2023 New Year's message

Kazuya Masu
President, Tokyo Tech

Tokyo Tech ushers in another year of exciting challenges, opportunities for personal and institutional growth, and rapid change in 2023.

As we reflect on the events of the previous calendar year, many occasions come to mind that brought the human touch back to the Institute's campuses. The joys of the entrance ceremonies for new students and graduation celebrations for our latest alumni were at least partially shared in person. New networks were formed and old ones were strengthened face to face at well-established events such as Homecoming Day and the Tokyo Tech Festival. And Hisao & Hiroko Taki Plaza, the exchange hub which opened on Ookayama Campus in 2021, gradually began hosting more live gatherings throughout the year to promote student initiatives and interaction. None of these achievements would have been possible without the resourcefulness, resilience, and passion to take on new challenges demonstrated by each member of the Tokyo Tech community.

April 2022 marked the start of the fourth mid-term objectives and mid-term plan period for Japan's national university corporations, and Tokyo Tech again set itself ambitious goals in areas such as education, research, governance, and management. In the beginning of this six-year period, the Institute released its Action Package, which was formulated to guide Tokyo Tech towards the achievement of its Mission, objectives, and vision for the future, and to encourage all members of the community to collectively redefine science and technology.

As we seek to achieve this transformation, I urge everyone to draw inspiration from the past, challenge and scrutinize the present, and courageously think outside the box to create the future we want. Universities have always played an important role in changing the world for the better, and Tokyo Tech's track record in science and engineering is a prime example of such deep-rooted influence. However, as academic fields mature and become ever more specialized, we must continue to rethink existing frameworks, bridge disciplines, and work together to address global-scale issues. This shift will not change Tokyo Tech's mission of pursuing the truth and creating new industries and value through research in science and technology. It will, on the other hand, allow the Institute to play a more meaningful part in realizing a smarter, more sustainable, carbon-free society where all members can enjoy a sense of well-being.

Against this backdrop, Tokyo Tech and Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), one of our longstanding partners, agreed in 2022 to integrate and form one national university corporation and one university. The completion of the merger is planned for fiscal year 2024.

A central goal of the newly formed university will be to jointly develop convergence science, an approach that encourages multiple historically different disciplines to converge and, as a result, accelerates the discovery of yet unknown issues, generates important solutions to pressing societal problems, and spawns new disciplines along the way. By redefining the conventional framework of science and engineering and that of the medical and dental sciences, Tokyo Tech and TMDU will create new knowledge that can be applied to a wide range of issues in the near future. By fusing continuous and discontinuous growth, we believe we can instigate rapid, far-reaching change. The innovations that result from this process will lead to positive impact not only in Japan, but across the world.

A critical component in Tokyo Tech's efforts to design innovative solutions to societal issues is diversity and inclusion, which has been one of the Institute's focal points in recent years. We believe that a common respect for external diversity factors such as age, gender, nationality, and race, and internal diversity factors such as education and research styles, and values creates a positive, motivating environment and makes room for serendipitous occasions, which open up completely new dimensions in people's lives. Tokyo Tech has taken various resolute measures in the past to facilitate a more diverse student and faculty population, and will continue to do so in the future.

In July 2022, Tokyo Tech established new female faculty positions at each of its Schools and Institutes to encourage more women to join our community of leading scholars. By 2025, all six Schools will adopt new admission methods that create increased opportunities for budding female scientists and engineers to join the Institute. While these gender-focused initiatives may be just small steps in the right direction, Tokyo Tech remains fully committed to its efforts in creating a more inclusive, welcoming community for all.

This means we must also ensure that Tokyo Tech's campuses provide our increasingly diverse community members with physical and psychological safety, and allow them to flourish as unique individuals. In 2023, campus restrooms and break areas will be renovated to serve as models for future enhancements that promote an inclusive environment. Our mid- to long-term plans also include the development of new student dormitories and housing for researchers, the creation of new scholarships, and the establishment of a daycare center at Suzukakedai Campus.

With all these momentous changes taking place, a constant dialogue between the Institute's students, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders remains paramount. If we can communicate, understand, and respect the needs and concerns of those around us, we can continue to work together as Team Tokyo Tech and make this another year of innovative teaching and learning, thrilling discovery, and enhanced well-being for all.

Happy New Year 2023.

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