2005–2006 | Jun Murai (Vice-President, Keio University; Professor, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)
December 27, 2005
As 2005 draws to a close and we welcome 2006, it's natural to hear a lot of talk about "how many years it's been since..." For SFC, 2005 marked its 15th anniversary, a topic that has come up in this "Okashira Nikki" (Dean's Diary). In my own field of expertise, there was another major milestone that didn't get much public attention: it has been 20 years since the Telecommunications Business Act came into effect in 1985. In 1984, after graduating from the Juku and taking a position at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, I was connecting computers between Tokyo Tech and Yagami in a guerrilla-like fashion. Then, in 1985, the year after Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation was privatized, I began rapidly connecting universities across the country. This became JUNET (Japan University NETwork). When thinking about a nationwide network, I was determined to connect Hokkaido and Kyushu, so I persuaded my seniors at each location to help me make the connections. In Hokkaido, Professor Yūichirō Anzai was in the Faculty of Letters, so I asked for his help. Looking back, I think it was quite remarkable for a comprehensive university at that time to first connect a computer network in its Faculty of Letters, especially when the technology was considered "completely incomprehensible" and wasn't even being evaluated by academic societies or the Faculty of Science and Technology.
Twenty years later, computer networks have become the foundation of society, to the point where they almost don't even feel like "computer networks" anymore. Ten years after JUNET's beginnings, in 1995, the word "Internet" won the "New Word/Buzzword of the Year" award. Now, another ten years have passed, and people have finally come to realize that it's not just "computers" that connect, but also mobile phones, home appliances, and just about anything. Once that happened, the word "Internet" itself took on a different meaning. While telephone companies declared their move to "all-IP" networks in 2005, the media, on the other hand, still casually publishes articles describing the "Internet as a lawless zone." They may be referring to certain message boards or parts of internet auctions, but if we're not careful, words can be easily distorted.
The Olympics, which have a major impact on society and the economy, are coming up soon. In the world of the internet and digital communication, the Olympics also serve as a major catalyst for new milestones. Many things, from various television video technologies to the commercialization of the WWW and the development of cookie-based marketing, were put into practical use on the occasion of the Olympics. Many people may not know that the Olympic servers for the Atlanta and Nagano Games were actually located at SFC, but it is no coincidence that SFC has been involved at these historic turning points. The 2006 Olympics will also trigger significant and continuous changes in digital technology, media, and communication. I hope that new challenges originating from SFC and Keio University will continue to lead the way in the future.
Speaking of milestones, 2005 was the year we embarked on the Keio University 150th Anniversary Commemorative Project. As this is a commemorative project for an age unprecedented in Asia, we must take the lead to inspire courage and strength for those who will take on new challenges.
(Posted: December 27, 2005)