Director: Jiro Kokuryo (Professor, Faculty of Policy Management)
Campus: Shonan Fujisawa
Center Overview
The rapid expansion of the internet, which began in the 1990s, has brought many conveniences to humanity. However, this very expansion has also exacerbated several inherent issues. Problems that even the general public can perceive have emerged, such as harm caused by antisocial media use and the spread of negative influences on children from sources like online dating sites. Among network specialists, there is serious concern that the patchwork-like rapid expansion of the network has resulted in a fragile system, creating a structure vulnerable to disasters and terrorism. Furthermore, the necessary social consensus regarding the online world, including issues like privacy and the protection of intellectual property rights, can hardly be said to have been established. Confusion is arising as usage expands without this consensus in place.
To solve these issues and ensure that technology contributes to the realization of a safe and secure society, a deep insight into humanity and society is necessary, in addition to knowledge of information technology and information and communication-related systems. Based on this insight, we must establish and disseminate design and implementation methods for necessary information infrastructure systems, legal systems, school education systems, family relationships, and the formation of normative consciousness. This is why there is a strong demand for individuals who can systematically understand the mechanisms by which media and society interact and influence each other, and who can grasp technology and institutions in an integrated manner. However, educational institutions that cultivate such human resources have been almost nonexistent until now. Drawing on our experience in education and research that treats technology and policy as two core pillars, this center aims to build an educational and research hub that integrates society and technology. By involving young researchers in studies to establish highly reliable next-generation media that support a safe and secure society, we will cultivate the human resources needed to create this safe and secure society.
Keywords and Main Research Themes
Media, Safety and Security, Information Technology