[No. 242] Hidekazu Takeuchi
Participant Profile
Hidekazu Takeuchi
(Graduate of Aichi Prefectural Kariya Kita High School) / March 1986: Graduated from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University / March 1988: Completed the Master's Program in the Major in Administration Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University / March 1991: Withdrawal from the Doctoral Program (After the Completion of Required Course Work without Submission of a Thesis), Major in Administration Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University / April 1991: Assistant, Faculty of Administration and Informatics, University of Shizuoka / May 1993: Full-time Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Tokyo Keizai University / April 1996: Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Tokyo Keizai University / April 2000: Associate Professor, Faculty of Modern Law, Tokyo Keizai University / October 2002: Obtained Ph.D. (Engineering) from the School of Science for Open and Environmental Systems, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University / April 2004: Professor, Faculty of Modern Law, Tokyo Keizai University / April 2012: Director, Center for General Education, Tokyo Keizai University / FY2014-FY2021: Vice President, Tokyo Keizai University; Executive Director and Councilor, Tokyo Keizai University Educational Corporation / April 2019: Professor, Center for General Education, Tokyo Keizai University / FY2026-FY2027: Vice President, Tokyo Keizai University; Executive Director, Tokyo Keizai University Educational Corporation / To the present
Hidekazu Takeuchi
(Graduate of Aichi Prefectural Kariya Kita High School) / March 1986: Graduated from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University / March 1988: Completed the Master's Program in the Major in Administration Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University / March 1991: Withdrawal from the Doctoral Program (After the Completion of Required Course Work without Submission of a Thesis), Major in Administration Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University / April 1991: Assistant, Faculty of Administration and Informatics, University of Shizuoka / May 1993: Full-time Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Tokyo Keizai University / April 1996: Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Tokyo Keizai University / April 2000: Associate Professor, Faculty of Modern Law, Tokyo Keizai University / October 2002: Obtained Ph.D. (Engineering) from the School of Science for Open and Environmental Systems, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University / April 2004: Professor, Faculty of Modern Law, Tokyo Keizai University / April 2012: Director, Center for General Education, Tokyo Keizai University / FY2014-FY2021: Vice President, Tokyo Keizai University; Executive Director and Councilor, Tokyo Keizai University Educational Corporation / April 2019: Professor, Center for General Education, Tokyo Keizai University / FY2026-FY2027: Vice President, Tokyo Keizai University; Executive Director, Tokyo Keizai University Educational Corporation / To the present
I entered the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the early 1980s. At that time, personal computers were not yet widely used in homes or universities, and terms like "data analysis" and "data science" were almost unknown. However, looking back now, I strongly feel that what I learned then is connected to my current work.
From my senior year of undergraduate studies through my Master's and Doctoral Programs, I belonged to a laboratory specializing in statistics. My graduation thesis focused on quantification theory, my Master's thesis on regression diagnostics, and my doctoral research on linear models.
In the Washio Laboratory, where I belonged at the time, research was divided into a group studying multivariate data analysis and a group studying quality control. I chose multivariate data analysis, which I believe was very close to what we now call "data science."
It might be hard for today's students to imagine, but back then, there was only one personal computer in the laboratory. Data analysis was done using mainframe computers, and graduation theses were handwritten. Our group of three wrote our thesis together; I remember the struggle of dividing the chapters and then coordinating the content and expressions at the end.
Nowadays, you can co-edit files while sharing them on the cloud. But back then, it was an era centered on paper. While it cannot compare to modern times in terms of convenience, the experience of working while discussing each calculation result and sentence with my peers remains a precious memory.
The first time I heard the term "data science" was in a graduate school class in 1986. It was an unfamiliar term then, but now it is used in every field of society. Curiously, I am now in a position to teach "Data Science as Liberal Arts" and "Statistics" at a university.
Currently, while being involved in education and research at Tokyo Keizai University in the field of social sciences, I serve as the chairperson of the Data Science Education Management Committee, which promotes "Mathematical, Data Science, and AI Education." I teach data science and statistics classes to students in the Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Communication Studies, and Faculty of Modern Law (this text was also proofread by generative AI!).
In recent years, generative AI has become a major topic. When I was a student, it was the era of the second AI boom, and there are technical differences from current AI. However, the basic concept of "analyzing data to create knowledge and value from it" remains the same now as it was then.
Furthermore, as a member of the Board of Directors involved in university management, I have opportunities to read financial data such as balance sheets and income statements. I feel that the knowledge of statistics and business management I learned during my student days is useful in unexpected situations.
In recent years, we often hear terms like "integration of humanities and sciences" or "interdisciplinary approach." However, I personally believe that the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering is a department that has practiced this way of thinking since its founding. Education that cross-sectionally covers engineering, statistics, business administration, and information science is exactly the kind of human resource development that modern society demands.
High school students may feel anxious about how what they learn at university will be useful in the future. However, what I can say from my own experience is that the learning you seriously engage in during your student days will connect to your future in unexpected ways.
I would like to convey that the "ability to think based on data" and the "ability to solve problems by linking different fields" learned in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering continue to thrive in society today.
Many years have passed since graduation, but the experience of learning in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering continues to be the starting point for my current educational and research activities.