Student Voices 2027 #009 Faculty of Environment and Information Studies

When I was a high school senior considering which universities to apply to, I visited the official website of the Keio University Faculty of Environment and Information Studies. At that time, I felt that I could engage in interdisciplinary learning that integrates the humanities and sciences alongside professors conducting cutting-edge research in various specialized fields, and that the Curriculum offered a high degree of freedom.

I applied because I thought that even though I hadn't decided what I wanted to do yet, I would be able to find a theme of interest that I could focus on and determine the direction of my future studies here.

Currently, I am researching "human inference mechanisms and risk preference" under the theme of "human behavioral choice," which I discovered after entering the university. To this end, I belong to a research group specializing in brain information science.

Human behavior is always involved in phenomena where money moves, such as stock trading, purchasing products, and gambling. In these situations, humans do not always take the action that logically minimizes risk. While they likely consider various data such as the current social situation, the people around them, and their own current circumstances, they do not always choose the most rational action. I want to examine the interesting aspects of human nature that cannot be explained by logic alone, and predict "human behavioral choice" including those ambiguities.

I believe the strength of interdisciplinary learning lies in the ability to deepen one's interest in a theme from multifaceted perspectives. In my case, I deepen my considerations of my own research theme and experimental methods by listening to people conducting research in digital design or specializing in behavioral economics, and by taking courses in psychology, brain information, and game theory.

Furthermore, in the process of studying brain information science, I am also learning about machine learning, where computers learn rules and patterns from data to make judgments and predictions. With "predicting human behavior" as one major goal, I spend my days engaged in interdisciplinary research toward achieving it.

My first trip abroad also left a strong impression on me. I went to Hawaii in the United States during the summer of my second year of university, and since it was a rare opportunity to be overseas, I decided to get by without relying on a translation device. I still clearly remember feeling, "Ah, I'm really in another country," when I was asked questions in English at immigration. Through conversations with friendly people and struggling to negotiate for a seat at a restaurant, I learned the importance of the desire to communicate along with language skills, and I truly felt how the world expands when you can speak English. Leveraging this experience, I hope to challenge myself with studying abroad in the future, so I am also focusing on studying for language proficiency exams.

To all the prospective students, this is your chance to get closer to your aspirations. Please do your best and don't give up. We look forward to seeing you at SFC.

This article was published in the university guide for prospective students, "Guidebook 2027."

The latest guidebook can be viewed as a PDF or digital pamphlet. Please check the "Guidebook" webpage.