2019-2024 5-year Ph.D course, Department of Informatics, SOKENDAI
Assistant Professor at Toyo University, Faculty of Information Networking for Innovation and Design, conducting research on building empathy and trust between people and anthropomorphic agents.
It was when I was a third-year undergraduate student that I first met Professor Seiji Yamada and decided to become a Human-Agent Interaction (HAI) researcher. I had always wanted to become a university teacher in the future even before entering SOKENDAI, and I look back and think that it was the generosity of his support that made me decide so strongly to attend SOKENDAI. During my time at SOKENDAI, I have conducted empirical experiments on empathic relationships between people and agents, and have investigated the factors that influence changes in people's empathic characteristics toward agents.
As an effort outside of research, I served as a student editorial board member of the Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, and talking with many professors involved in AI research and creating articles was a valuable opportunity for me to broaden my research horizons. In addition, I also participated continuously for three years, in a SOKENDAI social collaboration project to give lectures and workshops at high schools in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture, where I learned the importance and know-how of outreach activities as a researcher.
Currently, I am an assistant professor at the Faculty of Information Networking for Innovation and Design, Toyo University, where I continue to work on research within the HAI field on improving empathy and trust between the two parties. As a researcher and university faculty member, I will continue to guide students while engaging in research for the future I seek.
The Informatics course has a system whereby students enrolled in the course are hired as research assistants, allowing them to engage in research without having to work part-time beyond what is necessary. In addition, if employed as a SOKENDAI Special Researcher, which provides support equivalent to that of a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship, students can devote themselves to research without hardship through research and living support funds.
At the National Institute of Informatics (NII), a research institute, there are many opportunities to interact with researchers from other fields and companies at annual open houses, conferences, and other research meetings, providing abundant opportunities for the communication necessary for a researcher.
Many of my own experiences have been possible only because of SOKENDAI, and there are numerous opportunities to broaden my research horizons in addition to the generous support for students. And since many of the professors in the informatics course are supportive of students, the environment is probably even better for those who desire opportunities for activities outside of research.
