The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Feature Frontiers of optical science: Ultrashort pulses of light produced by Raman scattering from hydrogen for next
generation laser optical communications

News and Events
 Tokyo Wireless Technology Summit 2014
 UEC joins forces with universities in Fukushima and Iwate to study disasters

Research Highlights
 Control systems: Fuzzy features Optical signal processing: Neater networks
 Pharmacophores: The future of drug discovery
 Hybrid solar cells: The Mechanism of dyeing for greater efficiency

Topics Checkmate or should we say 'tsumi': The role of shogi in research on artificial intelligence and cognitive science Letter From Alumni

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Ultrashort pulses of light produced by Raman scattering from hydrogen fornext generation laser optical communications
Recent advances in the performance of powerful lasers, optical fibers, andperipheral technology have played a pivotal role in the proliferation of global
telecommunications based on the transmission of 10 GHz pulses of light.
Notably, the three most important properties of lasers for telecommunications arehigh power, single frequency, and ultra-short pulse width. But what innovations
lie ahead? The answer to this question can be found in the research being
conducted by Professor Masayuki Katsuragawa, at the Department of Applied
Physics and Chemistry, UEC.
“My research is focused on the manipulation of light-matter interaction forProfessor
Masayuki Katsuragawa

producing ultra-short pulses of laser light,” says Katsuragawa. “Our recent
experiments on adiabatic stimulated Raman scattering in parahydrogen show potential for the realization oflaser light sources producing pulses at terahertz repetition-rate frequencies. These ultra-short pulses offer a
new ‘axis’ in the evolution of laser based optical science.”
Here, the new ‘axis’ refers to ultrahigh-repetition-rate trainsof monocycle pulses with precise control of the phase of thelaser light pulses. Recently, Katsuragawa and his colleagues
have reported on the realization of ultrashort pulse trains of
1.8 femto seconds (fs) in duration and repetition frequencyof 125 terahertz (THz) by stimulated Raman scattering(SRSs) produced in parahydrogen. “The critical point inthese experiments was driving Raman coherence
adiabatically, that is, without dissipation,” explains Katsuragawa. “We achieved this by developing an
injection-locked laser capable of emitting arbitrary pairs of two friequencies to irradiate the hydrogen gas, inorder to control two photon detuning from the Raman resonance.”
Recently, the UEC team has produced higher order series of stimulated Raman scattering using two driving
lasers by the introduction of a second harmonic in one of the lasers. The resulting emission referred to as a‘Raman comb’, covered an octave spectrum range from the infrared to the ultraviolet.
“I am confident that our research has laid the foundations for the development of practical systems for thegeneration of trains of monocycle pulses with total control of the phase,” says Katsuragawa.
Further information
Masayuki Katsuragawa website: http://www.mklab.es.uec.ac.jp/index_e.html
The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

References
1. M. Katsuragawa and T. Onose, Dual-Wavelength Injection-Locked Pulsed Laser. Optics Letters 30, 2421-2423(2005).
2. M. Katsuragawa, K. Yokoyama, T. Onose, and K. Misawa, Generation of a 10.6-THz ultrahigh-repetition-ratetrain by synthesizing phase-coherent Raman-sidebands, Optics Express 13, 5628-5634 (2005).
3. T. Suzuki, M. Hirai, and M. Katsuragawa, Octave-spanning Raman comb with carrier envelope offset control.
Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 243602-243605 (2008). Cover
4. M. Katsuragawa, T. Suzuki, K. Shiraga, M. Arakawa, T. Onose, K. Yokoyama, F. L. Hong, and K. Misawa:
Ultrahigh-repetition-rate pulse train with absolute-phase control produced by an adiabatic Raman process, Laser
Spectroscopy, Proceedings of the XIX International Conference, ICOLS 2009, ISBN-13 978-981-4282-33-8,
World Scientific (2010).
5. K. R. Pandiri and M. Katsuragawa, A 10 THz Function Generator - generation of rectangular- and triangularshaped pulse trains -, New Journal of Physics 13, 023030 (2011).
6. Muneaki Hase, Masayuki Katsuragawa, Anca Monia Constantinescu & Hrvoje Petek, Nature Photonics 6, 243–
247, (2012).
7. K. Yoshii, J. K. Anthony, and M. Katsuragawa, The simplest rout to generating a train of attosecond pulses.
Light: Science & Applications 2, e58 (2013); DOI:10.1038/lsa.2013.14.

