Noriko Arai

Noriko Arai obtained her doctoral degree in science from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1997. Her research interests span various disciplines, including mathematical logic, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, math education, computer-supported collaborative learning, and the science of science policy (SoSP).
Noriko has been invited to speak at numerous international conferences and has served as program committee members in these research areas. As the director of the Research Center for Community Knowledge at the National Institute of Informatics in Japan, she leads several impactful projects.
One notable project is NetCommons, a widely adopted content management system in Japanese schools. Currently, over 5,000 schools rely on NetCommons for their websites. Additionally, Noriko has directed the Researchmap Project, a platform for Japanese researchers to manage their research inputs and outputs in the field of SoSP. The platform has attracted over 0.3 million researchers, covering a substantial portion of active researchers and their work in Japan.
Another noteworthy achievement is Noriko's leadership in the "Can an AI pass the University of Tokyo entrance exams" project, also known as the Todai Robot Project, which ran from 2011 to 2021. This project garnered significant media attention, with coverage from prominent national and international outlets, including The New York Times. Noriko's TED talk, "Can an AI pass the University of Tokyo entrance exams?" has been translated into 23 languages and viewed by 1.7 million people.
Noriko's recent research interest is developing a "Reading Skill Test" to assess literacy levels. The Ministry of Education and Technology recognized her contributions to academia, which awarded her the Prizes for Science and Technology in 2010 and the Commendation for Science and Technology in 2021.