Showcasing the Appeal of Companies Through Their Lectures
What is taught in the joint industry-academia DS&AI education program that you are involved in?
Honda: This initiative is aimed at master’s and doctoral students and comprises three steps. Step 1 is the Applied and Practical Course , which features lectures by business professionals who have been invited to speak. These professionals are from a current total of 46 companies and are active at the forefront of DS&AI research and development. Step 2 is the DS&AI Forum, an event where companies presenting lectures and students can interact. Finally, Step 3 is the Internship Course, where students gain firsthand experience working on-site at companies.
The Applied and Practical Course is popular with students, as it offers an opportunity to directly hear firsthand insights from companies working around the clock to solve the issues faced by society through DS&AI. They seem to find it inspiring to learn how DS&AI are used in real-world products and services. We invite speakers from a variety of industries and fields to give students ideas for how aspects of their research could be applied.
There are 63 classes per year, with each company taking one or two. In addition to lectures, companies present an assignment at the end, and the students use DS&AI to come up with their own answers on potential solutions. In some cases, the companies say they even discover new approaches inspired by the flexible thinking of the students.
What kinds of industries and fields are popular with students?
Honda: That would have to be the companies that are highly sought by job seekers. IT-related companies that collect data to provide services seem to be especially popular. Manufacturing companies are also popular among engineering students studying electrical, electronic, or mechanical disciplines. There is also a growing number of cases where students discover the appeal of a relatively unknown company through this program and end up working for them. For companies, the program serves as an opportunity to learn what kinds of students attend the Institute of Science Tokyo and to assess their qualities. I think they can get a good sense of the students’ qualities by looking at how they answer questions posed in lectures and the reports they submit for assignments.
Company–Student Exchange Forum Praised for Providing an Opportunity for Firsthand Insights
Can you tell us more about Step 2, the DS&AI Forum?
Honda: This is an opportunity for companies seeking outstanding students to connect with such students. Through exchanges with representatives from companies from a wide range of industries, we aim to help students gain the broad perspective needed to thrive in the real world.
To kick off the program, each participating company gives a presentation to the students on their DS&AI initiatives and the content of their research and development work. Next, in the individual company sessions, the students go around to companies that they are interested in to hear what they have to say. Each company speaks for 15 minutes, and students can hear from a total of four companies. The program concludes with a standing buffet–style social event, which is actually the most popular part for both students and companies.
It started as an annual event, but it now takes place twice a year, with around 30 companies participating regularly. With more and more companies and students participating each year, the results are encouraging.
What does Step 3, the Internship Course, entail?
Honda: Although company-run internships are common, our institute requests companies to create DS&AI–based internship courses. Since it is part of the curriculum, students who participate and complete the internship earn credits. Fourteen companies currently offer the course, which was launched last academic year.
Through these three steps, our institute collaborates with companies to provide a joint education program. Students develop applied skills in company-led lectures, interact with companies at the forum, and gain firsthand workplace experience through internship-style courses. We are proud to be the only institute working with as many as 46 companies to cultivate expert talent in DS&AI.
A Desire for Students to Learn to Teach DS&AI
Ms. Sato, you are in charge of recruiting TAs to assist the teachers in class. Can you tell us more about that?
Sato: While professors typically ask students from their own labs to serve as TAs, our center has established a Teaching Fellow (TF) Development Program to openly recruit TAs institute-wide. The main focus of the program is to develop the ability to teach DS&AI. Participants accumulate points as they experience TA duties in a step-by-step manner, and ultimately, those deemed to have both teaching skills and subject expertise can become TFs and take charge of part of a course.
Around how many TAs do you recruit?
Sato: We recruit about 40 TAs per year. Students can apply from the second year of their bachelor’s program, but most recruits are in their senior year or in graduate school. Since the institute provides an objective assessment of their DS&AI teaching skills, students gain a competitive edge in job hunting. I believe the opportunity to deepen their own learning through teaching is also a motivation for applying.
Around how many student TAs have gone on to become TFs?
Sato: This program was launched just recently in 2024, but a number of TFs are scheduled to be appointed in the second half of this academic year (2025). We plan to have them take on part of the teaching for courses offered by our center.
Students Astonish the Corporate World with Their Brilliance
Please share with us your personal impressions of the students at the Institute of Science Tokyo.
Honda: Before the merger, students of the former Tokyo Institute of Technology were generally seen as serious, shy, argumentative, and somewhat lacking fashion sense (laughs). However, this has changed a lot in recent years. These days, you see people walking around campus dressed in trendy unique styles, and you see some handsome guys. You sometimes see two people who appear to be a close couple attending a lecture together. It’s a lot more common compared to the Tokyo Institute of Technology days , when there weren’t many female students.
Of course, their minds are just as sharp today as they were back then. In the applied practice lectures, students form groups of four or five with those who happen to be sitting nearby. They immediately strike up a rapport and discuss the assignment with enthusiasm. Afterward, representatives from the companies often tell us they were surprised to hear such sophisticated and original thoughts from the students.
Sato: I frequently receive questions from students about enrollment, and they are all very polite and well-mannered. When communicating by email, they write in a manner that shows consideration for the recipient. When the administrative staff asks them to take care of something, they ask what they should do after that. They can think ahead and take action, and I often find myself impressed by their capabilities.
A Request to Tell Students About Cutting-Edge Efforts with Enthusiasm
Is there anything you want to tell the students or companies as someone who acts as a bridge between them?
Honda: I want to advise the students to view society with an open mind without being bound by preconceived notions. To that end, I would like them to participate in the applied practice lectures and the DS&AI Forum. Through the applied practice lectures, you can start to get a concrete idea of how various companies make use of DS&AI in their work. Students who participated in the forum have shared that they enjoyed how they could experience the enthusiasm of the companies firsthand. Each of these companies has very high hopes for the students of this institute. I want the students to hear this loud and clear.
Sato: I would say that participating in these lectures or the forum might lead to some new discoveries that can change your life. If it sparks even the slightest interest in DS&AI, seizing any small opportunity for change would be a good outcome.
Honda: I hope company representatives will speak with enthusiasm when telling students about initiatives involving DS&AI and what makes them so fascinating. For example, those from materials manufacturers and similar industries seem to think that they cannot attract the attention of students, but this is not the case. Many of the students at this institute aspire to work in research and development, so they are very much interested in these kinds of fields. We encourage you to use this opportunity to highlight how cutting-edge your efforts are, as well as the fascinating and rewarding nature of research and development.
At this institute, we aim to cultivate co-creative experts who are capable of working toward solutions to the problems faced by society. This cannot be accomplished by the institute alone. We can only succeed in our aim by providing joint education with those from the corporate world. We look forward to your help in cultivating leaders who are capable of building a vibrant future.
Off-record Talk
Sato: I began my career as a systems engineer at a securities-related think tank and gained experience in system consulting and auditing at an audit corporation. My experience in training new employees showed me the challenges of teaching, while raising my children taught me the importance of education. These experiences led me to pursue a career in education. When I was a student, however, my goal was to become a public servant. After passing the exam, I thought seriously about whether I could truly be satisfied in this job, and concluded that I could not. I then began searching for employment in a new field. If I had never changed course, I may have had a completely different life.
Honda: I previously worked at an IT vendor, where I provided solutions to help client companies address their challenges and offered consulting services to improve their business operations. In my current role as a staff member at the institute, I work to connect companies with our students. By sending highly skilled human resources to companies, I feel that I am contributing to the betterment of both business and society.