Introduction
Defining Society 1.0 as the hunter-gatherer stage of human development, we have now passed through the agrarian (Society 2.0) and industrial stages (society 3.0) and are moving beyond the information age (Society 4.0) and we will enter the future society called as society 5.0 which make a full use of digital revolution and innovation. In order to realize the formation of society 5.0, the collaboration between industry, government and academia is necessary. It is a very important step towards sustaining our planet and humanity developing and thriving for generations to come.
Asia, where about 60% of the global population is living, will become the center of economy in the world and a key region deciding on the sustainability of the entire planet. In addition, the mean of achieving a better future are Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDGs are recognized in many countries in the world and the achievement of SDGs is promoted by various stakeholders including industry, and it becomes a global trend. For the achievement of SDGs and realization of sustainability of the earth, the role of industries is significant. Incorporating new objectives, different from present strategies of industry, and to design and implement indicators to evaluate these objectives is critical for achieving the Society 5.0. The role of universities should be also going beyond providing only smart students, by proposing a new concept of industry mindsets and actions by which the society 5.0 could be realized.
The University of Tokyo was nominated as one of the Designated National Universities in 2017 in Japan and decided to further accelerate the contribution to the promotion of SDGs and building a sustainable society. As a part of the activity, the University of Tokyo decided to take an initiative to set up a partnership of leading universities of China and India, and distinguished universities in the USA and Europe.
Conceptual design
