Kagawa University rises in stature

The Japan Times report, reproduced in verbatim...

TAKAMATSU, Kagawa Pref. (Kyodo) An international conference on electrical engineering hosted by Kagawa University has gained recognition from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the world authority.

University officials said Sunday its Faculty of Engineering, which has been concentrating on medical engineering in a bid to boost its presence, has set up the conference to exchange research related to this field.

"It is rare that the IEEE formally recognizes a conference held by a university other than those like the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University," said associate professor Guo Shuxiang, who set up the event.

"Regional universities face the need to display unique characteristics to survive, and their quality of research is likely to improve" with the creation of the conference, he said.

Kagawa University held the first conference this year and all 190 articles presented were included in an international database, the school said.

The Japan Times: Dec. 20, 2004
(C) All rights reserved

Comment:
When I saw the headline, I suspected that it was on the two cases of power abuse at Kagawa University. Thank god, no.

Anyway, it is great to see the engineering faculty doing well.

Kagawa University used to boast of its economics faculty, relying on the fact that the famed Takamatsu College of Commerce was its predecessor.

There was a time when graduates of the economics faculty headed many major Japanese companies.

Not anymore. The level of reputation of the economics faculty has slumped tremendously and there seems to be no concerted effort to put a stop to that.

Meanwhile, the relatively new engineering faculty along with the agriculture faculty, and to a lesser extent, the medical faculty, is surely on the road for more recognition.

The key is, collaborations with and exposure to the international arena.

Many staff members in the social science faculties (economics, law, education) are living in their own world.

They know not what happens outside, and no one outside knows what they do.