Welcome message from the head of the department

Now is the time to demonstrate your skills in society!

Over the past few years, our department has been working together to address the changes in the way human civilization interacts with the Earth. I am sure this topic is of great interest to you. Frequent abnormal weather events such as guerrilla rains and abnormally high temperatures are clear signals from the Earth. Witnessing these warnings from Mother Nature, human beings are now beginning to take action to change to a carbon neutral society. The trend to transform the large amount of energy we consume every day is a typical example, and we are considering various concrete methods to ensure the survival of the human race. The Division is home to many such energy and resource specialists.

We are also aware that new infectious diseases such as the COVID19 are forcing us to change our social patterns, and that conflicts and wars caused by ethnic rivalries and hegemonic struggles will never end, and that we are in danger of losing our lifelines of energy, resources, food, and all the other goods of our daily lives. Not a day goes by that we do not feel the danger of the disruption of energy, resources, food and all the material lifelines of our lives. The puzzle of how to build a new society and nation-state that we must now solve is more difficult than ever. The history of human progress since the Industrial Revolution can be seen in retrospect as a collection of efficiency improvements in every field. In order to continue to develop human civilization in the future, it will be necessary to build a highly designed society, not one that focuses on efficiency based on a single index.

At the same time, artifact technologies are undergoing dramatic growth. Among them, new technologies centered on AI, quantum, telecommunications, etc., known as digital transformation, are not only making modern society more convenient, but may also become a savior that can save us from a security crisis. The department is home to top researchers in this field. With the help of the faculty, and using these tools that are advancing at such a dramatic rate, I hope that all of you will rise to the challenge and turn this crisis into an opportunity.
Now is the time for “people” to create systems in many places on the front lines of global and national issues represented by energy and resources. I think. A group of generalists who know a little bit about a wide range of fields cannot lead a strong change. Simply organizing many specialists in different fields into a single group will rarely produce a chemical reaction. We need people who have deep expertise and experience, and who can also lead us to the right solution from a holistic perspective. We are now at a major turning point in society, and I am convinced that this will be an opportunity to create systems in various fields and bring about major changes, such as the creation of new industries and the metabolism of existing industries. I hope that each of you in this generation, while maintaining a high level of awareness of the issues, will deepen your individual fields and develop a perspective that looks at the whole. The goal of the Department of Systems Innovation is to nurture such individuals. It is our shared hope that in two or three years, all of you who are enrolled in the program today will go out into the world as well-rounded, dependable individuals.

Best wishes,

Tomoya Kawabata, PhD
Head of the department and professor,
Department of Systems Innovation