“Raman comb” generated by modulating single-frequency laser radiation with coherent molecular oscillations.

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Tokyo Wireless Technology Summit 2014
The international symposium on fifth generation (5G) cellular communications
systems—Tokyo Wireless Technology Summit 2014—was held by the
Advanced Wireless Communications Research Center (AWCC) in collaboration
with the Global Information and Telecommunications Institute (GITI) of Waseda
University, at the Masaru Ibuka Auditorium at Waseda University, Tokyo, on 7
March 2014. Beyond our expectation, more than 200 people from industry andSpeakers and symposiumcommittee members

academia participated in the symposium and thoroughly enjoyed the talks by thetalented speakers.
The main theme of this symposium was to envision the future of wirelesstechnologies with potential services and markets through inspiring talks andfruitful discussions. The symposium was also intended to reveal technical issues
and key enablers of 5G systems.
The six speakers invited to share their perspectives on these issues were:
Fumiyuki Adachi (Tohoku University, Japan); Elvino Sousa (University of

Audience enjoyed quite
inspiring talks fromdistinguished professors

Toronto, Canada); Rahim Tafazolli( University of Surrey, U.K.); Dipankar
Raychaudhuri (Rutgers University, U.S.A); Rudy Lauwereins (IMEC, Belgium); and Zhisheng Niu (Tsinghua
University, China).
The speakers gave talks from not only theoretical but also practical points of view including a heterogeneous
system design with macro- and micro-cells to boost the system capacity; difficulties of microwave circuitdesign for mm-wave signals; emerging network architecture design to integrate mobile networks with
infrastructure. All the speakers pointed out that 5G networks would have to deliver data capacities of 1000
times more than the capabilities of 4G networks, based on the mobile data traffic forecast for 2020. However,they also highlighted that the goal of 5G systems is not only to achieve even higher spectral efficiency, butalso to give users the feeling that they have "infinite capacity" by always ensuring each user’s instantaneous
data rate for a specific application. Attendees actively asked the speakers many questions and after the session,
the participants enjoyed friendly discussions about the talks over coffee.
The symposium succeeded and contributed to the acceleration of research anddevelopment in order to realize a networked society with 5G.

Attendee actively andfriendly discussed 5G
systems at coffee break
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UEC joins forces with universities in Fukushima and Iwate to study disasters
Research Station of Disaster Science on Mega Risk Management (DSMRM) at University of ElectroCommunications (UEC); Fukushima Future Center for Regional Revitalization (FURE) at Fukushima
University; and Research Center for Regional Disaster Management (RCRDM) at Iwate University.
On 1st August 2013 the UEC established DSMRM as the university’s firstorganization for disaster studies. Later in the year, 18 December, Dr. Takashi
Onishi, the chairperson of the Science Council of Japan, gave a lecture entitled,“Disaster studies by the collaboration of scientists in various specialized fields”
at the launch of the DSMRM. Approximately 100 scientists and researchers who
participated in the meeting exchanged their views about the role of disasterstudies at DSMRM.

Academic meeting withmembers of FURE at
Fukushima University

On March 17, 2014, the symposium on "Problems of Reconstruction and Scientists’roles in Fukushima" under the co-sponsorship of DSMRM at the UEC and FURE at
Fukushima University was held at the UEC. The symposium included four talks on
disaster studies and the roles of scientists in reconstruction support. The lectures
underscored the seriousness of secondary damage such as the collapse of communityand family, health impairment, and the decline in the price of agricultural productscaused by harmful rumors or misinformation. During the general discussion, theapproximately 30 participants including scientists, researchers, and general public,

Academic meeting with themembers of RCRDM at
Iwate University

recognized the unique aspects of the problems caused by the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster after the Great
East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.

