Logical thinking and the ability to express those thoughts lucidly to convince others—the requirement for being a leader in any organization, regardless of scale, is the commitment to constantly hone these abilities. This is my appeal to you. Find a field in which you excel and develop self-confidence. Armed with this, venture out onto the global stage.

I was drawn to scholarship from an interest in biblical archeology and am now involved in studying the problem of conflict resources in Congo. Thorough investigation of a small doubt has helped me affirm my connection to the world. Among the many available approaches, I look forward to utilizing the twin wheels of research and education in meeting the challenge of resolving social problems.

How many people are able to turn the ambitions and career plan they imagined for themselves into reality? That means maintaining a strong sense of curiosity and awareness of wider issues as you take your life forward, and doing so without losing sight of your goals, even in the midst of rapid change. What those who achieve their ambitions have in common is probably their determination to devote themselves to tackling individual issues in the real world. And the next issue that Japan needs to address is the cultivation of international human resources who can bridge the gap between theory and practice.

By expanding your studies across disciplines, not only will your own discipline be enriched, but you will be able to gain a sense of growth as a human being. Directing your curiosity and challenging mind to a variety of fields, take full advantage of the chances close at hand, such as the opportunity to study different disciplines and interact with others, so that you can grow.

The market economy impacts our daily lives. Every one of us, as individuals, carries on economic activities as we go about our everyday affairs. If we look not from the viewpoint of individual humans but obtain an overview of the workings of the economic system in society, or analyze this system objectively, things appear different when the viewpoint changes.

The anticipation and thrill as a scientist of discovering something new, and the joy and satisfaction as an engineer of putting that discovery to effective use, exist side-by-side in the research arena. Following the revolutionary discovery of a method for synthesizing single-walled carbon nanotubes, the search goes on for future new materials, focused on their potential applications.

Recent years have seen a flurry of developments in energy policies and measures to combat global warming. With deregulation of the electricity retail market due to begin in April 2016, research on total energy systems and technical innovations can help bring us closer to making the dream of a safe and prosperous low-carbon society a reality.

The field of public health is becoming ever more complex in recent years. In Japan as in other countries, urgent efforts are being made to reform the healthcare system. But medicine will not be able to address the issues alone—the situation requires an interdisciplinary response involving collaboration with other fields.

Japan urgently needs to develop human resources with the necessary communication skills to think and act globally in order to maintain its strong presence in the international community. It is no longer sufficient simply to take notes at negotiation tables and conferences.

A leader should be someone equipped with profound expertise who is also versatile and ready to challenge him or herself in all situations, leading to the achievement of a goal. A graduate school education does not provide the solutions. Leadership is something one must devise out of passion and keen interest for the research subject.

Increasing healthcare cost is a serious problem that is common to all developed countries. The U.S., where healthcare expenses as a percentage of GDP are the highest in the world, is experimenting with a new concept called “Accountable Care.” Could this also be a ray of light for Japan?

If you place resources at the center of human society and take another look at the world, the world will show you wealth and poverty that were not visible before. Following the transitions in history to reveal the overall picture of a society and its historical turning points is the true thrill of pursuing the social sciences.

For both science and biology, there are “more interesting things, more interesting discoveries.” This is the appeal of learning; it’s what moves you. Intellect can be considered as the sensation of facing the world.
During such confrontations, it is truly within intellectual work that you have to think in what way your own inner world should be deployed.

What are "technologies that allow human beings to live safely?" Thinking of overall designs that include the social system is precisely what will allow us to protect the safety of our IT society and provide resilience in today's day and age. Intellectuals possessing fundamental knowledge and skills as well as depth as human beings will create our future society.

In several areas of the world, countries that are currently subject to collective security due to the collapse of their national governments have become hotbeds for terrorist organizations. This situation presents a serious risk of international tumult and crisis. The role of academics and scholars is to present policies that can anticipate and prevent this potential crisis before a terrorist strike occurs.

There are areas in the fields of safety and security where, increasingly, “the spheres in question are starting to overlap.” Researchers in various fields are setting common goals to solve problems, are accepting each other’s opinions and points of view, and are conducting extensive discussions and investigations, with several possibilities in mind.

One large risk can lead to multiple further risks. How do we respond to an inevitable risk and recover from it rapidly? Japan is seeking a strategy for prioritizing risks and efficiently distributing limited resources.

“Safety” changes with the times and circumstances. In the wake of the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake, risk is diversifying in Japan, and we must reflect on the question: “what is safety?

In Japanese, “resilience” is dan in dansei or danryoku, which is a literal translation. To explain resilience in more easily understandable terms, its meaning is something like “recovery property” or “recuperative power.” Initially, “resilience” came into use, a long time ago, a technical term in...

Before saying that this is the role the university should play in society, I think what comes first is that the university itself is currently experiencing a paradigm shift. If you think about it from the perspective of the university’s history, the current university model, the so-called Berlin Model, is something you...

I’ve always loved airplanes for as long as I can remember. I was raised in Nagoya where the aviation industry is concentrated in the Chubu area, and when I was in elementary school, the YS-11 domestically produced passenger plane made its first flight...

As far as terminology is concerned, I believe “medical engineering” is more appropriate. What precision engineering entails, however, is a scholastic field that strives to create some form of functionality, and this was part of the original intent behind the discipline. Thus, some of the activities we engage in come under...

Since the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in particular, there has been extensive political debate in Japan regarding energy problems and whether nuclear power is safe or not. Public anxiety is also a factor; so instead, the debate is focused on to what extent dangerous...

First of all, there is the issue of, why globally oriented people now? The Internet is widespread today, and we no longer experience the obstacle of distance, as we are able to connect with other people around the world in real time and on a daily basis. In the past ten years, globalization has progressed with remarkable speed.　I believe...