The Challenge of the Explosion of Knowledge

1
Strategic Initiatives and Open Forum APRU 10th
Presidents Meeting
The Challenge of the Explosion of Knowledge for
twenty-first century Higher Education
Hiroshi KOMIYAMA President of the University of
Tokyo
2
Explosive Expansion of Knowledge in the 20th
Century
1900
2000
Sun Light
O2
CO2
??
H2O
Carbohydrate
3
Subdivision and Compartmentalization of Science
1900
2000
4
Subdivision of the University of Tokyo
Organization
1900
?
?
?
?
?
?
5
Structuring of Knowledge Needed
6
Science Integration Project
Integration
1.Human Simulation genome ? human
(?society) 2.Material Simulation atom ?
material (?artifacts) 3.The Earth Simulation
material ?the earth 4.The Space Simulation Big
bang ? Future
7
Academic Overview Lectures
Provide Birds-Eye View

• What the science deals with,
• Current hot issue
• Future Expectations

• Materials,
• Life,
• The Environment and Human Being, Information and
  Mathematics, Society,
• Philosophy

8
Japan at the Frontier of Emerging Problems
Advanced civilization crowds in high density

• Heat island,
• Shortage of resources,
• Increasing waste,
• Environmental contamination,
• Aging society,
• Etc.

9
Japans Role as a Forerunner of Emerging Issues
Microcosm of the earth in the 21st Century
If a model is successful, it becomes the de facto
standard
The model has to be found in Japan
10
Structuring of Knowledge for Formation of Network
Hub Organization
Structuring of Knowledge
Formation of Network
11
Integrated Research System for Sustainability
Science (IR3S)
IR3S
Structuring of problems knowledge
Vision Develop-ment
12
Asian Educational Network
Seoul National University
Peking University Tsinghua University
The University of Tokyo
Vietnam National University at Hanoi