COE NEWSJAPANADVANCED INSTITUTE OFSCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1990

Newsletter of the Center for Strategic Development of Science andTechnology, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST)

Vol. 4 No. 2Autumn 2007

Introduction
After 3 years of COE NEWS reports, we havereported many findings of COE project activities toour readers.
One of our COE projects will try to apply
knowledge science to diverse fields of the naturalsciences in order to help researchers produce
creative theoretical results. With respect toeducation, we will train graduate students to become“knowledge coordinators” who can manage creative
research activities, and “knowledge creators”, withadvanced research and development skills. [1]This project includes several sub-projects, whichhave some distinctive features, as follows.
・ They support research activity in knowledge
creating environments.
・ Support is provided to laboratories of thematerials science field.
・ All supporters are doctoral students who belong
to the School of Knowledge Science.
The educational concept of this project is that thestudents might learn to explain management
activities to the material science laboratories.
This point attempts to not only support thelaboratories as creative spaces, but also to educate
their students about management.
Here we present 5 projects in which students arestrongly involved.
Leader: Professor Minoru Terano,“Innovation in Mature Industries”
Leader: Professor Nobuyuki Yui,
“Scientific Knowledge Creation
Research Philosophy”

based

Leader: Professor Hidenobu Hori,“Knowledge
Representation
TheoryCoordination”
Leader: Professor Eiichi Tamiya,“Knowledge Management for Laboratories”

on

Leader: Professor Goro Mizutani,“Laboratory Knowledge Management Utilizing
Mobile Blog Albums”
We would like to complete the briefing reports onthe above research by reference to the Japanese
reports [2].

Leader: Professor Minoru Terano“Innovation in Mature Industries”
1. Introduction to Materials Science Laboratory[a]This laboratory works in 4 research fields related topolyolefin materials, such as polypropylene andpolyethylene. The fields are : 1）Clarification of theresponse mechanism in the initial stage of olefin
polymerization 2) Observation of catalyst surfaces
and development of new functional catalysts 3)
Development of polyolefin nanocomposite material
4) Investigation of stability and deterioration
mechanisms in polyolefin.
This laboratory investigates various olefin
polymerization catalysts from an academic
viewpoint, and aims to produce next-generation
highly functional polyolefin materials based on theresults obtained.
2. Target of The Project (Reason for choosing a
specific theme: What results are expected?)
When master course students select their research
theme, they consider the following points:
A. What kinds of research themes were chosen byformer students?
B. What kinds of results have been found in eachresearch field?
C. Are there compatibilities between needs andseeds, between the scientific industries and theresearch themes?

forHere, our targets are making a support model fortheme selection, and construction of research roadmaps for research themes, which allow for viewing
many possibilities more clearly.

JAIST-COE News
Strategic Development of Science and TechnologyAutumn, 2007

is a traditional Japanese human developmental
process, and providing laboratory members greater
peace of mind. We have already published"Research Philosophy" in October, 2005[4]. The
sequel of "Research Philosophy" will be publishedin March, 2008.

3. Term and actual conditions
This project research occurred from April, 2006 toSeptember, 2007. There were several discussions on
the above themes between students and thelaboratory supervisor.
4. Outcome and Next Steps
A prototype for roadmapping was created [3]. Next
step is a survey of opinions of the supervisor andstudents in this laboratory about its usefulness.

Leader: Professor Hidenobu Hori
“Knowledge Representation Theory forCoordination”

Leader: Professor Nobuyuki Yui“Scientific Knowledge Creation basedon Research Philosophy”

1. Introduction to the Laboratory [c]Hori Laboratory is researching a new hybrid devicewith integration of electronics using electric chargeand magnetic storage media using magnetic spincharacteristic; both characteristics have been appliedin different apparatus until now. Iwasaki Laboratory
is researching high temperature superconductors
using oxide compounds, heat-electric exchange
semiconductor with high efficiency, etc., andKoyano Laboratory is now researching new nanocomposite materials creation for energy exchange,such as heat-electric exchange materials.

1. Introduction to the Laboratory [b]A variety of medical devices including artificialorgans, drug formulations, and substrates for tissue
regeneration are expected to support creative humanlives, and their realization depends upon designinghighly functional biomaterials. This laboratory is
promoting advanced research on novel biomaterials
designthroughsupramolecularapproaches.
Supramolecular science can exploit the new worldof biomaterials, beyond the field of conventional
polymers.

Three professors have been cooperating in a project
on how to transfer the essence of physics
phenomena from the perspective of developing agood understanding of principles and transferring
information by new media.

