Graduate School of Systems Design
This graduate school offers education and research through master’s and doctoral programs in five departments: “Department of Computer Science”, “Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science”, “Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering”, “Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics”, and “Department of Industrial Art”. It cultivates researchers and engineers/creators with the advanced, specialized knowledge and technical skills needed for supporting this knowledge-oriented society. These are developed through the systems design education offered by each department and through pioneering, creative research activities. Efforts are focused on practical skills education, such as research project seminars to equip students with the systems design capabilities they will need for proposing and implementing state-of-the-art systems, and special lectures on systems design to help students understand the real needs that society faces and the real-world development and research that is being conducted in the corporate sector.
Each department requires students to undergo a public end-of-term assessment of the research progress made on their thesis or dissertation, and provides guidance that serves as a kind of quality assurance measure for the degrees conferred.
Department of Computer Science
In our modern era, information technology permeates all aspects of our social lives and actions. While creating dramatic changes that improve efficiency and quality, technological innovation continues at a dizzying pace. At the same time, unforeseen technological challenges continue to appear, from the safe operation of information systems to risk management of security threats. In the Department of Computer Science, we aim to train technologists and researchers to succeed on a global scale, to obtain mastery of both fundamental technologies and specialized knowledge, to impart the ability to support the development of ever-evolving information technology and to impart decisiveness to deal with risks appropriately.
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) technologies, including computers, telecommunications, electronics, and electric power, evidently lay in the very heart of the modern society and certainly moving forward the frontier industry. In addition, EECS shall play a critical role in creating disruptive technologies.
In this context, the Department of Electrical and Computer Science is the focal point for advanced education and research frontier, where our mission is to prepare students for engineering leaders and world-class scientists. To these ends, our department emphasizes three key research areas in EECS, computer networks and systems, telecommunication and sensing systems, and electrical engineering. With the comprehensive knowledge of electrical engineering and computer science, we prepare students to acquire the advanced skills and problem solving abilities, as well as an understanding of ethical and professional conduct.
Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering
The Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering takes its foundation on education in advanced mechanical systems engineering focused on ensuring safe and comfortable urban life and on realizing the sustainability of the global environment and of human society. The department aims to cultivate technical experts and researchers who are capable of demonstrating creativity and application development ability in interdisciplinary fields and emerging new fields. The department covers the following three research and teaching areas:
Mechanical Innovation
Teaching covers concepts and theory relating to functional materials and processing, as well as fundamental measurement technologies, together with basic methodology that links the two core areas of Intelligent Mechanical Systems and Biomechanical Engineering, before going on to cover existing specialist fields.
Intelligent Mechanical Systems
To realize the vision of building a “safe, secure, sustainable society,” teaching covers areas relating to Machine Control and Intelligent Systems, as well as Service Informatics and Robotics, before going on to cover existing specialist fields.
Biomechanical Engineering
To realize the vision of providing “high-level healthcare and effective medical support for citizens,” teaching covers areas relating to Biomedical Engineering and Biomechanics as well as Ergonomics and Assistive Technology, before going on to cover existing specialist fields.
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
The department offers programs leading to the Master of Engineering and Ph. D degrees with a major in aerospace engineering. Students are expected to become engineers and researchers with understanding of aerospace engineering from an international perspective. Students will subsequently to be able to contribute to a number of different cutting-edge industries, including, but not limited to, aerospace engineering.
The programs are categorized in the following six research fields :
- Aerodynamics and fluid dynamics field includes experimental studies in hydrodynamic stability, laminarturbulent transition, wall turbulence, aeroacoustics and flow control, and numerical studies in aircraft spacecraft design.
- Materials and structures field is categorized into areas of development of new light metals and composite materials, mechanical property analysis of high- performance materials and the structural mechanics of satellites. Finite element analysis, numerical methods and experimental works are performed.
- Propulsion systems field is focused on pushing the boundaries of aircraft gas turbine engine and rocket engine systems, and spacecraft propulsion technology, based on the physics of thermal fluids.
- Guidance, control and dynamics field includes theoretical, numerical and experimental studies on dynamics and control of spacecraft and aircraft, with special attention given to electrodynamic tether systems, space elevator, autonomous free-flying space robots, control moment gyros, underactuated spacecraft, formation flying, air traffic management, and trajectory optimization and data analysis.
- Systems design engineering field includes researches on design methodologies and their application for components and systems of aircraft and spacecraft.
- Space utilization technology field concerns research and development of advanced capabilities in remote sensing, satellite communications and key elemental technologies for space systems, to bring space closer to our lives.
The cooperative graduate school programs with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology (MPAT) also allow students to be supervised by guest professors in these research institutes.
Students are carefully guided to study a wide range of basic knowledge as well as skills to solve the practical problems. The department also aims at cultivating global engineers through joint research with foreign universities and aerospace institutes. Furthermore, students are highly encouraged to take up the challenge of developing nextgeneration aerospace technologies.
Department of Industrial Art
As we ride the current waves of intense social change, shifting values, and new technological innovations, there is a strong need for creative thinkers who are flexible, original, and capable of taking charge and quickly adapting to these new developments. To meet the needs of contemporary society, this department aims to cultivate a new type of designer who researches, creates, practices new approaches, derives new concepts and envisions playing a leading role in changing the social framework.
Students are therefore encouraged to choose crosssectional, multilayered research topics that cover a wide range of design-related fields that incorporate engineering elements as well as socio-cultural elements. The department has two programs: Product Design and Media Origination. In the Product Design program students develop designs that benefit both people and the environment, such as the design and engineering of transportation systems, industrial products and habitable spaces. In the Media Origination program, students create new ways to communicate through a combination of cutting-edge media technologies and artistic sensibilities. By working across both fields, students are able to gain broader perspectives.