This article reviews the ten-year journey of establishing and operating the Ethics Committee for Medical and Biological Research Involving Human Subjects at Toyo University. As a non-medical private university, Toyo University faced unique challenges in aligning national ethical guidelines with diverse research fields such as sports science, food science, and biomedical engineering. The author details the transition from a department-level joint committee to a university-wide system in 2016 to ensure compliance with the newly integrated national guidelines.

The paper discusses critical operational aspects, including administrative support, member diversity, and the necessity of external perspectives. It also examines how external factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and frequent revisions of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information, have shaped committee operations. Furthermore, the author addresses recent trends in multi-institutional research, focusing on the implementation of centralized review processes to streamline ethical oversight. Finally, the article highlights future challenges, emphasizing the need for sustainable ethics education and the evolving role of academic societies in supporting research integrity and accountability.