On June 11, a symposium on "Activities for Recovery and Reconstruction in
Iwate" under the co-sponsorship of DSMRM at the UEC and RCRDM at Iwate
University was also held at the UEC. Three professors gave lectures on crisis
management, disaster reduction, The Iwate Higher Education Consortium, andreconstruction support in damaged areas. The general discussion between theapproximately 50 participants highlighted the importance of crisis management
and education as measures for disaster prevention and limitation, and the
problems of community design for reconstruction in damaged areas.

Symposium under theco-sponsorship with DSMRM
and RCRDM at the UEC

Based on the co-sponsorship of the aforementioned symposia, the participants confirmed the resources and current
status of each of the participating universities. There are plans to hold further symposia in the future co-sponsorshipof DSMRM, FURE, RCRDM and other research organizations, to discuss the possibility of collaborative studies
utilizing the strengths of each participating institute.

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Control systems: Fuzzy features
The natural world is not always logical, and precise states such as ‘true’ or ‘false’ are quite rare. The field of
fuzzy logic takes account of this fact by creating models in which truth is represented on a continuous scale
between 0 and 1. Mathematical control systems based on fuzzy logic have proved useful for real-world
situations such as handwriting recognition on pocket computers, auto-focusing on cameras, and earthquake
prediction.
One popular fuzzy control methodology is the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) model, which involves interactions
between ‘controllers’ and ‘observers’ represented by matrix polynomials. Now, Kazuo Tanaka and colleagues
at the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo, with co-workers at Kyushu Institute of Technology
and Boston University, USA, have used a sum-of-squares approach to design effective observers within threeclasses of T-S fuzzy systems1.
The most striking feature of the sum-of-squares designs is that, for two of the fuzzy systems tested, thedesigns realize the ‘separation principle’, meaning that the fuzzy controller and observer can be separately
designed without affecting the stability of the overall system. The principle doesn’t hold for the more
complicated third system, but Tanaka and co-workers have proposed an algorithm that predicts the best
controller and observer designs to maximize stability.
The algorithms developed by Tanaka and co-workers are easily implemented using the SOSTOOLS toolbox
within the popular MatLab programming environment. In future, the researchers hope to realize the separation
principle for even the third fuzzy system, and will apply their models to improving aerial vehicles control.
On June 11, a symposium on "Activities for Recovery and Reconstruction in Iwate" under the co-sponsorship ofDSMRM at the UEC and RCRDM at Iwate University was also held at the UEC. Three professors gave lectures oncrisis management, disaster reduction, The Iwate Higher Education Consortium, and reconstruction support indamaged areas.
1. Tanaka, K., Ohtake, H., Seo, T., Tanaka, M. & Wang, H.O. Polynomial fuzzy observer designs: a sum-of-squares
approach. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics – Part B: Cybernetics 42(5), 1330-1342 (2012)
doi: 10.1109/TSMCB.2012.2190277

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Researchers at the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo have pioneered an approach to applying ‘fuzzy logic’ withinmathematical models that could have applications such as improving the control of helicopters. This photograph shows anunmanned aerial vehicle being controlled by Tanaka and colleagues using the ‘fuzzy logic’ described in this paper.

