• Outline of Global COE
• Purpose and Needs
• Management Structure
• Human Resources Development Plan
• Plans for Research Activities

• Organizational Structure
• List of members at the Global COE base
• Steering Committee

• Sensing Research CORE
• Information Processing/Network Research CORE
• Actuation and Control Research CORE
• Functional Devices and Materials Research CORE (Hongo)
• Functional Devices and Materials Research CORE (Komaba)

• Education/Junior Training Program
• Extensive and Solid Electronics Education
• Fostering Internationalism
• Awareness as an Independent Researcher

Contents Menu

• Outline of Global COE
• Purpose and Needs
• Management structure
• Human Resources
  Development Plan
• Plans for research activities

Purpose and Needs

For the past five years, the 21st Century COE Program has carried out research on electronics, simultaneously and synergistically covering fields from materials to systems, through collaboration between departments, laboratories and centers at the three campuses of Hongo, Komaba and Kashiwa (Figure 2). To realize a synergistic effect, we established the system electronics and nano electronics projects, which cover the fields of systems, devices and materials. We also set five priority themes to improve the Platform Labs, which include the "Functional Fusion Lab," the "System Photonics Lab" and the "Takeda Advanced Intellect Lab Space" at the Hongo campus, the "Nano Device Lab" at the Komaba campus and the "PAO Room" at the Kashiwa campus (see pictures in Figure 2). In addition, young faculty members, including graduate students, actively participate in periodic exchanges with foreign universities. PhD candidate graduate students and faculty members have accumulated a number of research achievements through their research based on this educational and research foundation. In respect to the 60 members belonging to the base, more than 350 papers have been published in academic journals each year (including more than 200 papers by 21 members in charge of project promotion), while some 750 (with about 500 being published by members in charge of project promotion) presentations were made at international conferences, of which 120 (85 by members in charge of project promotion) presentations were invited lectures. The annual number of publications is about 40 (with 20 coming from those in charge of project promotion). The total number of achievements over the past five years has been tremendous. Since the start of the COE Project, faculty members and students have been awarded with many prizes (approximately 40 each year and rising), indicating that our research achievements are among the best in the world.

In respect to human resources development involving PhD candidates, the maximum effect will be achieved through the proactive efforts of researchers in carrying out internationally recognized, high-level research and we intend to further strengthen the foundation for such research and education. Specifically, we will establish four research COREs (warps), namely (1) Sensing Research CORE, (2) Information Processing and Network Research CORE, (3) Actuation and Control Research CORE and (4) Functional Devices and Materials Research CORE, while at the same time forming three collaborative groups (woofs), specifically (A) Nano Science and Technology RING, (B) Photonics RING and (C) Integration Technology RING, in order to strengthen collaboration between the COREs. We intend to develop technological and academic systems for "Secure-life Electronics," the main theme of the cross-border education and research.

We will implement the following educational and human resources development programs in order to foster personnel capable of promoting cross-border technological and academic development.

1. 1. Extensive and solid electronics education curricula
   The Electrical Engineering and Information Systems Department, the core department, has an education curriculum composed of three layers, the "foundation lecture group," the "advanced lecture group" and the "practical experiment, training and study session group," making it one of the most structured graduate school curricula at the University of Tokyo. Nevertheless, we will revise and enhance the graduate school curricula and expand the system to related departments in order to carry out extensive and solid electronics education, with an aim of fostering far-sighted and truly specialized personnel. We will also ask the stakeholders for opinions and evaluations and reflect them in the lectures.
2. 2. Cultivation of awareness of independent researchers
   Under the 21st Century COE Program, PhD candidates at graduate schools are required to submit research plans and are employed as RAs (research assistants). They receive salaries based on an evaluation of their achievements and plans. Although the current budget is insufficient, we will significantly expand the RA system so as to financially support PhD candidates at graduate schools and improve their awareness as independent researchers.
3. 3. Acceptance of and support for young, brilliant researchers
   We will employ young, competent faculty members and post-doctorate researchers from both inside and outside the university in order to them take part in the research and education at this base. In order to support young researchers, we will establish a research funding system intended for PhD candidates at graduate schools, post-doctoral researchers and young faculty members in the COE program, allowing them to receive funds when their original plans are approved by the program.
4. 4. Fostering internationalism
   The 21st Century COE Program encourages PhD candidates at graduate schools to make presentations at international conferences that take place overseas and supports independent visits to research institutes abroad to interact with their rivals. These efforts have been very effective for fostering internationalism and will be continued and expanded. The internship program supports researchers who stay at research institutes abroad for lengthy periods to carry out joint research, etc. We have begun to see favorable results and intend to substantially expand this program.
5. 5. Commitment to original and quality research
   We will establish a system to disclose the results and concepts of original research carried out by faculty members and laboratories under the COE program so that young researchers and students can exchange opinions. We intend to foster personnel who have "good sense" by holding seminars in which young faculty members and graduate students can creatively criticize research carried out by other researchers, as well as seminars introducing successful examples of cross-field fusion. We also plan to provide them with opportunities for exchanges with outstanding researchers invited from abroad, as well as those in Japan.

We will implement "T-style education*" with a solid vertical core.

* "T-style education" refers to education that combines the acquisition of a wide range of knowledge and technology on electronics (the crossbar of T) with the nurturing of creativity and consciousness as a leading researcher in a particular field (the vertical bar of T).

Figure 2. Related departments and institutions at each campus, which function as the education and research foundation for collaboration and cooperation