CoSTEP History
CoSTEP was established at Hokkaido University in 2005 as an educational program to train science and technology communicators. From 2005 to 2009, CoSTEP was funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology. Through this program (Science and Technology Communicators Training Unit), we have produced 316 graduates.The graduates are working as science and technology communicators not only in universities, research institutes, government offices, and private companies such as mass media, but also in educational institutions such as science museums and schools, and in local communities such as NPOs.
In April 2010, CoSTEP was reorganized as Hokkaido University’s own project, evolving from a project commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Currently, it continues its activities as the “the Communication in Science and Technology Education and Research Program, Higher Education Research and Development Division” of the Center for Open Education.
As Japan’s only science and technology communication training institution open to society, we have trained more than 1,000 science and technology communicators to date.
History
AprilTransferred from the Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education with the establishment of the Institute for the Advancement of Graduate Education. The official name is changed to the Communication in Science and Technology Education and Research Program of Open Education Center of Open Education Center, the Institute for the Advancement of Graduate Education, in Hokkaido University.
AprilTransferred from the Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education with the establishment of the Institute for the Advancement of Graduate Education. The official name is changed to the Communication in Science and Technology Education and Research Program of Open Education Center of Open Education Center, the Institute for the Advancement of Graduate Education, in Hokkaido University.
2024MarchCourse completion by 64 students in the 19th-enrolling class (regular course: 19, elective course: 44, advanced course:1) Total number of graduates: 1,306
AprilCourse completion by 72 students in the 12th-enrolling class (regular course: 29, elective course: 36, advanced course:7)
| 2005 | July | Establishment of Hokkaido University Communicators in Science and Technology Education Program (CoSTEP) Shigeo Sugiyama became the 1st head of CoSTEP (until March, 2013) |
| October | Admission of inaugural students in CoSTEP | |
| 2006 | March | Course completion by 40 inaugural students (regular course: 10, elective course: 30) |
| May | Start of the education program for CoSTEP’s 2nd-enrolling class, full-scale operation of e-learning lectures | |
| 2007 | March | Course completion by 51 students in the 2nd-enrolling class (regular course: 26, elective course: 25) |
| May | Start of the education program for CoSTEP’s 3rd-enrolling class | |
| 2008 | March | Course completion by 77 students in the 3rd-enrolling class (regular course: 32, elective course: 45) |
| May | Start of the education program for CoSTEP’s 4th-enrolling class, establishment of two classes (A and B) at the elective course) | |
| 2009 | March | Course completion by 70 students in the 4th-enrolling class (regular course: 20, elective course: 50) |
| May | Start of the education program for CoSTEP’s 5th-enrolling class (regular course: 24, elective course: 52) | |
| 2010 | February | Course completion by 76 students in the 5th-enrolling class |
| April | Reorganization into the Communication in Science and Technology Education and Research Program of the Center for Research and Development in Higher Education | |
| May | Start of the education program for CoSTEP’s 6th-enrolling class | |
| October | Reorganization into the Communication in Science and Technology Education and Research Program of Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education | |
| 2011 | March | Course completion by 65 students in the 6th-enrolling class (regular course: 22, elective course: 43) |
| May | Start of the education program for CoSTEP’s 7th-enrolling class, advanced course is started | |
| 2012 | March | Course completion by 65 students in the 7th-enrolling class (regular course: 22, elective course: 37, advanced course:6) |
| 2013 | March | Course completion by 65 students in the 8th-enrolling class (regular course: 22, elective course: 37, advanced course:6) |
| 2014 | March | Course completion by 64 students in the 9th-enrolling class (regular course: 21, elective course: 40, advanced course:3) |
| April | Masahiro Matsuo became the 2nd Head of CoSTEP (until March, 2017) | |
| 2015 | March | Course completion by 69 students in the 10th-enrolling class (regular course: 24, elective course: 41, advanced course:4) |
| April | Reorganization into the Communication in Science and Technology Education and Research Program of Open Education Center in Higher Education | |
| 2016 | March | Course completion by81 students in the 11th-enrolling class (regular course: 20, elective course: 53, advanced course:8) |
| 2017 | March | Course completion by 72 students in the 12th-enrolling class (regular course: 29, elective course: 36, advanced course:7) |
| April | Shisin Kawamoto becomes the 3rd Head of CoSTEP (until March, 2024) | |
| 2018 | March | Course completion by 80 students in the 13th-enrolling class (regular course: 31, elective course: 36, advanced course:13) |
| 2019 | March | Course completion by 74 students in the 14th-enrolling class (regular course: 31, elective course: 33, advanced course:10) |
| 2020 | March | Course completion by 79 students in the 15th-enrolling class (regular course: 33, elective course: 38, advanced course:8) |
| 2021 | March | Course completion by 72 students in the 16th-enrolling class (regular course: 25, elective course: 38, advanced course:9) Total number of graduates: 1,100 |
| 2022 | March | Course completion by 74 students in the 17th-enrolling class (regular course: 26, elective course: 39, advanced course:8) Total number of graduates: 1,174 |
| April | Transferred from the Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education with the establishment of the Institute for the Advancement of Graduate Education. The official name is changed to the Communication in Science and Technology Education and Research Program of Open Education Center of Open Education Center, the Institute for the Advancement of Graduate Education, in Hokkaido University. | |
| 2023 | March | Course completion by 63 students in the 18th-enrolling class (regular course: 20, elective course: 44, advanced course:4) Total number of graduates: 1,242 |
| 2024 | March | Course completion by 64 students in the 19th-enrolling class (regular course: 19, elective course: 44, advanced course:1) Total number of graduates: 1,306 |
| April | Motoko Okumoto became the 4th Head of CoSTEP |
Awards
| 2014 | March | Minister of Education Award “Promote understanding by integrating outreach activities and the development of human resources who will be responsible for them” |
| 2015 | October | Good Design Award “Science Cafe Sapporo as a Catalyst : 10 Years of Initiatives of CoSTEP, Hokkaido University” |
| 2016 | August | Kids Design Award “The science work workshop ” to learn cells through ‘Gachapon’ at Chi-Ka-Ho Agricultural School Make” |
| 2018 | February | Asahi VR Award Natture section “The Science Workshop for Children : Immerse yourself! Virtual Lake Shikotsu World” |
| 2019 | March | Elm Award of Hokkaido University “The Science Workshop for Children : Immerse yourself! Virtual Lake Shikotsu World” |
| 2020 | November | Regional Revitalization ☆ Policy Idea Contest 2020 “Geopark VR” |
| November | The 4th Hanekura award nominatinon “The Science Workshop by the Media Design Team of 2019” | |
| December | Sapporo Theater Festival 2020 Excellence Award “Turumaki Orchestra with CoSTEP ‘Invisible Touch'” |