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Optical signal processing: Neater networks
The demand for fast access to data through optical networks requires technology that can handle ever more
complex and high-bandwidth signals. However, the signal processing usually requires conversions fromoptical to electronic and back again, which can be power-hungry and expensive.
To move towards cheaper, more environmentally-friendly photonics, researchers are working on optical signal
processing devices that require no signal conversions. A central aim for such devices is ‘wavelength divisionmultiplexing’ (WDM), whereby one device can operate on many signals at the same time, if each signal has adifferent wavelength.
Now, Hung Nguyen Tan, Motoharu Matsuura and Naoto Kishi at the University of Electro-Communications
in Tokyo have built an optical switching device that not only performs WDM, but also processes signals withdifferent data formats, and convert signals between formats1.
Their device is based on a conventional photonic design called a Sagnac interferometric switch, and has
selectable windows for collecting and processing signals of different wavelengths. It can receive and convert
signal formats from so-called non-return-to-zero (NRZ) to return-to-zero (RZ) formats.
Most impressively, the tests performed by Tan, Matsuura and Kishi showed that their device could regeneratesignals that have degraded due to dispersion or spontaneous emission in the optic fibres of a network. In a networkwith mixed NRZ and RZ signals, it demonstrated excellent signal transmission on all wavelengths.
The researchers suggest that their device has potential for other processing tasks, especially for multicasting - thedelivery of information such as clock pulses to many computers simultaneously.
1. Tan, H.N., Matsuura, M. & Kishi, N. Parallel WDM signal processing in mixed NRZ and RZ transmission
networks using a single optical gate with multiple switching windows. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics inQuantum Electronics 18(2), 926-934 (2012) doi: 10.1109/JSTQE.2011.2151832

A device developed at the University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, can process signals of several different wavelengths anddata formats at once, and repair degradation caused by defects in optical fiber networks.
The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Pharmacophores: The future of drug discovery
Developing new drugs that bind exclusively to target cells in diseases such as cancer is crucial. Masumi Takiand co-workers at the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo, together with scientists at Kagoshima
University, Japan, have expanded on current drug discovery methods to create a hybrid-drug generating
system for this purpose.
Their system uses ‘artificial-molecule evolution’ - taking non-natural core molecules and adapting andoptimizing them to make new ‘pharmacophores’. A pharmacophore is a molecular model which can be
manipulated to bind molecules for targets such as cancer cells.
Taki’s team designed an artificial core molecule using salicylic acid, a readily available drug-like molecule
known never to bind to a target protein on its own. They then used a common technique in drug discovery
called ‘phage display’ to manipulate peptides to surround the artificial core molecule. Phage display involves
inserting gene fragments into surface protein genes on bacteriophages - naturally-occurring viruses that infectbacteria. A new, non-natural protein or peptide hybrid then appears on the phage surface, and its biologicalproperties can be exploited.

Publication and Affiliation
Yuuki Tokunaga1, Yuuki Azetsu1, Keisuke Fukunaga1, Takaaki Hatanaka2, Yuji Ito2 &Masumi Taki1*. Pharmacophore generation from a drug-like core molecule surrounded by a library peptide via
the 10BASEd-T on bacteriophage T7. Molecules 19 2481-2496 (2014)
1. Department of Engineering Science, Bioscience and Technology Program, The Graduate School of Informatics
and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications (UEC), 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585,
Japan.
2. Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Graduate School of Science and Engineering,Kagoshima University, 1-21-35 Korimoto, Kagoshima, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan*corresponding author, e-mail address: taki@pc.uec.ac.jp

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Researchers from the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo have developed a new method for generating
pharmacophores from artificial core molecules linked to T7 phages.

