Our Reliable Alumni | Hideyuki Tokuda (Dean, Graduate School of Media and Governance)

2011.08.22

This semester was one in which we had to respond in a timely and appropriate manner to a variety of issues, including the 3.11 Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear power plant accident, the consequent postponement of the graduate school entrance ceremony, changes to the start of the spring semester, adjustments to class schedules, and summer power-saving measures. Fortunately, our power-saving efforts have been proceeding smoothly, and it looks as though we will make it through the semester without incident. However, it has also become clear that there are many challenges to overcome for us to become an organization capable of making timely and appropriate responses and decisions.

The semester flew by, but in late July, after the term project presentations in our lab, we were able to hold a small get-together in the Delta Building to wrap things up. There was talk of having yakiniku (grilled meat), a favorite among some of the undergraduate students, and I was quite worried that some people would be too impatient to wait and would eat the meat while it was still rare. In fact, when I arrived at the venue, there were also other dishes like Chinese mapo tofu and fried rice that had apparently been ordered separately. This created a workflow where the hungry students could eat these while waiting for the meat to cook, and fortunately, everyone was able to eat calmly without any confusion. I am very grateful to the organizers for their idea.

Now, regarding our alumni, counting from the first class that graduated in 1994, those who graduated in March 2011 are the 18th class. How time flies. While the members of the first class had a difficult time on a campus with no senior or junior students, we had a very close relationship in the lab, with just us and them. I recall that we made a conscious effort to focus on extracurricular activities as well. Later, with master's degrees awarded in 1996 and doctoral degrees in 1999, the nine-year process from undergraduate studies to the Ph.D. program was complete. I am proud that, fortunately, several students from our lab's first class went on to earn their doctorates.

In a computer science-related lab like ours, we do not have many female students. Nevertheless, now in our 22nd year, several couples have formed among our alumni. As for the most recent couple, this past July, two of our alumni—who now teach at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Columbia University, respectively—were married in the chapel at Columbia University. They were a very happy couple, blessed by many friends and fellow alumni. As a couple where both hold academic positions, I pray that they will build a warm and lasting home together.

Our lab conducts research and development on advanced systems, services, and technologies, but it is extremely difficult to continuously carry out large R&D projects with students who graduate after only a few years. However, I believe the reason we have been able to continue for so long is entirely thanks to the passion of our students, who strive to create a better information environment and information technology for the future.

I would like to once again express my gratitude to our reliable alumni, who have helped us build these fine traditions.

(Posted: 2011/08/22)