[No. 54] Satoru Tezuka

I would like to thank Associate Professor Shigeno for giving me the opportunity to write for this column. I will briefly introduce my experiences as a student and my research after joining my company.

In April 1980, I enrolled at Keio University as a member of the last class of the Faculty of Engineering. I say "the last" because the Faculty of Engineering was reorganized into the Faculty of Science and Technology the following year. During my two years at the Hiyoshi campus, I played a lot of tennis, as was the trend at the time. Between classes, I would show up at the student cafeteria hangout, and when classes were over, I would rush to the tennis courts. While there was a tennis club exclusively for Faculty of Engineering students, I chose to join a club that included students from other faculties, hoping to experience the broader essence of Keio. The club I joined had a diverse mix of students, regardless of their field of study—those who had advanced from Keio's affiliated schools, those from other regions of Japan, and even some who had returned from abroad, which was rare at the time. Engaging with such a variety of perspectives was, in retrospect, like experiencing a microcosm of society. My friendships with my classmates from that time continue even now that I am a working professional, and I am filled with gratitude for the unique culture that only those who have studied at Keio can feel and for the rich student life I was able to lead.

In my third year, when I moved from the Hiyoshi campus to the Yagami campus for my specialized studies, I advanced to the Department of Mathematical Engineering (now the Department of Mathematics). In my fourth year, I joined the Obatake/Maeda Laboratory, where I received instruction in algebraic geometry from Professor Obatake. I chose the Department of Mathematical Engineering because I was naturally interested in mathematics, but more than that, even as a student, I believed that mathematics was the discipline that most encouraged logical thinking, and I decided to do something I could only do at that time. Developing an awareness of problems, thinking deeply about subjects that interested me, and cultivating my own methodology for solving them within Keio's free atmosphere proved to be extremely useful after I joined a corporate research laboratory.

When it came time to find a job, I wanted to go into a corporate research division. My interest in personal computers, which were just beginning to appear, led me to join Hitachi, Ltd., which had advanced technology in that field and well-equipped research laboratories. It was still the dawn of the PC era, the age of MS-DOS, and shortly after joining the company, I went to Microsoft in the US for training. Later, when PC-LANs emerged, I began conducting research related to the network OS called NetWare, which took the world by storm. To commercialize the results of my research, I visited Novell, Inc. in the US many times and successfully brought the product to market. During these projects, my university experiences were a great help in interacting with people from other countries, identifying problems, and finding solutions, which eventually led to my obtaining a doctoral degree.

To obtain my degree, I was supervised by Professor Matsushita of the Department of Instrumentation Engineering, as I had already immersed myself in the world of IT, a field completely different from my original background in mathematics, and my research content differed from that of my original laboratory. Unlike those who earn their degrees in Doctoral Programs, I obtained mine while working, and during what was the busiest, most productive period of my corporate career, so writing my dissertation within a limited timeframe was extremely challenging. Fortunately, under these circumstances, Professor Matsushita also had a corporate background and was very understanding of my situation of earning a degree while working, providing considerate support in many ways that was a great help. Furthermore, I am deeply indebted to Professor Okada and Associate Professor Shigeno, who consulted with me at the time, for everything from tips on writing a doctoral dissertation to the procedural details. I would like to express my gratitude once again here. Professor Matsushita also told me, "Obtaining your doctorate was also made possible by the support of your family, so please be sure to attend the conferral ceremony with them." I did so, and it became a wonderful memory for my family as well.

Even now, we hold an annual "Onko-chishin Doctor no Kai" (Meeting of Doctors Who Learn from the Past) with Professors Matsushita and Okada, and Associate Professor Shigeno, deepening the fellowship among those who have earned their doctorates. This is another gathering unique to Keio. At the degree conferral, I received my diploma directly from the current President Anzai, who was the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at the time. I still remember his words: "As the last doctors of the 20th century, this is a very memorable year, and I hope you will continue to strive in your respective fields."

In 2000, just as I had obtained my degree and was about to settle down and focus on my research, the government announced its "e-Government" policy, and I became directly involved in the project. I remember being very pleased, thinking that a great opportunity had come along to put into practice the words of then-Dean Anzai, who had encouraged us to "be active in our respective fields."

In Japan, since the enactment of the "Basic Act on the Formation of an Advanced Information and Telecommunications Network Society (IT Basic Law)" in 2000, the public and private sectors have worked together to promote the use of the internet. The government put forth the policy of "building the world's most advanced e-government," beginning with the "development of the Government Public Key Infrastructure (GPKI)." I participated in this project, the largest electronic authentication infrastructure of its kind in the world. Furthermore, I was appointed to the committee for the enactment of the "Act on Electronic Signatures and Certification Business," which was an extremely valuable experience for a technology researcher. Subsequently, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, I helped launch a series of private forums such as the "Asia PKI Forum," the "Internet Association Japan," and the "Mobile IT Forum." I believe that my ongoing contributions to Japan's social infrastructure from the field of information security have been a very meaningful part of my research career.

Finally, in writing for this "Jukuin Raio" (Alumni Column), I have reflected on my life from my university days to the present and have come to keenly feel that my origins lie in my research and club activities at Keio. As one of the Keio University alumni, I hope to help spread Keio University's founding spirit of "independence and self-respect" to the world.