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Hybrid solar cells: The Mechanism of dyeing for greater efficiency
Light-harvesting organic materials have the potential to provide low cost electricity through solar power.
However, current designs for organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells (OIHSCs) suffer weaknesses at the interface
between organic and inorganic components and this limits efficiency.
Now, Qing Shen at the University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, and Shuzi Hayase at Kyushu Instituteof Technology together with scientists in Hayase JST CREST Research Team across Japan, have succeeded inclarifying the mechanism for improving the performance of an OIHSC by adding a dye sensitizer directly onto
the organic-inorganic interface.
When sunlight hits the organic donor material in an OIHSC, excitons are generated (an electrically-neutral
state where electron and hole are bound together) and begin to move around. At the interface, the excitons
split into electrons in the inorganic acceptor material and holes in the organic donor material. This charge
separation allows a current to flow.
Problems with efficiency occur when, instead of remaining separate, the electrons and holes recombine at theinterface, slowing down the electricity production.
Shen , Hayase and co-workers in Hayase JST CREST Research Team used an OIHSC made from a film of poly(3hexylthiophene) (P3HT), a common organic donor material, and an inorganic acceptor made from zinc oxide(ZnO). They studied charge separation and recombination processes at the interfaces using time-resolved laser
spectroscopy, namely, transient absorption (TA) technique. They found that when they added dye to the OIHSC
interface, the molecules in the dye helped separate the holes in P3HT from the electrons in ZnO. A reduction in
ZnO surface states as a result of dye-sensitizing also led to the decrease in electron trapping, helping to minimize
the chances of charge recombination.
Overall, the research team found a methodology to design a high-performing OIHSC that provided rapid charge
separation, while greatly suppressing charge recombination.

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Publication and Affiliation
Qing Shen*ab, Yuhei Ogomibc , Sandeep K. Dasc, Shyam S. Pandeybc, Kenji Yoshinobd, Kenji Katayamae , Hisayo
Momosef,

Taro Toyodaab, & Shuzi Hayase*bc. Huge suppression of charge recombination in P3HT–ZnO organic–

inorganic hybrid solar cells by locating dyes at the ZnO/P3HT interfaces. PCCP (2013)
a. Department of Engineering Science, Faculty of Informatics and Engineering,
The University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu,
Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
b. CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi,
Saitama 332-0012, Japanc. Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute ofTechnology, 2-4 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu 808-0196, Japand. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Miyazaki University,
1-1 Gakuen kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japane. Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering,
Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo 112-8551, Japanf. Center For Semiconductor Research & Development, Toshiba corporation,
580-1 Horikawa-cho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 212-8520, Japan*corresponding author, e-mail address: shen@pc.uec.ac.jp; hayase@life.kyutech.ac.jp

Researchers from the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo and Kyushu Institute of Technology (Hayase JST CREST
Research Term) have succeeded in clarifying the mechanism for improving the performance of organic-inorganic hybrid solar
cells by adding a dye sensitizer at interfaces, which may lead to low-cost electricity production.

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Checkmate or should we say 'tsumi': The role of shogi in research on artificial
intelligence and cognitive science
UEC researchers shed light on effective methods to 'teach' computers to play board games and conversely,
how humans process information when playing these games.
Developing powerful Shogi computer programs
The victory by the computer dubbed 'Deep Blue' over world chess champion Garry
Kasparov in 1997 was a turning point for computer scientists in general, and artificial
intelligence experts, in particular. Such computer programs for board games rely on
powerful heuristic search methods--intelligent guessing based on experience--basedon the development of so-called "heuristic evaluation functions".
"The victory of Deep Blue over a grand master was based on hand tuning ofparameters in the computer programs," says Kunihito Hoki, an expert in artificial

Dr. Kunihito Hoki

intelligence at UEC. "The goal of my research is to develop fully automated learningof heuristic evaluation functions for artificial intelligence. Recently, in collaboration with Tomoyuki Kanekoof the University of Tokyo, we developed a learning method that is capable of adjusting more than forty
million parameters in the evaluation function." The learning method employed a well-modeled objectivefunction and a numerical iterative method to control the heuristic search results by means of a large number ofparameters.
In an innovative approach to demonstrate the power of their heuristic search method the researchers decided to
implement the new method-- called Minimax Tree Optimization (MMTO)--in a program for playing shogi--avariant of chess also referred to as Japanese chess.
Notably, one of the unique features of shogi is that pieces captured by players can be reused as their own; arule that makes the game 'divergent' and difficult to predict the outcome. Chess in contrast, 'converges' and theloss of a single piece can quickly lead to an end game. Thus, the quality of the evaluation functions isextremely important for producing powerful computer programs for shogi.
With this background, Hoiki and his colleague implemented their new method for a shogi program known as
Bonanza and the power of the program was recognized by its first-place finish in the 2013 World Computer
Shogi Championship. "We also have preliminary evidence of broader applications of our method to other twoplayer games such as chess," says Hoki.

