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Message to High School Students

Let Us Lead the Creation of a New Society
The 16th President of Sophia University
Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology
Prof. Yoshiaki Terumichi

Science and technology have made continuous development in Japan, and our current position would not have been possible if we lacked either one. Moreover, advances in science and technology have contributed to the world as a driving force for the development of modern society. Research and educational efforts at Sophia University Faculty of Science and Technology over the past 60 years have led to unique development under the university’sphilosophy of neighborliness and internationality.
The learning environment of Sophia University Faculty of Science and Technology has a distinctive structure. Studies that cover the aspects of both science and engineering are assigned to the three departments, and all students learn the basics of natural science. In today’s society where social issues have become increasingly complex, academic development has also become more integrated in nature; it is thus even more important to learn the foundations of natural science extensively and to advance learning in pursuit of studies in highly specialized areas as well as integrated studies. In the later years of university, students conduct graduation research targeting areas of high interest or topics they are drawn to. For students who go on to graduate school, programs designed to train experts in each field will further their learning. The process of learning the basics in a comprehensive manner and using that knowledge to identify one’s own expertise is essential to acquire a broad range of application skills, and this will nurture the ability to respond flexibly to issues that are becoming more and more complex.
In addition, Sophia University has a single campus where all departments and graduate schools of natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences are located, and for this reason, students are endowed with the opportunity to work on a problem from a multifaceted perspective. We believe that the leaders of future society will be those who possess multifaceted leadership skills. We look forward to learning with you and enhancing our research.

  • Chairperson, Graduate School of Science and Technology

    Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology

    Prof. Kazuhiko Shimomura

    1. Why I decided, in high school, to go on to a science and engineering university
    When I was in elementary school, I looked forward to every issue of “Gakken and Science” magazine, and was interested in science—for example, my summer vacation research project was an experiment on falling bodies. When I was in junior high school, my passion for mathematics grew, and I read a lot of books on mathematics and mathematicians. In high school, I found physics and chemistry extremely interesting and thought it would be great if I could work in these fields in the future.
    2. Good points and fun of science and engineering courses
    The greatest joy is to be exposed to cutting-edge research. My research is about creating devices that do not yet exist in the world; the university provides an environment where I can formulate my own ideas and transform them into real devices with my own hands. The true pleasure of doing such research is that the targets of communication extend naturally to researchers overseas, and the connection with people as well as my research becomes international.
    3. Things you should do now (in high school)
    Even though I understand the need to memorize formulas as you prepare for university entrance exams, what I would really like you to do is to make a habit of learning the fundamental principles. In addition, although you can easily obtain a great amount of information through the Internet these days, it is necessary not to take the information at face value, thinking that every piece of information must be correct because it was written that way, or to accept it blindly. It is important to develop the habit of thinking and looking into things on your own, and to confirm whether the information is correct or not.

  • Chairperson, Department of Materials and Life Sciences

    Prof. Noriyuki Suzuki

    1. Why I decided, in high school, to go on to a science and engineering university
    When I was in my first year of high school, I wanted to study in the humanities department. The foremost reason I chose science when I started my third year was that I was reluctant to stop studying mathematics, physics, and chemistry at that point. I wanted to follow this path a little further to see what is beyond it. That said, I have enjoyed electrical work and chemistry experiments since I was in elementary school, so I guess I have always had a penchant for science. However, in my pursuit, I have realized that my views were sometimes clear and sometimes not.
    2. Good points and fun of science and engineering courses
    Despite dramatic advances compared to decades ago, in reality, even today’s science and technology are still full of unknown concepts waiting to be discovered. The fun part of science and engineering is that I can confirm ideas that I conceived myself without knowing the answers by conducting experiments. If the result is not what I wanted, I would think again what kind of experiment to perform the next day, or I might try an experiment today that I devised last night. In the case of chemistry, the time span for this is short, which fits my personality.
    3. Things you should do now (in high school)
    My first advice is a realistic one. If you are going to study in a science and engineering department, I recommend that you study all science subjects evenly as much as possible so that you will not have a hard time after entering university. The second advice is to get into the habit of reading books. In an age where various information can be obtained from the Internet, I want you to learn from a young age how to acquire systematic knowledge, not just knowledge that is fragmentary.

  • Chairperson, Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences

    Prof. Masafumi Miyatake

    1. Why I decided, in high school, to go on to a science and engineering university
    The primary reason was that I loved and was good at math and science (physics and chemistry) and wanted to make it my specialization to leverage my strong points. When I was a high school student, I had my mind set
    to go on to college to study in a faculty/department that deals with global warming, which, at that time, was becoming a popular topic of conversation, or railways and vehicles such as automobiles, which I had always liked since I was a child. Therefore, I did not think of any other options than science and engineering. Looking back, my current specialization is pretty much the same as what I was interested in at that time.
    2. Good points and fun of science and engineering courses
    There are two steps in Science and Technology courses. First, until the third year, you will learn known theories and confirm them by experiments; this process will be interesting because you will get the correct answer immediately. Next, in the fourth year or during graduate school studies, you will endeavor to unravel the unknown, which no one has yet found the correct answer to, and although difficult, it will be very rewarding when you obtain good results. The good thing about such processes is that you will acquire the ability to understand things scientifically without being deceived by uncertain information.
    3. Things you should do now (in high school)
    High school is a very busy period as students prepare for university entrance exams and take part in club activities at the same time. I imagine you are trying as hard as you can to manage your heavy academic workload, but I hope you will get into the habit of delving into the details a little more than others do. For example, instead of only memorizing mathematical and physical formulas, I encourage you to think about how they are derived. The deeper you understand, the more interested you become. In addition, for a change of pace, I recommend reading and getting used to simple English articles on science and technology.

  • Chairperson, Department of Information and Communication Sciences

    Prof. Hiroshi Takahashi

    1. Why I decided, in high school, to go on to a science and engineering university
    Since I was in elementary school, I liked making things and often immersed myself in paper crafts, plastic models, radio control, electronics, and others. In the process, I found joy in solving mysteries of complex movements and completing a task that was difficult to complete initially; this led me to pursue studies in science and engineering. My wish for the future was to get a job at S Company, a world-famous video and audio equipment manufacturer, and make electrical products used all over the world. This was why I enrolled in a science and engineering university.
    2. Good points and fun of science and engineering courses
    The university has many facilities and instruments that are not available in facilities and instruments ordinary people can’t buy, and you can conduct experiments, practical training, and research that cannot be performed privately. The biggest appeal is that you can develop your expertise and grow into an expert through these experiences. Having specialized skills not only makes it easier for you to find a job but also gives you a sense of satisfaction that you can become a part of the foundation that supports our society, however small the role may be.
    3. Things you should do now (in high school)
    I recommend setting goals and getting into the habit of thinking what you should do now. High school baseball players practice for Koshien, Nation-wide Championship baseball tournament as their goal, but they cannot win the game just by swinging the bat earnestly as told by the coach without thinking about it themselves. The same is true in the field of science and technology. It can be a tentative goal, but setting a goal and finding out for yourself what you need to learn to achieve that goal will motivate you, and also, I think you will naturally gain new abilities by continuing to do so.