Cambridge University Press publishes Kobayashi’s latest book
The latest book by Prof. Hisashi Kobayashi, coauthored with Prof. Brian L. Mark and Dr. William Turin, entitled “Probability, Random Processes and Statistical Analysis,” was published by Cambridge University Press in December. This 812 page graduate-level textbook provides not only a comprehensive and modern approach to the fundamentals of the title subjects, but also applications in such diverse fields as communications, signal processing, machine learning, econometrics, mathematical finance, computational biology and queueing theory. The core materials are based on Prof. Kobayashi’s lectures given at Princeton University over the past 10 years. The coauthor Dr. Mark is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at George Mason University, and Dr. Turin is with AT&T Labs Research. Kobayashi and Mark published in 2008 “System Modeling and Analysis: Foundations of System Performance Evaluation” (Pearson/Prentice Hall, 782 pp.), for which much of the materials in the latest book serves as a prerequisite. Regarding his latest book Kobayashi says, “Modern communications and information theory make extensive use of probability and random processes, and so do econometrics and mathematical finance. A sound risk management also requires probabilistic arguments and statistical modeling. The theory and techniques presented in this textbook are essential to a better understanding of many random phenomena we observe and to an optimum selection among many options available to us, whether it is a financial, medical or other matter. My wish is that many students and researchers over the world will find this book useful even after 50 years from now, long after I will have passed on.” Articles in this newsletter:
2011 Annual Report now available on the Website
A twelve page Annual Report that summarizes activities and financial reports for Year 2011 is now available on the website. It includes messages of President Junichi Hamada, the University of Tokyo and FUTI President Hisashi Kobayashi, FUTI’s new organization and officers, reports on research grants and summer scholarship programs. The last three pages are financial statements for Fiscal Year July 2010-June 2011, and the list of donors is given in the last page. Beautiful booklets of the Japanese version are available. If you are interested in receiving copies, please send a request by email to infofriendsofutokyo.org Articles in this newsletter:
Welcome to FUTI’s New Facebook Page!
A team of alumni recently revamped the FUTI Facebook Page to make it more user friendly. We now have a new logo, more links and more frequent postings. Please visit the site and please “Like” us on Facebook. On this Facebook page you will find U.S alumni and supporters of the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) in the news, FUTI activities, alumni association events, and other UTokyo information for those living in the U.S. We aim to connect the cyber community of UTokyo alumni and supporters, and welcome your contributions and comments. We are particularly keen on posting activities of UTokyo alumni groups around the United States, i.e. New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Chicago, Houston, Georgia, and Michigan. Mr. Motoatsu Sakurai, Chair of the FUTI Advisory Committee and President of Japan Society, comments, “Social media like Facebook are important tools to link alumni and friends, both young and old. I sincerely hope the site will help build a meaningful cyber community among us. I encourage everyone to visit the site and start posting his/her ideas, photos, etc.” The administrators of the FUTI Facebook Page are: Geeta Mehta, Sumiko Ito, Masako Osako, and Hisae Kawamori, all UTokyo alumnae. We are looking for additional administrators in the West Coast, the Midwest and the South to report regional news. Articles in this newsletter:
Profile: Ms. Amy Vaida
This is the first article in the “Friends of UTokyo profile series, ” where we introduce various individuals who are contributing to FUTI. We would like to begin this series with Ms. Amy Vaida, née Iwazumi. FUTI is now increasing its visibility, and gaining increasing attention and support, partly because of its first rate website, the elegant bimonthly e-Newsletters we send out, and its beautiful Annual Report (in Japanese ) recently sent to past and prospective donors. Design and implementation of these important media have been done by Amy, a sole proprietor of “Amy I productions,” a company specializing in web and graphic design since 2005. But her skill for web design is just one of her versatile talents. First and foremost, Amy is an accomplished violinist