The Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences (IAMAS) is a graduate school (Masters Program and Doctoral Program [Ph.D.]) with one major in Media Arts and Sciences, established by Gifu Prefecture in 2001. It has become widely recognized, even overseas, as a Graduate School with a small number of students and a well staffed faculty. The name it has come to be known by, IAMAS, comes from an abbreviation of its English name, Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences. With the fusing of scientific thinking and artistic sense as the schools founding philosophy, the school aims to propose to society leading artistic expression and design as well as a new way of creating and being a part of a community. In addition to nurturing “highly creative individuals” through practical research, all while absorbing the latest scientific technology and culture.

In 2014, we relocated to the Softopia area and have since been developing a field-based campus that is open to society and the community. IAMAS has been reborn as an organization that not only expands its activities in an open space unlike any other research and education institution to date, but also integrates the results of its diverse research and practice with its expertise to drive future society. IAMAS’s research and education is characterized by the following three features: through projects being the main focus trying actual application in the real world, team teaching by faculty members from various fields, and a well-developed curriculum for acquiring specialized and comprehensive knowledge and skills. In addition, collaboration among students from various fields, such as art, design, engineering and sociology, stimulates each other and expands each student's skills and knowledge in a research environment that assumes a small number of students. Additionally, the strong network of alumni and former students of IAMAS after graduation is another attraction of this school.

In 2021, we opened a new doctoral course, which will allow students to continue to pursue in-depth research over 5 years when combined with the master’s course. Taking advantage of the fact that we are a public graduate school,we aim to drive the society of the future by working practically on media expression in cooperation with the local community, while at the same time attempting to theorize and systematize it.