A new method of learning – Manai Institute of Science and Technology

With the coming of an increasingly AI-dependent society, education must adapt to provide the skills young people will require, not to merely be part of an existing framework, but to forge a path into the unknown.

It is in that environment that Manai Institute of Science and Technology, a school specializing in the sciences, is opening on September 1st, 2019 in Ichigaya, Tokyo, and currently in the process of recruiting its first students.

The aims of Manai are to create a place where students can learn and grow as individuals rather than be taught in a unilateral fashion, and establish an environment where they can come to believe in their own ability to change the world.

At the core of student activities at the school is their own research. Manai’s unique approach allows students, under the guidance of their mentor, to immerse themselves in their research, solving problems they encounter scientifically and systematically, trying their hands at authentic experimentation and analysis.

“We learn more widely and deeply when we immerse ourselves in what we love.”
– Ryuichi “Richie” Nomura, Representative, Manai Institute of Science and Technology Research.
Through establishing Manai Institute, we are challenging the traditional ways of education in Japan.

Candidate Assessment

One of the most innovative features of Manai is the school’s adoption of a six month assessment period rather than an entrance exam, as well as its individually-tailored research-based learning program. Manai believes that the true potential of a student cannot be understood by a single exam or interview. As such, the school employs an assessment period of roughly six months, instead of an entrance exam.

Student selection will begin in September 2019. For about half a year, students will attend Manai as candidates, engaging in research-based learning through Manai’s curriculum. It is possible to participate as a candidate student while enrolled at another junior or senior high school for this six-month period.

During the assessment period, the candidates’ activities will be based on their own interests and passions, with input from Manai mentors. Candidates will be chosen for full enrollment based on their research work and the presentation of their results.

Learning through Research

For students who officially enroll after their assessment period, there is no standardized curriculum or timetable. In place of simple course of knowledge acquisition, Manai offers programs that allow students to learn through their own research, which are tailored to each individual.

Under their mentor’s guidance, students will immerse themselves in their research every day while making full use of Manai’s network of researchers, before presenting their results through reports and theses. During intervals between research activities, the students will also study science and humanities subjects, and take part in workshops and experimental programs that transcend the boundaries between these disciplines.

For these research-oriented programs, students will make frequent visits not only to “Manai Tokyo Base” in Ichigaya, but also to associated universities, research institutes and companies relevant to the subject of their research.

This “Learning Anywhere” concept, in which learning is not tied to a specific campus, is another feature that sets Manai apart from traditional Japanese high schools. By allowing students to interact with outside researchers, Manai cultivates their positivity, mobility, communication and presentational skills.

“The kind of students we hope will enroll are those who’ve experienced the exhilaration, the joy of becoming completely immersed in an interest.”
– Ryuichi “Richie” Nomura, Representative, Manai Institute of Science and Technology Research.

The Manai Institute of Science and Technology provides an environment that has never been available in Japanese high schools before – allowing students not only to involve their own interests, but also to express themselves to the fullest.

Graduation Requirements

The Manai Institute of Science and Technology is currently making preparations to gain accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (an educational body based in California, USA) which will allow it to certify students with eligibility for university admission.

WASC accreditation is useful as a global qualification, considered to be at least equal to high school graduation level, and is recognized as a university entrance qualification by major universities around the world.

Applicant Qualifications

Students who are equivalent to junior high school third grader or high school first grader as of September 2019, or those who are enrolled in similar curriculums overseas.

Manai Institute of Science and Technology