Toward the Next 20 Years | Hideyuki Tokuda (Dean of the Graduate School of Media and Governance)

2009.10.27

Events were held on October 17 and 18. The 17th was the SFC Autumn Festival. Despite the unfortunate weather and a slow start, the students participating in the events were filled with a sense of fulfillment. The music event I glimpsed through a window in the evening was particularly memorable.

On the 18th was the annual Rengo Mita-kai (Alumni Convention), held at the Hiyoshi Campus. I walked from the Faculty of Science and Technology parking lot, up the stairs behind the Hiyoshi Campus, to the Memorial Hall venue. This brought back memories of my undergraduate days when I was a member of two clubs, KCS (Keio Computer Society) and KSA (Keio Ski Association). The stairs were the same ones I used to run up for training back then. After the ceremony, as I was leaving the Memorial Hall, I was surprised to find that volunteers from the second graduating class of SFC had set up a stall this year! I wanted to call out to them to thank them for their hard work, but I missed the chance when a chilled bottle of champagne suddenly burst. After that, I waited in line for 30 minutes to buy Mikasayama from Bunmeido, a tradition in my family, and then went home.

Now, to the main topic. A new executive board started on October 1. I have been appointed Dean of the Graduate School of Media and Governance. Looking back, the position of Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, which I held for two years, was also a heavy responsibility, but aiming to improve the quality of education and research at the graduate school over the next two years is an equally weighty task. In particular, I want to focus on developing the professional courses that have been steadily advanced, enhancing internationalization, and integrating undergraduate and graduate programs.

The Graduate School of Media and Governance currently offers four programs: the Advanced IT Specialist Course, which we established, as well as the International Graduate Program, the Social Innovator Course, and the Low-Carbon Society Design Course. While courses designed to cultivate more clearly defined professionals are becoming established, competition among graduate schools in Japan has also become very intense. Further enhancement of these professional courses is an immediate challenge.

Regarding the enhancement of internationalization, I believe the first important task is to improve the overall research and educational capabilities of the Graduate School of Media and Governance. In Japan, the Global 30 Project has led many universities and graduate schools to establish systems for accepting international students, intensifying competition. However, this graduate school has a track record of running the International Graduate Program. I am confident that by expanding the research and education areas in "media and governance" that are unique to this graduate school, and by strengthening collaboration with overseas research centers and support for international students, we will attract even more students not only from Asian countries but from various other nations, becoming a graduate school with a truly global reach.

The integrated undergraduate and graduate course is a system that has been under discussion for quite some time. It is a five-year integrated bachelor's and master's course where outstanding undergraduate students can graduate in 3.5 years and complete the master's program in 1.5 years. Although it has not yet become fully established, it is a very effective framework for producing excellent students.

Finally, I believe it is essential not only for the executive board but for all of us who live and work on the SFC campus to conduct a medium- to long-term review of the entire campus. This involves reflecting on the past 20 years and looking toward the next 20, including the development of a new campus (Miraisozojuku (Institute for Designing the Future)), curriculum, research support systems, operational structures, and the research and educational environment.

(Date of publication: 2009/10/27)