Press Release

Chiba Institute of Technology Establishes Center for Radical Transformation

(This text has been auto-translated.)

Aiming to create new knowledge beyond the framework of existing academic fields

Chiba Institute of Technology has established the Center for Radical Transformation (CRT), Japan's first anti-disciplinary research facility. Researchers in various fields from all over the world will participate in this program to make use of advances in science and technology to create a better society. Joichi Ito, former director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, has been appointed as the director of the center. From January 2022, Joichi Ito will also serve as a councilor of the university.

Background of establishment

Society continues to change due to advances in science and technology, but in order to create the future we want, we need to comprehensively understand these changes from the perspective of law, technology, economy, culture, etc. , business, government and civil society need to respond in concert. However, the world's systems are becoming more complex and fragmented, and conventional frameworks are no longer sufficient to explain these changes. New languages and academic disciplines are needed to conceive desirable societies from the perspectives of philosophy, aesthetics, and culture. The time is coming when we need it.

At the Center for Innovation, we bring together researchers from all fields of society to transcend the boundaries of disciplines and conduct unprecedented research. We aim to be a place for imagining, designing, and building new knowledge, such as technological platforms and cultural outputs.

Chiba Institute of Technology upholds the philosophy of contributing to world culture through technology, and has established centers to take on new challenges, such as the Future Robotics Technology Research Center, the Planetary Exploration Research Center, and the Artificial Intelligence and Software Technology Research Center. I was. The Transformation Center will also be an effort to make technology contribute to global culture in a new way.

Chiba Institute of Technology President's Comment

The important role of university education is to create new knowledge and return it to society, but for that purpose, it is necessary to have the ability to think about the future from a bird's-eye view, not limited to engineering. Mr. Ito, who has been engaged in research that transcends the barriers of specialties at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, researchers from various fields, and students with the ability to create things with their hands, will work together to shape the future of the world. I hope that you will proceed with new research that designs and is not bound by preconceived notions.

Comment from the Director of the Innovation Center

In order for Japan to benefit from the advancement of science and technology and respond to social and political changes, the classification of science and humanities and the siloing of various fields are obstacles. In order to overcome these barriers, it is important to launch a non-specialized research institute. Having successfully launched an unconventional and groundbreaking research center, Chiba Institute of Technology was the perfect platform. For the theories and scholarship required here, "practice" and "feedback from the real world" are indispensable, even if your head is in the clouds, your feet are firmly on the ground. Chiba Institute of Technology, which emphasizes the use of hands, is suitable for this point as well.

I am very much looking forward to continuing the work that started at the MIT Media Lab at the new center and having a positive impact on Japanese society and the world.

At first, we will start with five researchers, including myself, Mitsuhiro Takemura, an expert in media aesthetics. Lawrence Lessig, Creative Commons advocate and cyber law expert; Jun Murai, professor at Keio University; 22 experts from various fields will participate as visiting researchers.

Information Center Overview

Established November 1, 2021

Center Director Joichi Ito

field of study

  • Government Digital Transformation
  • Cyberspace governance
  • Cryptocurrency and Blockchain
    • Metaverse/NFT
  • The Future of Knowledge Management and Scholarly Publishing
  • Free software, open source software
    • Probabilistic computing
    • Mathesar
    • Open source software programmer skill development
  • Cybersecurity and privacy
    • Privacy-enhancing technology
    • Probabilistic computing and synthetic data
  • study
    • Neuro diversity
    • Online learning and connected learning

Researcher

Researcher
  • Mitsuhiro Takemura / [Takemura Juku] (https://takemura-juku.space/about/) President Media Aesthetics Researcher Mitsuhiro Takemura
  • Tenzin Priyadarsi / President and CEO of the MIT Dalai Lama Center
  • Boris Anthony / REBUS Foundation Co-Founder and Director, Digital Media, Design and Organization Researcher
  • Kana Shinoda (to be appointed) / CEO of BLUE Co., Ltd.
Visiting Researcher
  • Beth Noveck / Professor, Northeastern University White House Assistant CTO
  • Managing Director Margarita Mora / NIA TERO
  • Bruce Schneier / Cryptography and information security researcher, author of "Super Surveillance Society"
  • Ariel Ekbrough / CCI Climate Change Systems Researcher
  • Lawrence Lessig / Legal Scholar, Creative Commons Advocate
  • Jun Murai / Professor at Keio University
  • Director Kate McCallKiley / Co-Founder and Co-Founder of Federal Data Labs xD
    Other: 22 people in total

For more information about the Transformation Center, please visit:
https://henkaku.org/CIT

In addition, President Matsui and the Director of the Center talk about the Innovation Center in the podcast "Joi Ito The Road to Innovation". Please listen to this as well.

Inquiries about the Innovation Center

Ashton Consulting

Fukui and Kikuchi

JIPR@ashton.jp

TEL: 050 3567 1833

Inquiries about coverage and university public relations

Chiba Institute of Technology Ohashi and Ebine

ohhashi.keiko@it-chiba.ac.jp

Chiba Institute of Technology Admissions Public Relations Department

2-17-1 Tsudanuma, Narashino City, Chiba Prefecture 275-0016.

TEL: 047-478-0222