Tatsuo Sawada, Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Unlike other faculties related to liberal arts, fourth-year students studying at the Faculty of Science and Technology join a laboratory for their graduation research, and spend a full year (and two more years if you proceed to graduate school) in close contact with the faculty staff, senior students and classmates. In my laboratory, I have students make a report of their research every week, and I evaluate the findings together with them. If I see good results, I let the student make a presentation at an academic conference. Almost all graduate students experience presentation at an international conference. We also hold a lot of drinking parties. At the camp, we do interim reports of graduation theses and master’s theses, but we also have a lot of fun. In winter, members of the lab go on a skiing trip. In such ways, students maintain a deep relationship with me, classmates and senior students for a long period of time, understand each other, and develop a lifelong bond.

“The difference between a public school and a private school is whether graduates care about their old school. Such feelings for Keio University are the largest in the world.” This is what I learned from the late Tadao Ishikawa, former President of Keio University, at a ceremony when I was a graduate student. The wordings may not be accurate, but I remember he mentioned this in his speech. Now in a situation where I teach younger Keio students and send many of them into society, I always think about these words when I am with my students.

I belong to 119 Mita-kai (alumni association), class of 1978. Among my fellow alumni, we sometimes talk to each other that “we may be inheriting Yukichi Fukuzawa’s DNA. If so, it is our duty to pass it on to our juniors.” While studying at Keio University, students unknowingly absorb the DNA of Yukichi Fukuzawa which could be seen everywhere. At the Faculty of Science and Technology, I believe this matures by studying at the laboratory for 1-3 years. I truly hope that they grow up in the future as successful ladies and gentlemen as the “springhead of noble character and a model of intellect and virtue” (from the words of Yukichi Fukuzawa).


*In this context, the term DNA is used in a symbolic meaning.

Student's Voice
Jean Klingler, Second-year Student of Master's Program,
Graduate School of Science and Technology,
School of Integrated Design Engineering(at the time of writing)

Fruitful campus life at Sawada laboratory

At the Sawada Laboratory, we use magnets to study controllable “magnetic fluids”, which are particular kinds of fluid. This fluid, which is a kind of “smart fluid”, is used in high-tech dampers that have been developed recently. In this lab, we conduct research using experimental techniques, and students work together on a daily basis in situations such as making experimental apparatuses. When I joined the lab, I was a complete novice at this study, but senior students taught me from the very basics and I was able to take the initiative in my research.
As a French, this kind of senior-junior relationship was new to me, but it was a very good experience. Under the support from Professor Sawada, I was able to spend two years of research activities and a fulfilling campus life.