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Toyohashi Tech and Queens College Conclude Exchange Agreement

Toyohashi University of Technology (President Yoshiyuki Sakaki) and Queens College, City University of New York City, (President James Leroy Muyskens) concluded an inter-university exchange agreement on 29 July 2013.

Since being selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Science and Technology’s National University Reform Enhancement Promotion Project in the 2012 academic year, Toyohashi University of Technology (Toyohashi Tech), Nagaoka University of Technology, and the Institute of National Colleges of Technology, Japan, have worked to develop not only globally-oriented personnel who can play active roles overseas but also innovation-oriented personnel who are internationally competitive and can invigorate local industries. As part of these efforts, there are plans to send teaching staff from Toyohashi Tech to the U.S. for faculty development training at Queens College in order to strengthen their global human resource development skills, which led to this exchange agreement.

Concluding this agreement is extremely significant in that there are hopes that this will lead to additional research and student exchanges with Toyohashi Tech.

Toyohashi Tech Selected for Research University Reinforcement and Promotion Project

Toyohashi University of Technology (Toyohashi Tech) was selected as one of twenty-two organizations to receive aid through the Research University Reinforcement and Promotion Project that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Science and Technology launched this year.

This project supports efforts by universities and similar organizations to strengthen their research capabilities, including securing research management personnel and implementing intensive reforms to their research environment in order to reinforce universities conducting world-class research and strengthen research capabilities throughout Japan.

Toyohashi Tech is striving to form a hub that promotes interdisciplinary innovation research, which is the evolution of traditional problem-solving-based engineering, the objective of which is to solve problems, to value-creating engineering, the ideal of which is to create new value, by overcoming the barriers of specialization and organization, creating active partnerships with both Japanese and foreign companies and research institutes, and recruiting diverse personnel. This project will create a support system and environment to accelerate these reforms.

Symposium Commemorating Publication of Gijutsu Wo Tsukuru—Chi No Honryu No Messe-ji- (Creating Technology—Message from the Main Stream of Knowledge)

The Symposium Commemorating Publication of Gijutsu Wo Tsukuru—Chi No Honryu No Messe-ji was held on July 26 at the Fujiwara Hiroshi Hall, Keio University Kyosei-kan, Yokohama, Japan.

When Toyohashi University of Technology (Toyohashi Tech) restructured its undergraduate and graduate programs in the 2010 academic year, the university, in cooperation with industry, launched a new education program whose goal is to train creative engineers and researchers willing to take on the challenges of the next generation. The program includes special lectures by pioneering researchers and visionary managers and entrepreneurs. These special lectures were compiled into a book, which was published under the title Gijutsu Wo Tsukuru. This symposium was held to commemorate the publication of the book, and around 300 people, including corporate managers and researchers, and university researchers and students, took part in the symposium.

The symposium consisted of three parts. The first was a conversation between the Broadband Tower Inc. President and CEO Hiroshi Fujiwara, who provided support for the symposium, and Toyohashi University of Technology President Yoshiyuki Sakaki on the topic of “science, technology, and art—the key to creating the future.”

In the second part of the symposium, Makoto Ishida, director of the Electronics-Inspired Interdisciplinary Research Institute (EIIRIS)and vice president, discussed the interdisciplinary research being conducted at the institute in a speech covering the latest research highlights titled Toyohashi University of Technology’s Challenge, which was followed by four professors discussing their latest research.

The third part of the symposium consisted of a panel discussion by six participants, which was moderated by Toyohashi University of Technology President Yoshiyuki Sakaki. The six participants were Tokyo University of Science President Akira Fujishima, Asahi Kasei Fellow Akira Yoshino, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science President Yuichiro Anzai (former president of Keio University), Meijo University Graduate School Professor Sumio Iijima, Toyota Technological Institute President Hiroyuki Sakaki, and Broadband Tower Inc. President and CEO Hiroshi Fujiwara. During the panel discussion, the participants made comments regarding topics including the form of science and technology–based country that Japan should aim for, and the shift from problem solving to value creation from several perspectives including universities, corporations, and promotion of science and technology policies.

Finally, President Sakaki noted that the symposium embodied the passionate messages from people in various fields and was a good opportunity for participating corporate managers and researchers and university researchers and students to think about the future.

First International Exchange Day for the 2013 Academic Year

The first International Exchange Day for the 2013 academic year was held on Friday, 28 June. Two or three international days are held each year at the Center for International Relations to promote active exchanges between Japanese students, staff, international students and researchers.

The theme of the event this time was a World Tea Festival, and international students from sixteen countries prepared teas and snacks from their particular country, including Sop Buah from Indonesia, pandan leaf tea from Thailand, and Chinese wolfberry tea. In addition, Japanese students made green tea, shiruko (sweet azuki bean soup), and other treats. These treats were offered to visitors at booths manned by students.

As the Center for International Relations Director Hamajima gave an opening address at around 6:00 in the evening, the booths were bustling with visitors who wanted to taste the unique teas and snacks. The popular booths were busy throughout the evening.

Japanese and international students also put on performances on the nearby stage. These included a traditional dance by students from Myanmar and the Mhong’s Dance demonstrated by students from Laos. Furthermore, Japanese students from the Martial Arts Club put on an exhibition and the Toyohashi Tech Jazz Workshop gave a performance.

Participants voted for their favorite booth, and the results were announced at the end of the event. The Bangladesh booth was the most popular booth, followed by the Vietnamese booth, and the Malaysian booth.