Call for Applications: UK-JAPAN RENKEI Early Career Researcher Collaboration Lab
The University can provide travel grants to two Early Career Researchers to attend this event in Japan from 25-29 May.
Postdoctoral fellows and early‑career lecturers interested in developing research connections between the UK and Japan- particularly in aerospace, international law, marine science, or related fields – and who wish to build new international and interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged to apply. The internal application deadline is 5pm on Friday 20 March 2026.
About RENKEI
RENKEI is a partnership of leading research-intensive universities in the United Kingdom and Japan that aims to strengthen research collaboration and knowledge exchange between the two countries, particularly within the higher education sector. Established in 2012, the network focuses on building strong relationships between institutions and researchers, promoting collaborative research and knowledge sharing among partner universities, and supporting early career researchers to become future international leaders in UK–Japan cooperation. Over time, RENKEI has become an effective platform for developing close academic networks that have led to joint research projects and funding applications. As of 1 April 2026, the partnership includes six UK universities – Durham, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Southampton, and St Andrews – and five Japanese universities – Keio, Kyushu, Ritsumeikan, Sophia, and Tohoku.
Beyond Boundaries: Exploring New Academic Frontiers of Space
In recent years, “space” has gained renewed importance as a frontier of human activity, extending beyond outer space to include ocean space and cyberspace. Advances in satellite and rocket technology have made outer space essential for areas such as communications, navigation, and disaster monitoring, while also creating challenges including orbital congestion, safety, and liability. Similarly, developments in marine science and technology have opened access to deep-sea resources, raising urgent questions about environmental protection and ocean governance. Cyberspace, a defining domain of the twenty-first century, offers vast opportunities but also prompts global debate over how it should be governed across borders.
Against this backdrop, the RENKEI Collaboration Lab 2026 will explore the opportunities and responsibilities associated with these three “spaces”. Through a series of workshops, participants will examine current developments and consider the future direction of these domains in the century ahead.
Workshop 1: Marine Studies
“How do we see the Ocean space through different lenses?”
Session overview: The purpose of this session is to better understand where the perceptions of ocean space converge or diverge among biologists, ecologists, coastal/ocean modelers, and other research communities. The ocean is a dynamic and largely unexplored environment that is highly interconnected to many systems. This session brings together biologists, ecologists, ocean and coastal modelers, and other research communities to explore how different disciplines perceive and conceptualize ocean space. How can we integrate these diverse perspectives into a unified understanding of the ocean? Through shared discussions, we aim to uncover where these perceptions between various researchers converge or diverge and how to obtain a comprehensive insight of the changing ocean
Workshop 2: International Law
“Human Utilization of New Spaces – Beyond the Boundaries of National Jurisdiction”
This session examines the legal evolution and structural limitations of governing realms beyond national sovereignty: outer space, areas beyond national jurisdiction in the oceans (the high seas and the deep seabed), and cyberspace. While often termed “global commons,” these domains operate under diverse norms—from traditional freedoms and the common heritage principle to emerging rules on digital sovereignty—challenging unified regulation. The inquiry focuses on inherent constraints of rules reflected in instruments like the UN treaties on outer space, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) and Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) on cyberspace. It addresses the regulation of state and non-state actors, evaluating challenges like attributing legal responsibility and ensuring compliance where boundaries are blurred. The session aims to clarify structural gaps and balance state interests with the collective preservation of these vital spaces.
Workshop 3: Aerospace
“Sustainable and Scalable Space Development and Utilization”
Session overview: The goal of this session is to define a cross-disciplinary roadmap for advancing sustainable space activities through next-generation technologies, including On-Orbit Servicing (OOS). As global space activities expand through public–private partnerships, orbital environments are becoming increasingly congested and complex. Achieving long-term sustainability while advancing the space economy requires transformative innovation. OOS technologies have been attracting increasing global attention in recent years as a key enabler of safe, efficient, and scalable space operations. The session highlights the technical advancement of compact, high-performance servicing platforms with advanced autonomy and mobility, focusing on key spacecraft technologies such as satellite systems, space robotics, propulsion, space communications. These systems enable refuelling, repair, replacement, assembly, and in-space manufacturing—unlocking new operational models in Earth orbit and beyond. The session also explores the integration of space life sciences, materials science, and artificial intelligence to expand practical space utilization. Through collaboration among academia, industry, startups, and public institutions, the session presents a vision for accelerating deployment, fostering industrial co-creation, and building a sustainable space ecosystem.
Call for participating researchers
Apply for the RENKEI travel grant if you are a University of St Andrews Early Career Researcher, postdoctoral fellows and early-stage lecturers, whose research relates to aerospace, international law, or marine science.
The purpose of this collaboration lab is:
- To further knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary research activity, stimulating Japan-UK bilateral partnerships;
- To provide an international peer networking opportunity for ECRs from the UK and Japan, and;
- To cultivate and nurture Japan-UK collaboration in the future.
Workshop week outline
Dates: Monday 25 – Friday 29 May 2026
Venues: Sophia University (Yotsuya campus) on Monday and Tohoku University (Katahira campus, Sendai) Tuesday-Friday.
Apply
Each RENKEI member university is expected to nominate two ECRs, usually postdoctoral fellows and early-stage lecturers, working within/alongside aerospace, international law, marine science, or any related fields with an interest in developing (new) international collaboration and interdisciplinary working.
ECR applications must be submitted to RENKEI St Andrews selection panel via the online ‘Expression of Interest from’.
Deadline for internal applications: 5pm, Friday 20 March 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact the Global Office at [email protected].