On February 27, 2026, delegates from Tohoku University and University of Washington converged on the Marunouchi Building in Tokyo to partake in a signing ceremony for Q-DREAM―a new comprehensive collaborative framework between the two universities.

Among the attendees from the Tohoku University side were President Teiji Tominaga, Executive Vice President Toshiya Ueki (General Affairs, International Relations, and Academic Resources), and Vice President Masahiro Yamaguchi (Education Reform and Global Engagement). From the University of Washington side, President Robert J. Jones, Vice Provost for Global Affairs Ahmad Ezzeddine, and Dean of the College of Engineering Nancy Allbritton attended.

Prior to the ceremony, the university presidents held a meeting where they agreed to further deepen collaboration in overlapping areas of strength. "Our universities' partnership has steadily strengthened over the course of nearly three decades. I hope to reach an agreement on launching a new framework, Q-DREAM, to expand our relationship into other fields," said President Tominaga.

President Jones emphasized that both universities can increase their impact internationally through collaboration. "Partnerships don't work if they're one-sided. They only work because of reciprocal benefits, where the two work collectively on something that's bigger and more impactful than our individual institutions. We're so pleased that we have commonality across many, many different areas."

The agreement builds on nearly three decades of cooperation between the two universities. Tohoku University and the University of Washington signed an inter-university academic exchange agreement in 1996 and established the collaborative framework Academic Open Space (AOS) in 2017. Their collaborations have enabled research matching across various fields, as well as student and researcher exchange, including joint workshops and research projects. The newly introduced Q-DREAM framework aims to expand upon these existing collaborations.

The name Q-DREAM is an acronym of the four priority areas in which the two universities: expect to achieve the highest synergy: Q (Quantum), DR (Disaster Resilience), EA (Engineering & Advanced Manufacturing), and M (Medicine).

In addition to accelerating international joint research and generating social impact, the framework aims to increase student and researcher exchange programs, enhance the international presence of both universities, increase external funding, and contribute to the establishment of an innovation ecosystem connecting industry, academia, and government. Collaboration in quantum-related fields is already underway through a satellite laboratory at the University of Washington that advances joint research and provides joint supervision of early-career researchers. Furthermore, Tohoku University plans to establish its own international quantum materials research hub on campus to create a framework in which researchers from both institutions can engage in mutual exchange and generate significant research results.

"Q-DREAM is a forward-looking partnership that defines the core pillars of future collaboration between our two universities," added President Tominaga. "It strategically uses our mutual expertise in science, engineering, and medicine, and I am confident that it will generate an impact the likes of which have never been seen before." Meanwhile, President Jones said, "This is a unique, world-class opportunity because of the comparative advantage that each university brings to the table. That's the essence of an effective, radical collaboration, where your combined assets allow you to do more than what you can do individually. That is what's very exciting about this partnership, and I'm very, very pleased with the launch of Q-DREAM."

The Q-DREAM signing ceremony marks the beginning of a new stage in promoting joint research in four key areas of strength that will benefit not only Japan and the United States, but also the international community.

Contact:

Global Strategy Office,
Tel: +81 22 217 4844
Email: kokusai-rgrp.tohoku.ac.jp