[No. 112] Kentaro Hase

It has been 10 years since I completed my master's program in 2003 and entered the workforce. Taking this opportunity to look back on my university days, I feel that my life and experiences from that time are still very much alive in me today.

When I was preparing for university entrance exams, I sent away for the application guidelines. I had hoped that reading them would clarify what I wanted to do in the future and help me narrow down my choice of department, but the descriptions for the Faculty of Science and Technology were full of things I knew nothing about, so I was far from being able to narrow anything down.

I decided to take advantage of the Faculty of Science and Technology's school system and chose "School 1," which included research related to medicine—a field I was interested in—and offered a wide range of career paths. I decided to think about my future as I went along.

During my first and second years at university, I spent my days engrossed in tennis and part-time jobs. I believe I developed the initiative and stamina to find what I wanted to do and work hard at it. On the other hand, the price for neglecting the fundamentals of science and technology was high, and I still sometimes pull out my old textbooks from that time. This is something I regret. I chose the Department of Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics. When it came time to choose a research lab, my interest in medicine remained unchanged. After visiting related labs, I decided I particularly wanted to research measurement instruments for living organisms. From my fourth year on, I spent practically all my time in my assigned research lab.

In the lab, I worked on a sensor to measure the partial pressure of oxygen in living organisms. In addition to the specialized research needed to create the sensor, I had to consider many things: What could the sensor be used for? If so, what should the sensor be like? What materials would be needed to make it? How would I procure them? I remember moving forward by contacting professors at the university hospital to think about applications, and professors at other universities and people from companies to find materials.

Through this experience, I learned the joy of engaging in a wide range of activities and consolidating my thoughts, as well as the importance of objectively understanding the significance of my work by encountering diverse perspectives through interaction.

Currently, I am in charge of developing imaging equipment used for diagnosis and surgery with endoscopes and laparoscopes. Just as in my research lab days, I value engaging in a wide range of activities and thinking about how things will be used. This desire was so strong that I wanted to be involved in development closer to the actual use environment, which led me to an assignment in the United States for about five years.

During my assignment, I visited many facilities that were using the products I had developed, allowing me to directly see what was being used as intended, what wasn't functioning properly, and what needed improvement. I also had extensive discussions with doctors and facility staff about requests and specifications for new functions to determine what they should be. It was a very stimulating life, where I could experience firsthand how products were being used and constantly think about how they should be.

Now that my assignment is over, I am back to developing imaging equipment, cherishing the firsthand experiences I gained and thinking about how to bring those insights to life as I move forward with development.

For me, university life was a precious time where what I wanted to do became concrete and I learned a great deal about how to move forward. I also believe that the culture of the Faculty of Science and Technology fosters an attitude of thinking about things from a broad perspective. I am sure it will be a valuable time for those of you about to enter university, so please be sure to enjoy it.