Overview (background and goals)

This research project aims to create an international research exchange center that will shed light on the actual state of climate change during past warm periods in Earth's history, based on an international program that mainly studies geological core samples (Core) recovered by drilling the ocean floor. Deep-sea drilling, which has a history of 56 years, has produced various results, including the verification of plate tectonics, the impact of meteorites at the end of the Cretaceous and biological extinction and evolution, climate change in the Cenozoic Era, the mechanism of giant earthquakes, and the subseafloor biosphere. The drilled cores are stored in three core repositories (Texas A&M University in the United States, the University of Bremen in Germany, and Kochi Core Center (Kochi University/JAMSTEC) in Japan), and sample curation is carried out.

Research exchange plan

Overall Policy:

In addition to activating research results and exchanging young researchers through international seminars and workshops, we will promote practical young researcher development and international exchange by creating a series of summer schools in each country.

Joint Research:

We will work to elucidate climate change during the warm period by making use of the core storage and core analysis facilities of the domestic core institution (MaCRI, Kochi University) and in cooperation with the Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute of the University of Tokyo, and the National Institute of Polar Research, with which we have concluded a cooperation agreement. We will promote joint research with the University of Bremen (Germany), which has a similar core repository in scientific ocean drilling, as well as with the University of Urbino (Italy), the University of Graz (Austria), the University of Leicester (UK), and other institutions.

International symposiums:

International symposiums and other events will be held in Kochi, Graz, etc., in line with the joint research theme to report and integrate research findings, strengthen the research network through exchange between young researchers, and foster the seeds of next-generation international joint research.

Exchange and development of young researchers based on schools:

We establish a system of “Scholarship for Young Researcher Overseas Travel Support” and operate a system for systematically sending young researchers to summer schools and other events held in Europe. We will also establish a system for long-term stays at overseas bases to conduct joint research.

Kochi University will hold the Kochi Core School to provide practical training in core observation methods and core re-analysis using cutting-edge equipment. Holding the school with participants from European countries and domestic graduate students will effectively promote the development of young researchers and international exchange. The scholarship will raise the standard and expand the scope of related fields by recruiting participants from domestic core institutions and the global drilling science community. It will mature the function of a sustainable international exchange base.

International symposiums

To promote joint research on climate change, we will hold regular international symposiums (seminars, etc.) related to joint research.

○2025

• Kick-off international symposium to be held in Kochi (October 22-24, 2025)  Symposium website

• Post-cruise meeting for the ReC23-01 project of the ReCoRD (Repository Core Re-Discovery Program) to be held at the University of Graz

Young researcher’s training and international exchange based on the school

• We have established a travel support system (Scholarship for Young Researcher Overseas Travel Support) for young researchers participating in the ECORD Summer School and other events to promote the development of young researchers involved in climate change research and international exchange.

• We plan to hold an international core school at the Kochi Core Center in 2026 and 2028.

• By strengthening ties with the ECORD Summer School and promoting the mutual exchange of knowledge and expertise through lectures and training programs, we will help the Kochi Core School mature and give back to Japan's drilling earth science community.

Contact Information

JSPS Research Center Secretariat, 

Marine Core Research Institute, Kochi University

200 Monobe-otsu, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8502, Japan 

Email: kochi-c2c (at) kochi-u.ac.jp