and composer. Her father is the late Dr. Tatsuo Iwazumi, who earned his BS degree in Aeronautical Engineering, his BS degree in Electrical Engineering both from UTokyo, his MS degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics and MS degree in Electrical Engineering both from Masachussetts Institute of Technology, and his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennslyvania. Dr. Iwazumi was a longtime friend of Prof. Kobayashi , FUTI President, since their UTokyo student days. Amy was born in Galveston, Texas when her father was with the University of Texas, and began playing the violin at the age of three and gave her first recital at age five. She entered the Juilliard Pre-College Division at the age of eight as a scholarship student of the late Ms. Dorothy DeLay, a world renowned violin teacher, and continued her studies at The Juilliard School as a student of Mr. Hyo Kang, receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music. While at Julliard, she served as concertmaster for the Juilliard Orchestra under the direction of Sir Roger Norrington at the Isaac Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall. She has performed with orchestras and ensembles such as the Little Orchestra Society at Avery Fisher Hall, National Symphony of Santo Domingo, International Sejong Soloists, Yonkers Philharmonic, and Young Artists’ Orchestra of the Aspen Music Festival. She has performed at several music festivals including the Aspen Music Festival, Festival Ljubljana in Slovenia, Great Mountains Music Festival, Holland Music Sessions, La Jolla Summerfest, Salzburg Sommerakademie, and the Taipei International Arts Festival. The awards and top prizes that Ms. Iwazumi has won include the Kiwanis Music Festival in Canada, the Canadian Music Competition, the Second International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians, the Fine Arts Society-Enrico Fermi Concerto Competition, and the JAA (Japanese Association of America) Music Scholarship Awards Competition. Currently she performs actively as a soloist and chamber musician in the U.S., and abroad. Based in New York City, Ms. Iwazumi has given recitals and concerts in and around Lincoln Center including the Clark Studio Theater, Peter Jay Sharp Theater, Alice Tully Hall, and Avery Fisher Hall; Weill Recital Hall, Zankel Hall, and Steinway Hall. She has also performed in Austria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Japan, Slovenia, South Korea, Taiwan, and the UK. She performs in a violin duo with her brother Ray, as the Ray and Amy Violin Duo, and together they performed on NHK National Radio of Japan as part of the “Meikyoku Recital” Series and received the Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant which led to several broadcasts of their performances on WQXR. They also gave their Tokyo debut recital in November of 2007 at the JT Art Hall. Ms. Iwazumi’s compositions have gained recognition, receiving a Special Citation from the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award Competition. Her orchestral work, “Thoughts” was chosen and performed by the Juilliard Pre-College Symphony in the Peter Jay Sharp Theater in the Lincoln Center. Recently, “The Japanese Four Seasons,” an arrangement of four Japanese songs was commissioned by the Inoue Chamber Ensemble and performed in Brazil to critical acclaim. The work was also performed at Columbia University as part of its “Nuances of Peace” series. She also plays the shamisen, a three-stringed traditional Japanese instrument. In the winter of 2008, she studied traditional Japanese music and art as part of a cultural exchange generously supported by a grant from the Asian Cultural Council. Ms. Iwazumi resides in New York City with her husband, John Vaida, who is also an accomplished violinist and violist. Articles in this newsletter:
Kobayashi gives a keynote on Research of the Future Internet
Professor Hisashi Kobayashi, the FUTI President, gave a keynote entitled “The New Generation Network Project: Its Promises and Challenges” at a NICT (National Institute of Information and Communications Technology)-sponsored conference held at Tokyo Conference Center, Shinagawa, Tokyo on November 9, 2011. The New Generation Network (NWGN for short) aims at a revolutionary leap from the current Internet. Efforts similar to the NWGN are usually referred to as the Future Internet in the U.S. and Europe. Kobayashi argues, as do many networking researchers, that today’s Internet will soon be unable to cope with the rapidly expanding user population, its insatiable appetite for higher data rates, the increasing threat of cyber attacks, etc., and the basic architectural concept of the Internet