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Large-scale optimizations for evaluation functions in Shogi [1]. The left axis shows improvements in strength (Elo rating) achievedby MMTO and comparison training (existing method), and the bottom axis shows the iteration count of numerical optimizations.
The evaluation function AB has sixty thousand, ABC has two million, and ABCD has forty million parameters.

Next move experiments: Cognitive science to analyze the human perspective of playing shogi
But what about the other view? How do humans play shogi, and what are thedifferences in processing powers between champions and amateur players?
These questions are being addressed by Takeshi Ito, Chairman of the Cognitive
Science and Entertainment Research Station at UEC, an experienced amateur player
and advisor to the UEC Shogi Club, which is one of the top 8 university clubs inJapan.
Dr. Takeshi Ito"Shogi is one of the most popular board games in Japan with approximately 12
million playing the game," says Ito. "My experiments on 'next moves' are designed to analyze how players,
ranging in ability from beginners to professionals, recognize phases and generate candidate moves."
Ito adds that the 'thought experiments' of shogi players consist of "verbal data from think-aloud protocols andeye-tracking data from an eye camera when solving next move problems".
Results from these experiments show that intermediate players think for longer periods of time (275s) than
beginners and advances players (150s). Beginners take a long time (55s) to understand a position and focus on
single moves that are possible from the current position. The time to understand a position becomes short withplaying strength. Almost all professional players can understand a position within 3 seconds and find a proper
candidate move immediately.

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Intriguingly, professional players rely on past experience and moves areevaluated as having good or bad prospects without any look-ahead. Also, theyrecognize a position instantly and based on past experience and knowledge
about the position.
"Professionals do not focus on all the piece positions but understand positions
based on the flow of the game," says Ito. "My research compliments that of mycolleague Kunihito Hoki. We are confident that our findings on shogi willcontribute to the wider field of artificial intelligence and cognitive science."

Mr. Yoshiharu Habu, a famous
top shogi player who
participates in an experiment
which investigates the thoughtprocess by using eye tracker.

References
1. Kunihito Hoki and Tomoyuki Kaneko, Large-Scale Optimization for Evaluation Functions with Minimax Search,
Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research 49, 527-568, (2014).
2. Takeshi Ito, Takuya Obata, Takuya Sugiyama, Kunihito Hoki, Consultation Algorithm in Shogi-A Move Decision
Based on the Positional Evaluation Value, Journal of Information Processing Society of Japan, 51, 2048-2054,(2010).
3. Takeshi Ito, Hitoshi Matsubara, and Reijer Grimbergen: Chunking in Shogi:New Findings, Advances in
Computer Games, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 4250,pp.140-154 (2006).

