  • Hiding your information

You can select [Disclose] or [Not Disclose] for each item of information about yourself, including your name. After initial registration by your university, you can search for information without disclosing your name.

  • Managing your whole internship progress

The process of matching, which involves submitting entry sheets, communicating with coordinators, scheduling interviews, and receiving acceptance or rejection, as well as handling various documents post-approval, can be centrally managed. This makes it easy to keep track of progress, required documents, contract details, and other important information.

  • How to sign up

Please click the [SIGN UP] button at the bottom of the page. Your request will be notified to your university automatically. After confirming your student status, you will receive your login password in your e-mail as soon as your registration is complete.

Please refer to the FAQ page for “Frequently Asked Questions” about registration.

For details on the process after registration, please refer to the、online manual .