Reuters has published its ranking of the 2017 Asia Pacific's Most Innovative Universities listing 75 schools for technology and intellectual property. The ranking placed 19 Japanese universities, including Tokyo University, Tohoku University, Kyoto University, and Osaka University, but South Korean institutions dominated the top 5, with KAIST (formerly Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) at the top for numerous patent applications, cited articles, and innovations like those in robotics.

A few Japanese schools dropped in ranking or off of the list and Chinese and other ones rose and entered it. Countries like New Zealand, India, and Singapore were represented though sparsely, and no Indonesian institution ranked.

While the rankings may be disappointing for Japanese readers, the outlook of Asian growth overall is still good. Reaching the markets and innovators there in a broader perspective is still good for Japan and for the rest of the world. Some firms like Keisen Associates are bridging gaps between the Asian countries to serve clients better.

Of course, the metrics of the ranking affect the list and it may not be perfect, but the general pictures is that people around many parts of Asia are generating ideas that, we hope, will greatly serve human flourishing.

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