Tohoku University was established as Japan’s third national university in 1907, located in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
Tohoku University was the first institution to be designated as a University for International Research Excellence under the Japanese government’s ambitious initiative to develop select universities into globally competitive, world-class research institutions.
Providing a dedicated environment to focus on career development is a key mission for Tohoku University. Through the Tohoku University Advanced Graduate School (TU-AGS) LEAP Program, which consolidates the university’s own doctoral support programs, they aim to ensure diverse and sustainable career pathways for their graduate students and advance their research efforts.
Tohoku University promoted the curriculum to their students through a dedicated landing page.
As part of multiple initiatives and investments in providing career support and strengthening the university’s research ecosystem, Tohoku University looked to provide high-quality training on essential research and science communications skills to their graduate and doctoral students. To support graduate students in multiple disciplines distributed over several campuses, the university needed a curriculum that could be scaled to provide training to a sizable cohort of students, and address the growing need for transferable skills in order for their students to succeed both within and beyond academia.
In February 2025, Tohoku University’s Center for Promoting Graduate Studies rolled out the Nature Masterclasses On-demand, available to all members of Tohoku University.
Universal access was easily implemented, as the Nature Masterclasses courses are delivered via an e-learning platform that provides students with the flexibility to engage with course content at their convenience.
The Nature Masterclasses curriculum covers key skills for every stage of the research career cycle, ensuring that Tohoku University students can build practical expertise in planning, conducting, and communicating research.
Tohoku University’s NMO user engagement has been high with over 1,450 registered users*. As part of the integration of Nature Masterclasses On-demand into the TU-AGS LEAP Program, young researchers completed a survey upon submitting their course completion certificates. Researchers praised the quality of the training, citing “clear frameworks, concrete examples, and actionable guidance”, and noted that the quizzes and summaries “reinforced key points effectively”.
Tohoku University made a selection of the Nature Masterclasses courses mandatory for their doctoral students, including:
Tohoku University also uses Nature Masterclasses content to develop their own internal educational programs. The university also implemented a mandatory program where students provide examples of how they have demonstrated the research skills learned throughout the academic activities, including through the Nature Masterclasses On-demand courses.
1,454
registered users*
19,800+
modules started*
97.1%
of modules completed*
Tohoku University is providing the Nature Masterclasses on-demand curriculum throughout the 2026 school year, and is currently planning to continue in future years with new enrolling graduate students given access every year.
The on-demand platform has been a great fit for our needs as it allows graduate students and young researchers to access training anytime and anywhere, including across multiple campuses and overseas locations. Nature Masterclasses helps us address challenges such as the growing need for transferable skills, ensuring that all of our students gain the research, publishing, communication, and professional skills needed to succeed both within and beyond academia.
Faculty member Tohoku University Advanced Graduate School
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