Cultivating a broad perspective with a flexible attitude. Expanding my own potential through research.

Profile

From Sakura High School, Chiba Prefecture

After a high school period dedicated to studying and badminton, he entered the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology. His attitude of enjoying and dedicating himself to everything remained unchanged in university, where he devoted himself fully to club activities and research, accumulating knowledge by approaching his studies from various angles with boundless curiosity. He also developed the ability to overcome challenges in his research without giving up. We asked him about his fulfilling student life, during which he also broadened his horizons by interacting with many different people.

[*]The student's grade at the time of the interview (August 2022).

In high school, with the motto of excelling in both academics and sports, I was dedicated to my studies and to badminton in my club activities. I joined the Badminton Team in my first year of junior high and was so passionate that I would find places to play even on days with no club activities, so I approached it with the same level of enthusiasm in high school. As for my studies, I studied late after club activities, driven by a desire not to be outdone by my peers in grades. I started attending Juku in the winter of my first year of high school, and I think it was a great decision to create a routine of going to Juku after my club activities finished. By placing myself in an environment where I had to study, I found it enjoyable to see my grades improve the more I studied, which motivated me. Even after being accepted through designated school recommendation, I made a study plan and continued to study. Looking back now, I feel that the secret to my smooth success in both was that I enjoyed all three years without neglecting either my studies or my club activities.

I chose the Faculty of Science and Technology because I realized early in high school that I liked science subjects. I liked the clarity of science subjects, where there is only one answer, and the process of calculation felt like solving a puzzle. Among them, the reason I chose Keio University was its *Gakumon* system[*1]. I hadn't clearly decided what I wanted to do in the Faculty of Science and Technology, so it was attractive to me, given my indecisive nature.

I was also attracted to the fact that the Hiyoshi Campus, which I would attend in my first and second years, is an environment where arts and science students are mixed. In high school, classes were divided into arts and sciences, which limited interaction, so I thought that if I was going to university, I wanted to get to know people from various faculties. In fact, I was able to make many friends during my time at the Hiyoshi Campus.

[*1] *Gakumon* system: A unique system at the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology where students choose one of five *Gakumon* (divisions) at the time of the entrance examination. After enrolling, they gradually narrow down their field of study according to their interests and concerns, and decide on their department when they advance to their second year. Note that the *Gakumon* system was changed for students entering the Faculty of Science and Technology in the 2020 academic year, and some of the departments that can be entered from each *Gakumon* have changed. For details on the *Gakumon* system, please refer to the link below.

Before enrolling, I thought I would be constantly busy with my studies, but once I started, I found I had a surprising amount of free time and an environment where I could engage in various activities. I would go out to eat with friends during free periods between classes, and after classes, I would participate in club activities. On days without club activities, I worked a part-time job, and although I was busy, I spent every day feeling fulfilled. I was also surprised to meet so many people with diverse personalities who were taking on various challenges in parallel with their studies. A friend I often took classes with started a business while still a student, and seeing him handle his work while also writing his graduation thesis was very inspiring and made me want to work hard too.

The most distinctive feature of the Department of System Design Engineering is that you can study multiple academic fields with a high degree of specialization. The faculty members who teach the classes are each well-versed in their respective fields, allowing students to acquire a wide range of knowledge at a high level. There are laboratories that deal with cells and fluids, as well as laboratories for architecture, artificial intelligence, and information systems, so the options are broad. I was interested in manufacturing and was debating whether to go into the Department of System Design Engineering or the Department of Mechanical Engineering, but I chose the Department of System Design Engineering because I thought I could ambitiously study a variety of things. Personally, I feel that while you are a student, you don't have to narrow your focus to just one thing from an early stage. By combining knowledge and technology from different fields, you can take a multifaceted approach and grow into a person with a broad perspective.

The "System Design Engineering Experiments" class is memorable. We conducted 12 experiments in total, and since different faculty members were in charge, the content of the experiments was different each time, which was interesting. The weekly reports were tough, but we worked on them together with the students in our group, which helped us become closer.

I also remember the "System Design Engineering Seminar," which had the theme of creating a one-of-a-kind speaker. It was a seminar conducted in pairs, and we created a speaker that makes people comfortable. There was also an event where we visited a company that actually sells speakers, and because the professor was so serious about the class assignment, we were able to tackle it with great effort, which was fun.

I continued playing badminton, which I had been doing since junior high and high school, by joining a club in university. The club itself practiced once or twice a week and participated in tournaments and events on weekends, but on other days, my friends and I would rent a gym to play badminton. I also served as the club's representative for a year, and during that time I was extremely busy with academics, the club, and my part-time job, but a life with so much to do was truly fulfilling. The club had about 130 members across all four years, so I think I was able to build not only horizontal connections but also many vertical connections within the university. Among them, the week-long training camps in spring and summer are major events that bring together nearly 100 people. Being at the center of organizing them was a valuable experience. With a large group, there were often many different opinions and it was hard to reach a consensus, but the experience of listening to everyone, thinking of a way that everyone could agree on, and standing in front of a large crowd is something I believe I still utilize in presentations today.

I am working on research into "vascular remodeling," which is related to the mechanisms of diseases in blood vessels and organs. Blood vessels thicken when blood pressure rises, and the number of vessels can increase or decrease to allow blood to flow efficiently. My goal is to observe these vascular changes and uncover the factors behind them. To do this, the first thing I developed was an artificial blood vessel that replicates an environment close to that of the human body. We create a microfluidic device with resin, pour in hydrogel to create a biological-like environment, then use a laser to create microscopic holes, and inject and culture human-derived cells. This development was made possible through joint research with the Taguchi Laboratory in the Department of System Design Engineering, which excels at laser processing. However, it was an unprecedented challenge, and I struggled for about six months without success. After repeated discussions and getting hints from overseas papers, we finally completed it through trial and error. I was able to experience the real pleasure of research—creating something new by combining technologies different from my own specialty. This research should lead to the elucidation of the causes of vascular diseases in the future. Furthermore, I expect that by utilizing artificial blood vessels made with human cells during new drug development, the drug development period can be shortened.

I chose the Sudo Laboratory because I was attracted to the research content in the field of biomedical engineering, which seems familiar to us but is a field we rarely have the opportunity to engage with. The trigger was taking a class called "Systems Bioengineering" by Professor Sudo. For example, the 500 series Shinkansen was designed by applying the shape of a kingfisher's beak, and I found it interesting how the characteristics of familiar creatures are skillfully incorporated into human life.

The appeal of the Sudo Laboratory is that you can research phenomena and mechanisms related to life and living organisms that have not yet been elucidated, and make new discoveries in the field of biomedical engineering, which combines biology, medical sciences, and engineering. Since you can get results by actually working with your hands in the laboratory, it's easy to feel that you are truly conducting research, and you can maintain high motivation. Before joining the lab, there was a time when I wondered if I was suited for research, but by placing myself in a good environment, I was able to enjoy dedicating myself to it.

I plan to join a consulting firm that specializes in accounting and IT. It's a field quite different from what I've researched so far, but from the beginning, I thought of research and employment as separate things. Although the Department of System Design Engineering has IT-related laboratories, I chose the biology-focused Sudo Laboratory because I wanted to do research that I could only do as a student. What I learned in the laboratory will surely be useful wherever I go, and I believe that by jumping into an industry where there are few people with a background similar to mine, I can shine in a different way from others. I want to leverage the attitude of being engrossed in my research and the experience of trial and error as my eternal assets.