Engineering has greatly contributed to the enhancement of the vibrancy and richness of society through many major innovations. However, when a problem arises in contemporary society, its true nature can be difficult to clarify, and its solution may lead to other problems because of the complexity and interconnectedness of social and physical issues. Therefore, engineers must learn to clarify, analyze and solve complex problems.

Engineering is deeply related with society, which is an assembly of human activities, and spans the entire range of science and technology, from the fundamental to the applied and the experimental. As such, it is the key to solving the many global and local problems in society today. This explains why we have a broad range of individual academic disciplines where research is conducted to both deepen knowledge and to bring the various specialties together to solve complex societal problems. Our approach has been consistently generating important results and groundbreaking insights.

In terms of organization, we have the (undergraduate) Faculty of Engineering and the Graduate School of Engineering. The Faculty of Engineering has 16 departments and approximately 2,100 junior and senior-level students. The Graduate School of Engineering has 18 departments, 2 institutes and 6 centers, and we have approximately 650 faculty and staff members, 2,000 master’s course students, and 1,000 doctoral course students in a world class educational environment. Together we are achieving world-leading research and scholarship.

We continue to implement a range of programs and actions that facilitate effective learning as well as empower students to engage successfully in an international research environment. Such programs have included the GCOE (Global Center of Excellence) Program and the Program for Leading Graduate Schools, where domestic and international graduate students embark on summer camps and engage in PBL (Project-Based Learning). The programs cultivate leadership, problem definition and solving, goal attainment, a sense of responsibility and mission, communication, information processing skills, and ethics. Since 2009, we have also been promoting a Bilingual Campus Plan in which Japanese students learn English and international students are offered opportunities and support to learn Japanese. Acquiring the language will help those international students who want to find jobs in Japan or to become more active in Japanese society. We also have a dynamic and productive alumni network in Japan, in Asia and around the world for all our graduates.

The School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo has been in the forefront of evolving a vibrant and sustainable society. We are confident we can continue to push the boundaries of education and research, and apply our knowledge for the betterment of society. We warmly invite you to join us.

Mamoru MITSUISHI, Dr.Eng.
Professor
Dean off the School Enginnering
The University of Tokyo