To Future SFC Students | Kazunori Takashio, Dean of the Graduate School of Media and Governance
October 8, 2024
A year has passed since I was appointed Dean of the Graduate School last fall. How time flies.
On September 20, the September Graduate School commencement was held at the Mita Campus, and the Graduate School of Media and Governance sent 39 new master's and 8 new doctoral graduates out into the world. After the ceremony, which was held jointly with the undergraduate graduation ceremony, in addition to the address to all attendees, I handed out the diplomas to each graduate with a personal word of encouragement. I feel as happy as if it were my own accomplishment, and it's also a bit embarrassing. This ceremony is a tradition that has been passed down by successive deans of the Graduate School of Media and Governance.
The fall commencement has many international students, and various languages could be heard throughout the West School Building Hall, the venue for the ceremony. The graduates coming up to the stage were dressed in their own unique styles and seemed relaxed. It has a different atmosphere from the spring ceremony. Everyone seemed reluctant to leave, lingering in the hall long after the ceremony ended. Parents also came to greet me. I had a lively conversation with parents who had rushed over from Vancouver, Canada. Having sent my eldest son off to "graze" in Canada this summer, I found myself getting carried away in conversation. It was a pleasant time. Once again, to all of you who have earned your degrees, my heartfelt congratulations!
This summer, I also had more interactions than usual with high school students, our future SFC students.
I had the opportunity to speak with many high school students at various events, starting with the now-annual Camp for Designing the Future in Tottori , as well as the faculty information session held at the Osaka City Campus . It's important not just to introduce the features of the campus from our side, but also to have the high school students themselves envision (or fantasize about) their life on campus. Of course, I didn't forget to casually slip in some PR for the graduate school (^^)v
At these events, I always struggle with what to tell the high school students who have gathered from all over, but this year I decided to take the plunge and pose a question from my own field.
What do you think is the significance of learning and researching the latest technology at SFC?
As you know, my area of expertise is engineering-oriented. I'm also from the Yagami Campus. I was implicitly suggesting that SFC is not just a science and engineering campus. Perhaps "meaning" rather than "significance." While watching the sunset on the sand dunes between workshops, eating in the cafeteria, and sometimes in the form of a mock lecture, I spoke about this significance and meaning from three perspectives, emphasizing that these were my personal views. These three perspectives are "Engineering and Science," "Technology and Ethics, Law, and Security," and "Jitsugaku (Science) and Social Implementation."
Engineering and science. In creating new technologies and mechanisms, "understanding the subject (people, things, and events)" is of utmost importance. Regarding this point, I once contributed a humble article to a column in "Juku" ( Engineering Sense and Scientific Sense ). It introduced the course "The Science of Monozukuri (Manufacturing)" for first- and second-year undergraduate students. In this lecture, there is a question I always ask students at the beginning of class each year.
Was Leonardo da Vinci an engineer or a scientist?
The aerial screw, said to be the prototype of the helicopter, is a classic example, but the sketches left by da Vinci contain many contradictions as hardware. The aerial screw would never fly. Why is that?
To put it in a da Vinci-esque way, science is the study of knowing the things and events created by God, while engineering is the study of creating new things (artifacts). The methodology of engineering includes the extremely creative task of "design." Da Vinci designed artifacts with the backing of natural science, sometimes sublimating them into art. It may be nonsensical to compare da Vinci's era with today, but he was likely both an engineer and a scientist. Unfortunately, however, he himself seems to have had no interest in prototyping. This is why many of his sketches are difficult to implement. What a shame.
My specialty is social robotics. The subject is people. Before discussing new technologies, I observe human interactions from various aspects. I then incorporate the results of these analyses into new technologies and mechanisms. I often get stuck in the analysis. At such times, it is very reassuring to have faculty members specializing in psychology, the body, and the brain, faculty specializing in communication, and faculty specializing in well-being on the same campus, in the next room, or in a nearby building. I can go and consult with them immediately. SFC is, at least for me, an ideal research environment.
Technology and ethics, law, and security. This may sound formal when written out. In short, it's about "knowing the world." Those who make a living from engineering must always be aware of the impact their researched and developed technologies will have on the world. This summer, I explained this to high school students using the "Three Laws of Robotics" as an example. These are the principles proposed by Dr. Asimov, which also became the theme of the movie i, ROBOT, starting with "First Law: A robot may not injure a human being..." and ending with "Third Law: ...a robot must protect its own existence." It was also written in a robot picture book I received from a university professor when I was in kindergarten.
What about reality? Autonomous drones fly in the skies over battlefields, and on the ground, quadrupedal reconnaissance robots move in packs. The Three Laws of Robotics have already become a legacy. As new technologies emerge, the world also changes. It's hard to keep up with this trend, but at SFC, the leading experts in these fields are literally right beside you as colleagues. There is no other campus like this.
Jitsugaku (science) and social implementation. Needless to say, this is the core principle of SFC. You could also call it "moving the world." I am always encouraging the students in my lab, telling them, "Don't stay cooped up on campus, get out into the field!" For us, the various regions of Tottori Prefecture are currently our field for social implementation. This is because Professor Takita, with whom I have worked and taught for many years, happens to be from Tottori, which allowed us to connect with the prefectural government and various municipal authorities. This, too, is a connection made at SFC.
In 2021 and 2022, we piggybacked on a local 5G usability demonstration project at the Sakaiminato Yume Minato Terminal to realize an "inter-spatial connection experience using XR technology and robotics" in the form of a classical concert. Since then, we have conducted field surveys in Daisen-cho and Nanbu-cho (2022), Nichinan-cho (2023), and Tottori City (2024). As part of the Augmented Town project, we are proposing and working on implementing "tourism and industrial support services," "regional healthcare services," and "urban revitalization services" rooted in each region, armed with the latest technology. The Camp for Designing the Future in Tottori is also a place for participants to see and experience the university's research activities and this process of social implementation.
Correctly understanding the subjects—people, things, and events—from a scientific perspective, grasping the impact on the world through interdisciplinary discussions, and moving the world by advancing social implementation. This is the co-creative style of learning and research in the field of engineering that SFC, as a highly interdisciplinary campus, excels at.
The week after the commencement, on September 24, the September entrance ceremony was held jointly for undergraduate and graduate schools, and the Graduate School of Media and Governance welcomed 49 new master's students and 21 new Ph.D. program students. The new semester has already begun, and students have returned to campus.
To all new students, welcome to SFC. The faculty, staff, and current students all welcome you from the bottom of our hearts.
P.S. Over the past year, I've learned to sing the Juku-ka without looking at the lyrics.