Message from the Dean
Aiming for further development of the School/ Graduate School of Engineering Science
The School/ Graduate School of Engineering Science has a unique philosophy of “Fundamentally developing scientific technology by a fusion of science and engineering will create the true culture of humanity.” Based on this philosophy, we have always pioneered new academic fields. In other words, our motivation comes from the desire to develop education and research from the pursuit of the scientific principles, which is the basis of engineering, to their systematization and application to technological development, as well as interdisciplinary fusion. In addition, we have nurtured human resources with both scientific and engineering perspectives and have contributed to the development of modern society supported by the progress of science and technology.
“Engineering Science,” which is the core name of our faculty and graduate school, is different from “Science and Engineering.” It means not only deepening basic scientific principles but also fusing both science and engineering to create new research fields. We have extended this interdisciplinary fusion to the fields, such as life sciences, medicine, information sciences, humanities and social sciences, other than engineering and science. Sixty years after the faculty was founded in 1961, that effort flourished. Interdisciplinary fusion has come to be recognized as indispensable for the innovation of advanced science and technology and the solution of complex and diversifying social issues on a global scale. Therefore, expectations are rising for Engineering Science that enables deepening of scientific principles and interdisciplinary fusion. Currently, our graduate school is promoting original interdisciplinary research that will bring about future social changes. It includes the following: Material Creation, which fuses physics and chemistry; Spintronics, which brings about innovation of electronic devices; Quantum Computing, which leads to the next-generation computational science; Robotics, which aims for a symbiotic society of humans and intelligent systems; Bioengineering, which supports medical care and welfare; and Mathematical Data Science, which is the basis of utilizing information. These interdisciplinary studies also play a leading role in Osaka University, which has been certified as a designated national university aiming to create innovation.
Our Engineering Science consists of a faculty consisting of 10 courses in 4 departments, a graduate school consisting of 11 courses in 3 departments, and 5 affiliated research centers. Its strength lies in our educational foundation based on mathematics and information, physics, chemistry and biology as a background; furthermore, its organizational strength to create new interdisciplinary fusion fields by connecting research organizations covering various specialized fields, with research in different disciplines, and in an organizational culture that is not aware of the barriers between fields. As a result, unlike integrated education and research that simply combines advanced research fields, the knowledge gained through fusion is returned to basic and applied research in the specialized fields here, which deepens and creates new academic fields. Flexible thinking that is not bound by established academic fields is reflected in undergraduate and graduate education, and education for working adults. Engineering Science’s education and research system has achieved cyclical development in this way, and has been built under the unchanging philosophy for more than half a century. We would like to continue to maintain this tradition and further to develop Engineering Science with the philosophy of creating the true culture of humanity by incorporating advanced research, scientific technology, and the needs of society that are advancing with the times.
Dean
Prof. Shigeo Wada, Dean of the School/ Graduate School of Engineering Science