must be overhauled and redesigned afresh. The NWGN effort at NICT is a flagship project of such a future Internet research in Japan, for which Kobayashi serves as Executive Advisor. He emphasize the importance of international collaboration as well as competition in pursuit of the future Internet, which is expected to replace the current Internet, probably within the next ten years, because, says Kobayashi, the current “patchwork” cannot go on too much longer. The transition from the current Internet to the future Internet, however, can be done smoothly by using the technique called “network virtualization.” The slides of his presentation are found at http://www.nict.go.jp/presentation/2_H.Kobayashi.pdf, and his 30 minute presentation can be viewed below. The English translation (incomplete) of his speech can be seen by clicking “full text” on Kobayashi’s blog page http://hp.hisashikobayashi.com/?p=199. Articles in this newsletter:
Prof. Koichi Hamada gives a Keynote on Homecoming Day
On October 29 (Sat), starting at 10 am, the various Homecoming Day events took place at both Hongo and Komaba campuses. Dr. Koichi Hamada, Professor of Economics at Yale University and a Director of FUTI, gave a keynote “Why do we need to internationalize universities?” at a special forum entitled “Study, work and live in the world,” held in the Yasuda Auditorium of the Hongo campus from 1 pm till 3pm. The other four panelists present at the forum were: Dr. Yoko Akachi (Technical officer, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria), Ms. Kanae Doi (Japan’s representative, Human Right Watch) , Mr. Souichi Noguchi (JAXA Astronaut) and Mr. Yutaka Mizukoshi (Representative, Boston Consulting Group, Japan) . Attached below is an English translation of Prof. Hamada’s keynote address. Why Do We Need to Internationalize Universities? Koichi Hamada, Professor of Economics, Yale University Distinguished alumni, ladies and gentlemen, I am greatly honored to have been invited to speak at the 10th Homecoming Day of the University of Tokyo (UTokyo).* A most memorable and bright spot in my student days at UTokyo was that my composition was chosen as the winning cheer song in a song-writing competition in 1957. I composed the melody for the lyrics, “The sun rises gloriously” written by fellow student, You Fujisawa. In the year that the song was played at this Yasuda Auditorium, it was played to encourage usually not so strong baseball players in the Meiji Jingu Baseball Stadium. Nowadays, though, I am afraid that few people remember my song; it had to compete with other popular college songs such as “Tada Hitotsu (The Only One)” and a school song composed by the famous composer, Kosaku Yamada. I would like to take advantage of this special opportunity to play my composition for you, <The college song was played via tape.> I am moved to hear this melody in the same auditorium in which it was first played a half century ago. At that time, I wished that UTokyo had a department of music. It did not, but it did have a strong tradition of extracurricular music activities such as the UTokyo Orchestra and Choral Academy. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for Ryuta Ito (Professor Emeritus at Toho University School of Medicine), one of the referees of the competition, and Yoshino Irino, who arranged my melody for orchestra when this piece was compiled as a part of a record, “Songs of UTokyo.” These two composers were senior members in the UTokyo Orchestra and gave me valuable music education. Now let me turn to my topic, “Why do we need to internationalize universities?” We have to be prepared to answer this question before advocating and pursuing internationalization. One could ask why not let Western universities specialize in the study of Roman, Hellenistic cultural tradition and Eastern universities specialize in the research and teaching of Confucius and Eastern traditions such as the writings of Confucius and Lao Tse? I would like to examine further the validity of this view. I. The Importance of Analogy in Science At UTokyo, after two years of the liberal arts program on the Komaba campus, I moved on to study Jurisprudence. In retrospect, this was not the best choice for me, given my aptitude. It was fortunate, however, that, at the Faculty of Law, I was taught “civil law” by Professor Takeyoshi Kawashima who discussed the social aspect as well as the legal aspect of civil law. Professor Kawashima used to say, “Original ideas are often generated by ‘analogy’.” That is, progress in ideas in a field is promoted by bringing in the method of other fields. Therefore, a scholar’s understanding in fields other than his or her own often creates innovative