Global Center for Science and Technology (SU)

Director: Taketoshi Hibiya (Professor, Graduate School of System Design and Management)

Main Campus: Mita

As one of the educational missions of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and as part of Keio University's overseas expansion, we are planning to expand into the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Specifically, we have begun exploring the possibility of a partnership with Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR). We are seeking a partnership with the university, focusing on research and education in information and communication technology and system design and management, supported by fiber-optic communication networks.

In preparation for the above, the Global Center for Science and Technology has been established within the Keio Advanced Research Centers (KARC) to prepare for the partnership. An office will be established in Abu Dhabi with a liaison officer stationed there to gather information and coordinate with KUSTAR. Activities will be funded by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The office will be opened within this fiscal year, and research activities on-site will commence in September 2009.

Overseas expansion, Abu Dhabi, Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, Information and communication technology, System design and management

In fiscal year 2009, we plan to conduct research activities modeled on the educational use of digital communication, targeting KUSTAR (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research) in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and AMET (Academy of Maritime Education and Training) in Chennai, India, which are candidates for Keio University's overseas joint research centers. Furthermore, we plan to apply for the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), and in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad, we will conduct research on the theme of information networks for disaster mitigation and recovery in disaster prevention activities.

The foundation of digital communication is creating a single, common activity space for the entire planet, beginning to have a revolutionary impact on human education, health, environment, economy, transportation, safety, and culture. This research center has begun its activities with the aim of establishing "Global Science and Technology" by identifying, from a scientific perspective, the challenges in building elements of a global information society that evolve from these global spaces, establishing methods to solve these challenges, and enabling the management and sustainable operation of a new foundation for global society. In collaboration with major overseas university centers, primarily Keio University's overseas bases, we are attempting to establish a collaborative system between centers through real-time, always-on connections. In fiscal year 2008, we began joint research with some universities in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East, and also explored the needs for distance education at several universities.