_NicoNicoGakkai Beta_ is a new style of academy that emphasizes user-generated research. It is an online and offline research academy that recognizes research on a diversity of merits, from cultural and artistic values to academic and industrial strengths.

The users of the video-sharing website _NicoNico Douga_ include people who build robots or new user-interfaces and who share videos of their work on the web. Although their work is often unique and of a very high level, there are few opportunities for them in the traditional academic world. _NicoNicoGakkai Beta_ brings these users, university researchers and researchers in the professional world together to hold open research presentations, aiming to deepen relationships and help to increase the level of research across the board. The presentations are broadcast live on _NicoNico Live_ and the archives are available for anyone to view on the web.

There have been four _NicoNicoGakkai Beta_ symposiums since 2011. For the first event there was an audience of over 110,000, who left a total of over 80,000 comments.

Links: http://niconicogakkai.jp/

_NicoNicoGakkai Beta_ (JP) has been initiated by Koichiro Eto. The core members are 28 people who are interested in user-generated content—researchers, university professors, media artists, engineers etc. The full team, including office staff, external collaborators and volunteers, is around 70 people. Presenters at the symposium are divided between invited guests and members of the public (“wild researchers”).