人間情報システム研究部門

情報コンテンツ研究室

1

１）当該研究室の研究成果について(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
いずれの研究も新規性が高く、高度な技術力が伴っている。研究成果はトップカンファレン
スに採録されていて、賞も受賞している点は高く評価される。国内外の多くの研究者と共同研究を実施し、その成果が発表されていることも素晴らしい。しかしながら、HCI の分野で最難関国際会議と見なされている CHI、CSCW、UIST、HRI へのフルペーパー採択がないように見えることと、英語学術論文の掲載論文誌のほとんどがインパクトファクターが 1 以下であることがやや残念である。
２）当該研究室構成員の学会活動について(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
北村教授と高島准教授は国内外の多くの学会活動に貢献している。特に北村教授は IFIP
TC-13 や ACM のリエゾンとして日本と海外の橋渡しをおこなっており、CHI2020 の日本誘致にも尽力した功績は大きい。
３）当該研究室構成員の社会貢献について(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
北村教授の MICE アンバサダーとしての貢献は、他のアンバサダーとは一線を画している。
全体として貢献が少ないように見えるが、多数の国際会議の運営には相当の労力を要するはずで、研究室全体で支えていると想像される。
４）当該研究室の競争的資金の獲得状況について(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
基盤 A を連続して獲得していることは特筆に値する。今後、基盤研究 S や JST の大型予算の獲得に期待する。
５）国際共同研究・連携研究・連携教育活動の実績について(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
アジア、欧州、北米と、世界中の研究者と多くの共同研究を実施し、学生に国際性を身につけさせることに大いに寄与していると思われる。
６）共同利用・共同研究拠点活動の実績について(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
国際的な共同研究と同時に、国内の多くの若手研究者と積極的に共同プロジェクトを実施している。
７）その他、総合的なコメント
すべての評価項目において、高い実績があり、非常に優れた研究室であると判断できる。今後は研究業績と外部資金において、さらに優れた成果をあげることを期待する。

78

人間情報システム研究部門

情報コンテンツ研究室

2

１）当該研究室の研究成果について(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
多数の査読付学術論文や難関国際会議に論文が採択されている。
２）当該研究室構成員の学会活動について(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) PoorSIGGRAPH Asia 2015 conference chair をはじめ、国際的に重要な会議での学会活動が行われている。
３）当該研究室構成員の社会貢献について( ) Excellent (*) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
研究室公開で魅力的なデモを展示している。
４）当該研究室の競争的資金の獲得状況について(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
代表として科研費基盤 A に連続して採択されている。
５）国際共同研究・連携研究・連携教育活動の実績について(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
極めて多数の国際共同研究を実施しており成果も出ている。
６）共同利用・共同研究拠点活動の実績について(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
通研の平均の 2 倍から 3 倍の件数を実施しており、共同研究拠点としての活動は活発である。
７）その他、総合的なコメント
研究室に多数の訪問者があることや、学生のハッカソンや学会ボランティアへの参加数も多いことも特長である。所属学生の女性比率が高いのも良い点である。

79

人間情報システム研究部門

情報コンテンツ研究室

3

1. How would you evaluate the research activities in this period?
(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
The research achievements are excellent, demonstrated through a number of high impact
publications in refereed journals and conference proceedings. A strong balance between internationaland national publications is demonstrated complemented with two patents and an outstanding
amount of 31 invited talks.
2. How would you evaluate the activities of the members in the laboratory for the academic societies?
(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
The research members demonstrate a continuous and active involvement in the academic community.
Prof Kitamura, for instance, is holding a variety of national and international chair roles. Most
notably, Prof Kitamura is the selected General co-chair for ACM CHI - the premier annual conference
for the Human-Computer Interaction community. Being awarded such a chair role is evidence forhigh international esteem and recognition. In addition, Associate Prof. Takashima demonstratescontinuous contributions to the academic society nationally and internationally, strengthening thereputation of the research laboratory.
3. How would you evaluate the contribution of the laboratory to society?
(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
The Laboratory engages in educational activities outside the University, including instructions forindustry as well as national and local governments and public organisations. Prof Kitamura is also aMICE Ambassador that creates a bridge between academia and society with a particular link to theJapanese tourism, who can benefit of novel interactive systems and new interactive content formats.
The research laboratory also demonstrates continues outreach activities over the evaluation period.
Overall 3000 participants are reached through the annual open days, giving the wider public theopportunity to experience new interactive content.
4. How would you evaluate the lab’s level of funding?
(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
A range of different research funds and grants have been secured over the evaluation period,
including several of the prestigious Kakenhi research grants that are very competitive with.
Besides the Kakenhi grants, the laboratory also secured other grants including collaborations with
the National University of Singapore and industry funding. Notably, the laboratory also secured
additional income through licensing fees (~300,000 JPY) based on their innovative research.
5. How would you evaluate the lab’s collaborative research, including international joint research andcollaborative education?
(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor
The research laboratory demonstrates excellent international research collaborations that have led
to successful joint publications including honourable awards and commercialisation efforts such as80

人間情報システム研究部門

see in the case of D-Flip, a new photo arrangement algorithm. Ongoing research collaborations areevidence for the strong national as well as international network the laboratory has established.
6. RIEC is one of Japan’s “Joint usage/Research Center” or “Nation-wide Cooperative Research
Projects” institutes. How would you evaluate the achievements of work done under this framework?
(*) Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) PoorThe Laboratory has achieved an excellent level of success of securing project collaborations within
RIEC. For example, in the last two years of the evaluation period, the research laboratory secured
around ~12% of project collaborations from the overall funding opportunities, demonstrating
outstanding research capabilities.
7. Additional or overall comments
Apart from an overall excellent research output and international research recognition, the group has
attracted a wide range of visiting (associate) professors and visiting researchers, and thus raises thereputation and visibility of Tohoku University.
Moreover the Research Laboratory makes an excellent contribution in increasing the percentage offemale students, achieving an impressive 23% up to 34% female students in their laboratory.
The laboratory also has hosted several international students for short-term research visits (6-12months) contributing to the Universities overall visibility on an international landscape.
Finally, the laboratory has achieved an impressive list of student awards, where many students
received awards in, for instance, programming contests outside the University. This provides a great
evidence for the students potential and excellence, and is further reflected by the students activeroles in international events as student volunteers.
Overall the research laboratory ‘Information Content’ has achieved an impressive amount of research
output, with impact on new research directions, and outreach to society and strong collaborations
with industry. The national and international achievements and scientific network are excellent
evidenced through the publication record, international visitors, invited talks, and assigned chairroles with highest importance (e.g. within SIGCHI, ACM CHI 2021).

81