15 February 2026

Four doctoral students to move to Japan for six months – a result of MIRAI

A photo collage: one is a corridor, another of an outdoor staircase at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology and the third is of balloons from a 100th anniversary celebration.

Klara Le from Örebro University will be a visiting doctoral student here at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in Japan. Her thesis will focus on sexuality among older people, and Okinawa is home to many people who live to a ripe old age. The picture at the bottom left is from one of many 100th birthday celebrations on the island.

Four doctoral students from Örebro University will soon have the opportunity to spend six months in Japan. Just one of many positive outcomes of the MIRAI research network, which fosters collaboration between Sweden and Japan.
“I am really looking forward to learning about their advanced research in ageing, but also to being part of their research environment,” says doctoral student Klara Le.

Two doctoral students in psychology, one in social work and one in biology will spend six months at a Japanese university in 2026 and 2027.

One of them is Klara Le. She will be a visiting doctoral student at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST).

“It feels very exciting to experience everyday life in an international research environment like OIST,” she says.

Her research project focuses on sexuality in old age.

“Japan is a world leader in research on ageing and has a population where many people live long lives, which makes the country particularly relevant to my field of research. It feels like a privilege to be able to share in that knowledge and see new ways of understanding ageing.”

Klara Le is a doctoral student at Örebro University.

17 universities collaborate

MIRAI has existed since 2017. Ten Swedish and seven Japanese universities are collaborating on the project.

The work is interdisciplinary and focuses on four major societal challenges. The research addresses health and an ageing population, climate adaptation and disasters, resilient cities and issues surrounding renewable energy in various ways.

“MIRAI is about establishing long-term research collaborations between Sweden and Japan. There is a strong focus on young researchers,” says Mia Fogel, project manager at Örebro University.

The research group working in the field of health and ageing populations is led by Eleonor Kristoffersson, professor at Örebro University. MIRAI comprises around 10 researchers from Sweden and Japan.

“We are similar yet different. We agree on the societal challenges but may have different solutions. That’s where we can learn from each other,” says Eleonor Kristoffersson.

The EU seeks cooperation with Japan

The EU regards Japan as a strategic partner in research. In recent years, cooperation has deepened and been formalised through Horizon Europe. This also means that research funding is available from the EU.

“I see great potential in the network. We can build something significant,” says Eleonor Kristoffersson.

In 2026, MIRAI will undertake various activities to inspire future collaboration between the countries.

In collaboration with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Japan, several internships in Japan have been arranged for master’s students at Swedish universities. There is also the opportunity to collect data or write thesis papers in Japan.
The Global Solutions Olympiad, a competition for mixed groups of Swedish and Japanese doctoral students, will be held. The aim is to find solutions to problems common to both countries.
Every month, you can participate in webinars on health and ageing populations free of charge. Swedish and Japanese researchers and doctoral students share new results and insights.

Doctoral student Klara Le is looking forward to travelling to Japan for the first time as a visiting doctoral student. Not least because OIST in Okinawa is an international environment, with researchers from around 50 countries currently working there.

“I hope that my stay will lead to new collaborations, give me new perspectives on research and help me build a stronger international network.”

MIRAI conducts research into four major societal challenges

The areas MIRAI focuses on are:

Health and an ageing population.
Climate adaptation, disaster and risk management, and prevention.
Resilient cities and communities – guidelines, strategies, local governance and urban planning.
Materials for energy conversion and storage: renewable energy, solar energy conversion, electrification, sustainable processes and resource use.