Join the Ito Laboratory
You can join the Ito Laboratory as a research student, as a degree student (master's or doctoral) or as a postdoctoral researcher. Below are the procedures for each path and what we look for.
01 / RESEARCH STUDENTS
About Research Students
In the Consensus Informatics group we expect you to pursue your research interests as a research student.
Schedule
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Information
Applying as a research student
For applying as a research student, please refer to the application guidelines posted on the academic affairs office's website and prepare the necessary documents accordingly.
Entering the graduate school
If you wish to pursue graduate studies after enrolling as a research student, please refer to the application guidelines listed on the academic affairs office's website and prepare the necessary documents accordingly.
About the MEXT scholarship
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) scholarship program is extremely competitive. Recommendations from Kyoto University are even more competitive and virtually impossible to obtain. Will you be able to secure a recommendation from your country’s embassy? However, even if you do receive an embassy recommendation and qualify for the scholarship, you will still need to take the entrance exam for the Graduate School of Informatics; if you do not pass, you will not be admitted.
Tutor system
A system to provide advice and cooperation to international students regarding study, research, and daily life.
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What research students should do
Participate in laboratory orientation
After arriving in Japan, participate in laboratory orientation to prepare for the development of research activities.
Research plan preparation
In preparation for the entrance examination, the student will prepare a research plan to clarify his/her research objectives and plans. This plan will be submitted to your faculty advisor for feedback and revision, and will serve as the basis for your research activities during your period as a research student.
Progress reports
Under the guidance of your supervisor, you will conduct research and report your research progress in a laboratory seminar (or directly to your supervisor).
Submission of a written progress report
Depending on the research progress, a progress report summarizing the research progress is submitted to the supervisor at the end of each semester.
Foreign language study
Prepare to improve your Japanese or English language skills (depending on the program) for life in Japan, entrance examinations and research.
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Process up to the examination
Submission of the final version of your research proposal
Submit an improved version of your research proposal to your academic advisor before applying for the exam.
Interview preparation
Based on the submitted research plan, practice your presentation, revise your research plan according to the comments obtained from the faculty member, and submit the final version to your academic advisor as material for your application.
02 / DEGREE STUDENTS
Degree Students (Master's and Doctoral)
To join the laboratory as a master's or doctoral student, you must pass the entrance examination of the Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University.
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Take the entrance examination
Take the entrance examination of the Social Informatics Course, Graduate School of Informatics. Application guidelines, deadlines and examination subjects are published on the Graduate School of Informatics admissions page. Admission to the doctoral program likewise requires passing the graduate school's entrance examination.
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Choose “SI-5” as your preferred group
When you apply, you indicate the research group you wish to join. If you wish to join the Ito Laboratory (Consensus Informatics), list SI-5 as your preferred group.
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Assignment depends on your examination results
Assignment to a laboratory is based on your entrance examination results. Depending on your scores you may be assigned to SI-5 as requested, but assignment as requested is not guaranteed. Please prepare thoroughly for the examination so that you can join the laboratory you hope for.
Before you apply
You are welcome to contact us by e-mail before applying to discuss your research interests and plan. See the contact information at the bottom of this page.
03 / POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS
Postdoctoral Researchers
Postdoctoral researchers join us through our research projects or through fellowships. These are the qualities we value most.
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Sharing our vision
We look for researchers who share our vision of AI-powered collective intelligence, in which people and AI agents reach agreement and cooperate, and who bring their own questions to the laboratory's themes: multiagent systems, automated negotiation, consensus building, large language models and mechanism design.
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Working internationally
You should be able to conduct research in English, publish at international conferences and in international journals, and lead collaborations with researchers abroad. Our laboratory brings together students and researchers from many countries, and discussions take place in English every day.
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Practical experience
We pursue both theoretical research that aims high and real-world implementation that faces hard realities. We highly value practical experience of applying research in the real world, for example in industry, in government or in field projects.
Other expectations
We expect a doctoral degree (or one to be completed before joining), the ability to drive research independently while helping to mentor students, and a collaborative attitude.
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How to apply
Openings funded by our research projects are announced on the News page. We also welcome enquiries at any time about joining through fellowships such as the JSPS Research Fellowships, including those for overseas researchers. In either case, please e-mail the principal investigator (Prof. Ito) with your CV, publication list, a one- to two-page research plan and a note on how your work relates to the laboratory's themes.