Firstly, we would like to explain more about the position in engineering and within the Department of Engineering. There are six postgraduate courses at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. The organizational structure of the Graduate School consists of Science and Engineering Postgraduate Course, Information Science and Engineering Postgraduate Course, Social Science and Engineering Postgraduate Course, all at Ookayama Campus and General Science and Engineering Postgraduate Course, Life Science and Engineering Postgraduate Course at the Suzukakedai Campus. Furthermore, there is also Invention Management Postgraduate Course. The Graduate School is divided into three different departments. These are the Department of Engineering, the Department of Science and the Department of Life and Science. The Graduate School and the individual departments often do not mutually correspond. This may make the internal organizational structure a little complicated. The Graduate School is a centre for the operational organization of the faculty and the laboratories. The structure of the individual department places emphasis on the education and development of the department. Science and Engineering Postgraduate Courses and its structure is one large postgraduate course. However, the Science and Engineering Postgraduate Course is in fact divided within the Science and Engineering Department and the individual courses are managed accordingly. Since October 2007 until Sept. 2009, I am responsible for the school of Engineering. I hope for a good and productive cooperation (with whom?). The field of engineering consists of 1 research institute and 15 specialties. The number of faculty and academic staff and the number of graduate students in the field of engineering composes about 30% of the whole school. Furthermore, 13 departments from all 23 departments of the school fall under the category of engineering. And the number of department students of the whole school is 70%. The responsibility of the Tokyo Institute of Technology and the role it plays in the field of engineering is fully felt and acknowledged within the department and in the whole school.

Engineering applies science, which is the basis of any research, because innovative and original invention is not possible without firm and reliable basis. Engineering is important for manufacturing. However, engineering is not only manufacturing but it is also the in-depth understanding of correct learning and knowledge of the basics and the foundations together with the application of new creative ideas in manufacturing. Overall, it is important to keep developing technology creatively. We have entered a new technological era in which there is no more distinction and difference drawn between engineering and science as it used to be in the past. In addition, the fusion of different fields such as for example mechanics, applied chemistry and electric electron in the same field of engineering generates new innovative technologies. The individual boundaries and limitations between different fields are gradually disappearing. It is important while having in mind the overall objectives of engineering to keep broad and wide intellectual perspective and entertain curiosity without shutting oneself into a small narrow area of thinking. However, I think that engineering, regardless of the deepness of the basis?, needs to have a special distinctive characteristic that has the clear objective of connecting the basis with the actual technology and new products. In this sense, it is a huge reward to be able to taste the satisfaction when a new idea based on an underlying principle has led to some new technical innovation, to experience the feeling of achievement of the whole teamwork in the discovery of some new big technical development.

In the line of this new innovative thinking, we have been putting extra energy in the ongoing and continuing education and development of the School of Engineering in not only carrying out thorough basis academic education, but also establishing subjects that encourage creativity, integrating the basis, ideas, application and manufacturing, and fostering educational creativity and originality through team projects from the discovery of problems to its final solution. In addition, we are also working hard on the most advanced research topics in the laboratories to which the graduate school belongs.

Although our country is almost completely dependent on the energy resources imported from other countries, the science and technology developed and advanced at home, which is also highly regarded overseas and is considered to be the world’s leading technology, supports the national prosperity. The field of engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology is increasingly concerned with the era of technological development in this country. Many graduates of our school have taken up important positions in the industrial world and play an active part in the development and advancement of new systems and technologies. However, the departure of many young people in the world from the field of science has become a hot topic recently. However, it is an assurance to know that the actual number of people engaged in science and research is not essentially a problem.

The Tokyo Institute of Technology brings together the talent with the spirit of challenge in its true sense aiming to support and assert the world-leading role in Japan and the technological innovation based on the basic knowledge and learning. And it is expected that this trend will further progress, continually develop and increasingly grow. We firmly believe that the social status of excellence in science and technology and the brilliance of the people engaged in this work will grow and become highly rewarded in Japan that emphasizes and maintains the construction and building of science and technology. This also includes the individual completion of Doctoral courses.