ideas in his or her own original discipline. Due to its emphasis on liberal arts, all UTokyo students are enrolled in the liberal arts program for their first two years before they move on to an area of specialization. The Department of Liberal Arts trains also junior and senior students in an interdisciplinary way and has successfully produced many excellent graduates. On the other hand, undergraduates in some other universities decide their major at the time of college entrance. Then the system tends to develop a “fox hole” (takotsubo) training and builds a wall artificially between academic disciplines, which Prof. Takeshi Yoro, my very old friend, calls “a wall of Incognizance.” (Baka no Kabe) In contrast, in a liberal arts program like the one in which I am teaching at Yale, an undergraduate can take time in choosing his major. In this system, though a student may have less intensive training in a given specialized field, he or she acquires a mental scope to discuss and work easily with experts in other disciplines. The merits of this system cannot be underestimated because it may facilitate innovative and creative thinking. At UTokyo, after graduating from the Law Department, I re-entered the Economics Department, where I found the lectures as well as the research more stimulating and particularly fit to my aptitude. My father was an Associate Professor of Education, and my family was not rich. I deeply appreciate my parents’ generosity in letting me “wander around” intellectually before I found my correct calling. From this discussion my first answer emerges to our initial question, “Why is it necessary to internationalize universities?” The way in which research is done and people think in foreign countries and cultures is quite different. It is at least as interesting and important to know about some of these differences in foreign countries as it is to know about other disciplines. II. Importance of Interdisciplinary Thinking As a Yale graduate student, my dream was to apply game theory to the analysis of international finance. At that time, game theory, which was the study of strategic behavior mutually considering reactions of others’ reactions, was mostly discussed only as an abstract theory. Thus, my interest focused on the interdisciplinary area between economics and political
Fundraising Campaign Continues
As we announced in the November issue (Issue No. 3), we have been actively pursuing our third annual campaign to raise fund for FUTI’s scholarships and research grants. We are thankful to many of you who have already kindly responded to our request. This article is a reminder to those who have overlooked Dr. Masako Egawa’s message, President Junichi Hamada’s message or FUTI President Hisashi Kobayashi’s message. As for cash donations, mailing a check, or donating online from FUTI’s website using a credit card, will be the easiest, although a donation by wire transfer is also available. Please refer to the “Giving” page of our website. An interim report of our campaign results as of January 25th, 2012 is now posted in the News section on the home page of our website. It will be updated periodically as we receive your donation. Articles in this newsletter:
Call for Proposals for the 2012 FUTI Grant Program
Friends of UTokyo, Inc. (FUTI) solicits grant proposals (up to $30,000) for projects/activities to be jointly pursued by UTokyo and academic institutions in the United States. The 2012 program is offered in the spring and the fall. The application deadlines are April 15 (Sun) and October 15 (Mon), respectively. For details on the application process, please refer to the Grant Application Procedure page on FUTI’s website. As described in this page, please submit a brief letter of intent or a brief “Project outine,” well in advance of the submission deadline. Information about the recipients of the 2011 grant can be found in FUTI Newsletter No. 2, and No.3, as well as in the Annual Report, pp. 4-5. Dr. Masaaki Yamada, FUTI Director for University Relations comments, “While the world is diverse and often polarized, needs for international collaboration in research are greater than ever. We would like to encourage teams of UTokyo and U.S. university faculty members to apply for this program to get actively involved in exciting collaborative cultural and scientific research activities in the world.” Articles in this newsletter:
Call for applications for the 2012 FUTI Summer Award
