About Us

The Research Center for Knowledge Communities, University of Tsukuba, was established on October 1, 2002 through the integration of the University of Tsukuba and the University of Library Information. The Center's purpose is to conduct research for the formation of knowledge communities in advanced information network societies, and to pursue the development of academic research and share that research with society.

In recent years, knowledge and information shared by Internet and digital libraries have significantly influenced the state and activities of various knowledge communities. Furthermore, supported by the knowledge and information shared through the network, communities that create new knowledge and information have begun to form. However, document sharing through electronic mail and WWW in present information networks provides only elementary functions as tools for direct communications and sharing and creation of information. For communities to develop in information network societies, it is necessary to create a knowledge and information environment that should be called a "knowledge community base" to support and promote these communities.

This research center intends to develop research on technical and social bases to support information circulation, which largely concerns community activities, under an open research system involving cooperation with diversified communities. Furthermore, by configuring the new "Knowledge Community Information System" we will be able to share information obtained through this system with society.