KCGI News

To Promising students

As I succeed Professor Hiroshi Hagiwara as the second president of The Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics, I feel a deep sense of responsibility and would like to entreat your guidance and support.

The concept of numbers is said to be concerned with the essential development of human beings as creatures. This may be a conceited point of view, but the difference may lie in depth of the concept of numbers that can distinguish human beings from other creatures on earth. For instance, the discovery of the concept of “zero” greatly contributed to the development of human beings. I believe that the deep relationship between the concept of information and actions of human beings is also worthy of special mention. Similarly, the deep relationship between the concept of numbers and information is also important. We should think that the concept of numbers, information, and actions of human beings are closely related to each other in an abstract and concrete manner.

In other words, “activities” at a professional graduate school of information technology closely approximate most social activities of human beings. Of course, since one person can never take charge of all activities, teachers with various applied information skills as well as abundant practical experience are active inside and outside of the school. I think it is not necessarily difficult for you who entered our school to find a research area which suits your interests judging from the range of research educational activities. I hope you will have the strong drive to learn.

Generally, it is said that “there is no royal road to learning.” You will not achieve much through passive activities. Traditionally,　there is a saying “I think, therefore I am”. That is to say, you have to participate in educational and research activities at our school aggressively. Think of knowledge not only as something to be simply received from other people, but as something you have to work or struggle for to gain. You have to stand up and open up yourselves to various possibilities for a promising future.

When you start activities at the graduate school, you may be recommended to take a seemingly roundabout course or direction from an educational point of view. The foundation of informatics and much of information science-related research require the basic knowledge of mathematical concepts. For example, “discrete mathematics” is considered as the general foundation of information science. Therefore, in　a specific field, it is important to learn the basics thoroughly to build a strong foundation. This is essentially the idea behind the saying “Slow and steady wins the race”. However, basic education is conducted carefully focusing on practical application.

Our school doesn't require students to graduate from the department of science and engineering. We welcome students who come from the liberal arts. We open our gates to working professionals who aim for career enhancement without questioning your age and/or occupational backgrounds. I believe that when students from various backgrounds gather together and, study hard by competing with each other, there are deep and wide-ranging education and research opportunities available that otherwise couldn’t be acquired at conventional graduate school educational institutions. I am confident of the effective progress of educational and research activities when there is a strong drive to learn and to enhance one’s career at the initiation of one’s program of study. This also opens up the possibilities for a career change. I believe that the average life span of people of today also enables one to engage in further studies and career enhancement activities.

The Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. The Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics is not oblivious to the importance of basic academic fields, and continues its efforts in the development of human resources equipped with practical skills and creativity in the pursuit of attaining cutting-edge information technology. I deeply hope that as you enter our school you are aware that you bear the Information Age on your shoulders and may you act as its core by actively and aggressively sustaining your various activities .