Friends of UTokyo, Inc. (FUTI) is currently accepting applications for the summer study/internship awards under the 2012 FUTI International Leadership Award program. The program will support (a) U.S. students who attend summer programs/internships offered by UTokyo or its affiliated institution, and (b) UTokyo students who attend summer programs/internships offered by reputable U.S. institutions. Please note that we do not organize or offer summer study/internship programs by ourselves; instead, we provide financial support (typically $3,000 to $4,000 depending on the program) to outstanding students who are admitted to summer programs offered by UTokyo or U.S. institutions. Such programs include, but not limited to, the Global Summer Program (GSP) offered by UTokyo, U.C. Berkeley or Yale, which are member universities of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), MIT Science and Technology Internship (MSTI) program, English Language Institute (ELI) at Yale, the University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (UTRIP). Applicants for the FUTI summer award must be admitted by one of these or other reputable summer programs. So please contact the coordinator of the program of your interest, and/or the oversea study office at your own institution, as well as submitting your applications to FUTI. FUTI will work closely with these program offices in deciding whom to grant the FUTI summer award. For UTokyo students who plan to attend Yale’s English Language Institute and are interested in an FUTI Award (up to $4,000), the application deadline to FUTI is March 2 (Fri). Recommendation letters are due March 9 (Fri). For UTokyo students who plan to attend GSP courses at U.C. Berkeley or Yale and are interested in an FUTI Award ($3,000), the application deadline to FUTI is March 9 (Fri). Recommendation letters are due March 23 (Fri). UTokyo students who plan to apply for other summer courses or internship programs in U.S. universities or research laboratories are advised to contact FUTI as early as possible. The application deadline to FUTI is March 2 (Fri). Recommendation letters are due March 23 (Fri). For U.S. undergraduate students who apply for the UTRIP program of UTokyo and are interested in an FUTI Award (up to $4,000), the application deadline to FUTI is March 23 (Fri). Recommendation letters are also due March 23 (Fri). For U.S. students who apply to GSP at UTokyo (U.C. Berkeley and Yale students), MSTI (MIT students) and other summer programs, the application deadline to FUTI is March 2 (Fri) We will notify you and your university’s oversea study program office about our decision at the same time when you will receive a decision notice from the summer program. If you are accepted by the summer program and are selected by FUTI , the Award will be sent to the U.S. university where you intend to study in the summer (in the case of UTokyo students) or where you are currently enrolled (in the case of U.S. students). An exception can be made depending on the circumstance. For the application procedure and other details, please refer to the Grants and Awards of FUTI’s website. In the summer of 2011, seven U.S. students and six UTokyo students received FUTI’s Summer Awards (a.k.a. FUTI International Leadership Awards). Please see the FUTI 2011 Annual Report (pp. 6-8), the Roster of Recipients and the FUTI blog page. Articles in this newsletter:
Shintech Trust Fund extended for five more years
Since 2009 FUTI has received, in addition to contributions from individuals, large donations from Shintech Inc, a U.S. subsidiary of Shin Etsu Chemical Co., through its trust fund. The donation through a trust fund is a scheme in which a donor establishes a cash-based trust fund in a trust bank, which serves as its trustee, and the investment income is donated to a beneficiary. (The University of Tokyo had such trust funds established by 15 Japanese corporations 2009, with twelve billion JPY in total for the five year period of 2009- 2013.) FUTI had a trust of $ 5 millions established in 2009 for the five year period, which will end in 2014. It had generated a total return of $174,926 by October 2011. The recent gracious decision will extend the term by another five years until 2019. In response to this delightful news said FUTI president Kobayashi, “It is entirely thanks to the generous and considerable donations from Shintech Inc. that we could start offering the research grants and summer award programs in such a scale as we did last year. This gracious decision by Shintech will provide a stable source of revenue, which will allow us to make our grant planning with sufficient continuity. We are most grateful to the management team of Shintech, Inc. and its parent company, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co.” President Kobayashi visited Shin-Etsu Chemical on November 8th and expressed his gratitude on behalf of the FUTI Board. Articles in this newsletter: