Bridging the Gap: Long-Term Collaboration Between Computer Graphics Production and Educational Institutions in Japan

The Japanese entertainment computer graphics (CG) industry, including games, animation, and visual effects, is facing a gap between industry demands and the programs being offered by educational institutions. As work is being diversified, this gap is becoming more apparent owing to the lack of education in specialized technical and communication skills that companies require. To address this gap between educational institutions and Japan's CG industry, we propose a new educational model developed through industry-academic collaboration. Centered on a "salad bowl" education framework, the model reflects corporate culture and project characteristics, and it incorporates a mentorship system that promotes the transfer of practical skills, meeting the needs of both students and companies. The initial implementation of the model revealed significant improvement in student skills and satisfaction, indicating the formation of the foundation necessary for workplace success. The study focuses on the training of CG creators in the industry and educational institutions, excluding computational knowledge and programming skills. This approach highlights the importance of long-term cooperation between education and industry in meeting diverse demands. Future research should explore the long-term impact and scalability of this model.