2. Target of the project (Reason for choosing a
specific theme: What results are expected? )Almost all scientists or researchers have written
books about their research achievements. But there
are not many reports about how to train students tobecome good researchers, written from theviewpoint of active researchers. Several view points
and discussions about current issues are presented,
including the views of active researchers.

2. Target of the projects (Reason for choosing a
specific theme: What results are expected? )Prof. Hori, Associate Prof. Iwasaki and AssociateProf. Koyano are proceeding to train students whocancoordinate
physics
researchers
withnonprofessional people in physics, such as top
management of companies, statesmen and students
studying social science etc., by the three followingmeans.
a) Arranged a textbook to explain principles ofphysics for nonprofessional people.
b) Teach essence of physics phenomena byexecuting representative experiments such as
thermoelectric transduction, etc., in front of students,
making students understand the principles [5].
c) Utilize animation in presentations as anexplanation skill [6] [7].

3. Term and actual conditions
This project took place from October, 2003 toSeptember, 2007. We believe that virtues cultivatedin our lives lie at the root of excellent research.
Several times a month, professors and researchers in
the graduate schools of Materials Science andKnowledge Science, had discussions about various
educational topics.
4. Outcome and Next Steps
They discussed research philosophy and educational
methods for promoting strategic and creative
research activities. Specifically, we reflected on ourown experiences of research activities, to explore
significant meanings of these experiences. As aresult, we also found three factors for promoting
creative research: making a correlation between tacitknowledge and creativity, supervising laboratory
members referring to "Shu-Ha-Ri *" process, which*“Shu Ha Ri” is a Japanese term which describes theoverall progression of martial arts training. Shu may betranslated as "to protect" or "to obey.". Ha may betranslated as "to break free" or "to frustrate." Ri is thestage where students separate from their instructors,
having absorbed all that students can learn from them.

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JAIST-COE News
Strategic Development of Science and TechnologyAutumn, 2007

4. Outcome and Next Steps
Participants made a comparison between 2laboratories and contextualized the differences inorganization of controls, activities and environments[8]. The points of comparison are listed here.

3. Term and Actual Condition
This project continued from fall 2004 to May, 2007.
The software for the project was completed in May,
2007.
4. Outcome and Next Steps
Animation viewer software which included real-timerendering and a physics engine was developed. It
can be used to embed objects in MS-PowerPoint.
This embedding enables advanced animation
expression in a presentation. Future expectations
include:・ Relations with or effects of the outsideenvironment such as marketing or industries andso on.
・ The scale, education styles and research stylesof the laboratories.
・ The roles of the supervisors, except the roles ofeducation and research.
・ Special research findings, except papers,
copyrights, patents and research funds.
・ About“know-who”,
visualization
oforganizational knowledge.

1) Presentations will become more effective.
2) People can easily create animations of technicalexplanations for educational use.
3) Coordinators will be educated, with skills toexplain new scientific phenomena.

Our next target is describing creative knowledge
activities in research.

Leader: Professor Tamiya“Knowledge Management forLaboratories”

Leader: Professor Goro Mizutani“Laboratory Knowledge Management
Utilizing Mobile Blog Albums (MoBAlbums)”

1. Introduction to the Laboratory
This laboratory works on several research themes(1) Advanced Biodevices (2) Drug delivery systems(3) Geno/Protein Chips (4) Scanning probe
microscopes (5) POC (point of care) bio sensors (6)Environment-conscious (7) Biomass energy (8)Design of functional biomolecules.

1. Introduction to the Laboratory [d]This laboratory is involved in determining thesurface characteristics of active substances and thenonlinear optical effects in nano-scale structures, aswell as in searching for new physical and natural
phenomena in these structures. The research themesthat have recently been of interest to our group are
outlined here. 1）Elucidation of surface phenomena
through optical second harmonic (SH) spectroscopy,2）Research of surface adsorbents through vibration
spectroscopy using Raman scattering and sum
frequency generation (SFG), 3 ） Research of new
properties of solids observed only on surfaces, 4）
Development and application of optical second
harmonic microscopes and sum frequency
microscopes.

2. Target of the projects (Reason for choosing a
specific theme: What results are expected? )We contextualize research activities of the materialscience laboratories to social anthropology, and try
to describe the research activities in environments
objectively, such as meeting times and laboratory
controls. Thereby we can see the differences in
research activities and environments, such asorganizational control or cultural influence, and so
on from the perspectives of the supervisors, theresearchers and the students there. This may be
important research to refer to when proposing a new
management style for research activities and theenvironment.

2. Target of the projects (Reason for choosing a
specific theme: What results are expected? )We used participant observation to comprehend
directly about ordinary research activities at
Mizutani laboratory. This study can be considered as
basic research for clarifying methods ofimprovement of research performance. Thoughhighly significant, research on laboratory
management conducted in cooperation withexperimental laboratories has not been carried out inJapan. This study is based on the need for researchin this important area. In this research project,
several research subjects are being examinedconcurrently.

3. Term and Actual Conditions
This project has continued from 2006 to date. A
doctoral course student from this laboratory inKnowledge Science visits a Material Sciencelaboratory and proposes useful tools which theresearch supervisor recommended for the students inmaterial science laboratories, and also surveys
whether the tools are useful or not, from theperception of anthropology.

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Strategic Development of Science and Technology

Autumn, 2007

fields, such as biology, chemistry, and medicine.
And then we will study the effectiveness of this tacitknowledge sharing tool by a comparative method.

3. Term and actual condition
This project continued from April, 2006 to March,
2008.
・ 2006, April to Oct: Participant observation in
the laboratory.
・ 2006, Oct - 2007, April: Conceptual
development of useful research tools for thelaboratory, and proposal for a system of mobile
blog albums (tacit knowledge sharing IT tool,
which uses mobile phone with photographfunction).
・ 2007, May - 2007, Oct: Introduction and trial of
the tools, and then evaluation of performance of
these tools, to effect change in laboratory
activities and communication style among thelaboratory members. Monthly meeting between
the laboratory members and supporters is heldfor evaluation of the tools.

Conclusion
The above contents are our results about
multidisciplinary research in our COE projects
throughout the past 5 years. We had searched for asolution to how to implement these activities for theprogram. There is much research about knowledge
management (knowledge creation, evaluation andmethodology) in industrial fields. But in the research
field, for each laboratory in the university, there has
not been much activity.
For effective knowledge based management inacademia, we think of this research in materials
science laboratories in JAIST as foundation research
for theory and practice related to “Ba” in knowledge
management, and we have studied this issue for 5years.

4. Outcome and Next Steps
We will clarify changes in activities andcommunications at Mizutani laboratory after
introducing mobile blog albums [9].
Next steps are (1) Develop a laboratory activation
method using mobile blog albums, and (2) Introduce
the tool to other experimental laboratories in various

Reference:[1] Nakamori Y.(2003) COENEWS Vol.1, No.1, Winter 2003
[2] Nakamori Y.(2007) Chishiki Souzou Ba Ronsyu- innovation study, Center for strategic Development of Science and Technology,
vol.4, No.2, 2007 (in Japanese)[3] Hiramastu A., Kurniawan D., Kobatashi T., Terano M., Nakamori Y. (2007) On exploring method of research themes in polyolefin
polymer research laboratory, Proceedings of Annual Meeting of the Japan Society for Science Policy and Research Management,
pp.72, Oct 2007.
[4] Yui colloquium (ed.)(2005) Research Philosophy, JAIST Press, 2005(in Japanese)[5] Hori H., and Sasaki S.(2007) Knowledge Creation Story 1: Person who innovates in thermal science –the world of thermal
chemistry, statistical mechanics, superfluidity and superconductivity theory, JAIST Press, 2007(in Japanese)[6]Takahashi, M., Hori, H., Miyata, K.(2007) Development of animation tool for presentation that modeled in the design of the gameengine, NICOGRAPH Spring Festival in TAF, CG Animation Conference 2007.
[7]Takahashi M., Nakamori Y., Miyata K.(2007) Development of animation tool embodied with physics engine for presentation,
proceedings pp.104-106, Entertainment Computing.
[8] Ito Y., et al.(2006) Theme of the Laboratory research: Anthropological Memorandum, Proceedings for the Japan Society for
Science Policy and Research Management, pp.1132-1135, 2006 (in Japanese)[9] Yoshinaga Y. (2007) Mobail・Blogu・Album wo katuyoushita jikken kenkyushitsu no Knowledge Management(in Japanese),
Proceedings for the Japan Society for Science Policy and Research Management, Nov. 2007.

URL:[a] http://www.jaist.ac.jp/ms/labs/bunrikinou/terano-www/[b] http://www.jaist.ac.jp/ms/labs/yui/index.html[c] http://www.jaist.ac.jp/ms/labs/jisei/hori.lab/[d] http://www.jaist.ac.jp/ms/labs/mizutani/mizutani.html

JAIST-COE News is published by the Center for Strategic Development of Science and Technology, Japan Advanced
Institute of Science and Technology, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292, Japan.
Questions, comments, article proposals and for more information about the JAIST-COE News, contact Kikuchi Tomoko
at tkikuchi@jaist.ac.jp, tel. +81-761-51-1839 or go to the link: www.jaist.ac.jp/coe/index.htm
Articles in this newsletter are based on a variety of sources. Signed articles reflect the views of the author. Unsigned
articles are prepared by the editorial staff, which is solely responsible for their content.

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