The 21st century is often called a Knowledge-based Society. It was during the second half of the last century that people began to anticipate the arrival of a post-industrial, highly information-oriented society, where knowledge would play a role greater than any material products. Now knowledge represents an important asset, comparable in value to land and equipment; and intellectual property disputes, such as the one involving the blue LED patent, are increasingly common. A Knowledge-based Society is no longer just a concept. We are now living in a society, whose growth depends on our ability to create, apply, and preserve knowledge.

It is against this backdrop that our COE project at JAIST, called "Technology Creation Based on Knowledge Science," was launched. This project focuses on research and education exploring issues related to "knowledge science," including how to 1) create knowledge that can help spark innovation in a variety of situations, 2) develop individuals capable of coordinating knowledge creation processes, and 3) ensure ethical behavior in a knowledge-based society.

Research

A growing number of researchers are recognizing the need to cross disciplinary boundaries and integrate the humanities and sciences in the face of today's increasingly large-scale and complex problems, such as those related to the global environment. However, researchers actually working with others in different disciplines often encounter problems arising from differences in perspective. They may, for example, have trouble agreeing with their partners on the validity of certain data. This can cause considerable conflict within the research team.

The energy generated by this kind of conflict, however, can spark innovation in a variety of situations. In fact, JAIST believes that interdisciplinary conflict is essential to creating knowledge that is new and practical.

Accordingly, our COE program is pursuing practical research for knowledge creation through joint projects between its three schools — Knowledge Science,Materials Science, and Information Science — in cooperation with other institutions, such as businesses and local organizations.

Young researcher Training

At JAIST, our goal in education has always been to help students develop skills needed to coordinate knowledge creation processes among different disciplines. The Integrated Science and Technology Course, launched in 2005, focuses on systematically pursuing this goal. It offers opportunities for students in JAIST's three schools — Knowledge Science, Information Science, and Materials Science — to learn the practical aspects of knowledge creation by working together in an environment that encourages productive interdisciplinary interaction.