News

On Saturday, February 24, the Graduate School of System Design and Management (SDM) celebrated the 15th anniversary of its establishment in 2008, commemorating the occasion by holding a discussion event consisting of several panels.

The event was held in the Fujiwara Hiroshi Hall on Hiyoshi Campus and began with opening remarks by the dean of SDM, Professor Seiko Shirasaka. This was followed by three panel discussions.

The first panel was conducted under the theme of "SDM’s Past and Future." Injecting humor into their talk, the four past and present deans of SDM discussed how the graduate school was established as part of Keio University's 150th anniversary project, the difficulties involved in its founding, notable episodes during their respective time as dean, and their current research.

This was followed by a panel of five alumni who spoke in the session titled, "What is Life Like after Studying at SDM?" Their backgrounds were varied in their reasons for enrolling at SDM, experiences as students, and current careers. Nevertheless, they explained that they all continue to make use of what they learned at SDM to the present day. This includes applying systems and design thinking methodologies, as well as continually confronting the perpetual question, "How do we know what it means to 'know'?"

For the final panel, four faculty members discussed the theme, "Towards SMD’s 20th Year," broaching the topic from three angles: diversity, sticking to guiding principles, and direction moving forward. The panelists spoke of the need for dialogue to seek and deepen diversity at a substantial level beyond that of mere formality, SDM's unwavering philosophy of contributing to humankind by tackling large-scale, complex problems, and the importance of engaging the world as a leader in society.

SDM has many working adult students, as well as students spanning a wide range of ages and nationalities. All sessions mentioned SDM developing based on the philosophy of Yukichi Fukuzawa, which reflects this diversity. Panelists brought up concepts such as hangaku hankyo where faculty and students alike teach and learn from each other, and the concept of jiga sakko where students work in new fields in response to a changing society and build new systems to implement beyond the classroom.

Students also set up poster displays introducing their laboratories to visitors and presented their research in both Japanese and English. Many alumni and related personnel came to the event and not only renewed old friendships, but also engaged in spirited discussions about what the future holds for SDM and the world.