Greetings from the Dean of the Graduate School of Engineering
Engineering has developed for the practical purpose of applying scientific principles to create "things not found in nature," contributing to human well-being and the resolution of social issues. The Faculty and Graduate School of Engineering at Kyoto University have consistently emphasized these "fundamentals of science" in our education and research since the university's founding. As a result, we have not only developed various machines, structures, electronic devices, and new materials, but have also made significant contributions to the advancement of science, leading even to Nobel Prize-winning achievements.
By its very nature, engineering requires the creation of new academic disciplines whenever industrial diversification gives rise to new societal challenges. Our Graduate School has continually expanded its departments to meet these needs, deepening diverse specialized fields under a 17-department system for many years. To respond to recent demands, we implemented a major reorganization in the 2026 academic year: integrating two electrical engineering departments to establish the "Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Digital Science and Engineering," and restructuring the chemical engineering departments to launch the "Department of Chemical Science and Engineering". Through this strategic reorganization, our Graduate School has evolved into a highly integrated structure comprising 11 departments and over 10 specialized education and research centers.
The "Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Digital Science and Engineering" aims to foster advanced professionals who will lead the digital field, pioneering an interdisciplinary domain that fuses electrical, electronic, and information sciences within its newly established "Digital and Green Area". Meanwhile, the "Department of Chemical Science and Engineering" integrates six traditional chemistry-related departments (Material Chemistry, Energy and Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Molecular Engineering, Polymer Chemistry, Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering) into one of the world's largest chemical departments, boasting a total of over 1,000 members. It deepens specialized knowledge through its foundational educational organization while cultivating interdisciplinary knowledge through its agile research organization. These newly established mega-departments represent the new heartbeat of our academic enterprise, designed to generate waves of uncharted interdisciplinary fusion with all other departments, including those in the Civil and Earth Resources Engineering, Architecture, and Engineering Science groups.
Prior to this, the "Photonic Quantum Sensing Science and Engineering Center," established in the 2025 academic year, embodies the interdisciplinary collaboration of engineering. While working closely with the Graduate School of Science, the Graduate School of Medicine, and various university-affiliated research institutes, it also collaborates with external organizations such as the Quantum Technology Innovation Hub (QIH). The center aims to become a global hub for deepening academic research, social implementation, and human resource development in photonic quantum sensing. The Graduate School of Engineering is now entering a time of evolution, boldly transforming itself while inheriting its rich traditions.
In addition to these latest initiatives, our Graduate School has long provided diverse venues for education and research. Graduate students cultivate their research execution capabilities while engaging in world-leading research in their respective laboratories, and interact with researchers from different fields through academic conferences and other opportunities. Furthermore, through cross-disciplinary educational programs and common engineering courses offered by the Engineering Education Research Center, students have access to multifaceted learning opportunities, including practical exercises in project management and scientific English education.
The "Katsura Int'tech Center" houses research divisions that transcend departmental boundaries, facilitating active interdisciplinary research. Additionally, in the 2023 academic year, we established the " Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Next Generation, iRING," based on the acquisition and application of integrated knowledge. Currently, nearly 40 young researchers belong to the iRING actively hosting seminars under their own initiative. Through these activities, interdisciplinary research among young researchers across different departments is steadily bearing fruit, leading to the publication of co-authored papers and robust cross-field exchange.
In the 21st century, the boundary between science and technology has become increasingly blurred, necessitating the new conceptual framework of "Technoscience". This term deeply resonates with the universal philosophy of our Graduate School, which has highly valued basic science since its establishment, and accurately embodies the future we envision. At the Kyoto University Graduate School of Engineering, we are utilizing the Katsura Library (opened in 2020) and the campus itself as a core platform to actualize the Katsura Campus philosophy: "The Fusion of Science and Technology". We are strongly promoting the "Technoscience Hill Katsura Concept," which includes exhibiting the latest research for industry-academia collaboration and social implementation, and communicating commercialization concepts through on-campus proof-of-concept experiments.
I urge our students and young researchers to cultivate integrated knowledge across a broad perspective, delve deeply into their own research, and broadcast new, forward-looking engineering paradigms to the world from here at Kyoto University. Furthermore, I ask our colleagues in the industrial sector to pay close attention to our new educational and research systems as well as the "Technoscience Hill Katsura Concept". We would be delighted to advance our journey of industry-academia collaboration and co-creation with you as powerful partners in solving social issues and generating innovation. We sincerely ask for your continued understanding and support for the endeavors of our Graduate School.