History

On June 3, 2005, the 1st Industry-Faculty Council for Human Resource Development Council was held. At this council 13 business promotion members of different companies, which are major workplaces for graduates of the school of engineering at the University of Tokyo, and 21 COE project promoters gathered in a hall. It was confirmed that we cooperatively promote educational reform for the graduate school via three mainstays: this council (the Industry-Faculty Council for Human Resource Development), the Industry-Government-Academia Interaction Meeting for Human Resource Development Meeting, and the Cross-Department Doctoral Course, which is based on the common awareness that the fostering of researchers and technical engineers is crucial for the future aging society in which there will be fewer children.

At the Executive Meeting held on Tuesday, July 19, 2005, the Intramural Education Working Group (WG) and the Joint Academic-Industrial Education Working Group were established. In the former, we intend to develop "specialty" and "literacy" by improving the lecture system at the University of Tokyo, whereas in the latter we aim to cultivate "competency", which is difficult to develop through coursework alone.

In a series of WG meetings held in August, October, and November, educational requirements from industries were organized into these three categories: "specialty", "literacy", and "competency". On this basis, faculty members afterwards presented lecture groups corresponding to the requirements of "specialty" and "literacy". Representatives from the industries presented an internship plan for the development of "competency".

Opening address by Prof. Nobuhide Kasagi,
the Program leader

The discussions described above were summarized at the 3rd Industry-Faculty Council for Human Resource Development Meeting held in December 2005. Regarding intramural education, the schematization of lectures and the introduction of multi-supervisors and an adviser for lecture choice were suggested.

From the Joint Academic-Industrial Education Group, a long-term internship program based on collaborative research and a short-term skill-training program were put into place.

Future work

These suggestions will be tried in the Cross-Department Doctoral Courses, "Mechanical Systems Innovation 1" and "Mechanical Systems Innovation 2," to be offered in the next fiscal year.

Although it is difficult to achieve concrete results in a short time, we will continue the open discussion on the reform of the graduate school education among all stakeholders: the industry, government, faculty members, and students.