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

Letter from Alumni
My academic activities in Thailand
Kosin Chamnongthai, professor of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering
Department, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Tehcnology Thonburi,
Bangkok, Thailand
I received my bachelor degree from UEC in 1985, and went back to my home town inThailand after getting my PhD in 1991. Although I had some choices about my working
place, I chose King Mongkut’s University of Technology, which is located in the south of Bangkok, because I
was born in Bangkok, and at the time I tried to find an appropriate working place in Bangkok where I can
attend from home. There was no strong tradition and basis of research in the Electrical Engineering
Department where I had worked so that I had to start up a research lab namely “Computer Vision Lab” fromnothing in the environment that people concentrated on teaching. The Computer Vision Lab has been started
from collecting instruments, students, and documents, gradually grown up, and recently seemed to be wellknown among graduate students in Thailand in the related fields of IT, Electrical Engineering, Electronics,
and Computers. The Computer Vision Lab at KMUTT (visionlab.kmutt.ac.th) has produced more than 100
masters and 8 PhDs, and all of them currently play key role in many important institutes in both government
and private sectors of Thailand and neighbouring countries.
In addition to my teaching and research duties, around 15 years
ago many researchers in electrical and computer engineering
fields in Thailand agreed that we should establish an academic
association. Hence, the Electronic and Computer
Telecommunication and Information (ECTI) association was
founded and becomes the first academic association in fields ofelectrical engineering, electronics, computer, telecommunication,and information technology emerging in Thailand. In theassociation, I have served as editor of e-magazine, associate
editor of international transactions, and main committee for organising many international and national
conferences. The ECTI e-magazine is electronically published in every three months, and the No. 1 of Vol. 8
was just published in March 2014 (http://www.ecti-thailand.org/emagazine). For the Transactions, I have been
involved as associate editor in both ECTI-EEC Trans (http://www.ecti-thailand.org/paper/journal/ECTI-EEC)
and ECTI-CIT Trans (http://www.ecti-thailand.org/paper/journal/ECTI-CIT) since the beginning. For the
ECTI-EEC Trans, I have retired two years ago after it was listed in the TCI and Scorpus indices, and I thenmoved to concentrate on editing ECTI-CIT Trans which will be applied for the indices soon. Thesetransactions become the international stages for researchers, professors, and students from around the world

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

especially Asian countries to publish their advanced research results, and in some cases publishing in the
ECTI transactions can be used as a condition for getting a degree.
In hosting conferences, I started to serve as a local arrangement committee in the organizing team of aninternational conference called APCAS in 1998 held in Chiangmai, Thailand where I first learned how to
distribute the papers to reviewers, how to select the papers, how to set up the parallel sessions, and so on. The
first organising of international conference inspired me very much to concentrate on conference activities sothat I accordingly organized many conferences with my happiness. I had served as general chair, technicalprogram chair and so on for various well-known conferences both in national and international levels such as
EECON, ECTI-CON, ECTI-CARD, IWAIT, NICOGRAPH, ISPACS, ITC-CSCC, SICE, ICESIT, SISA,APSIPA, TENCON, ISCIT, iEECON, ICSEC, JCSSE, KST, JICTEE, and so on. Actually, we expect that theconferences organized in Thailand will benefit participation chances for people in Thailand and the ASEAN
region. However, I ultimately recognize what I get is not only know-how of organizing conference but also
expansion of my human network in the international level.
Recently, since the population of Japan tends to dramatically decrease, the Japanese universities need to scale
down their business, and simultaneously recruit students from oversea for filling in the capacity. UEC which
is selected as one of the National Research Universities also has to lead in efficient management and expand
its internationalization in its education and research in order to deal with the next generation problem of lesspopulation. UEC has accordingly started up the research centre in Bangkok called UARC (UEC ASEAN
Research Centre) since Feb 7, 2014. This research centre may feature as the hub for collaborations between
university and private sectors in ASEAN region, and contribute in education of students in the region. I as analumni of UEC currently serve as UARC vice director, and will contribute as coordinator to find collaboration
partners in ASEAN, and advertise the UEC reputation in ASEAN.

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.

The University of Electro-Communications (UEC) in Tokyo
is a small, luminous university at the forefront of applied sciences, engineering, and technology
research. Its roots go back to the Technical Institute for Wireless Commutations, which wasestablished in 1918 by the Wireless Association to train so-called wireless engineers in maritime
communications in response to the Titanic disaster in 1912. In 1949, the UEC was established as anational university by the Japanese Ministry of Education, and moved in 1957 from Meguro to its
current Chofu campus Tokyo.
With approximately 4,000 students and 350 faculty, UEC is regarded as a small university, but withparticular expertise in wireless communications, laser science, robotics, informatics, and materialscience, to name just a few areas of research.
The UEC was selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
Program for Promoting the Enhancement of Research Universities as a result of its strengths in threemain areas: optics and photonics research, where we are number one for the number of joint
publications with foreign researchers; wireless communications, which reflects our roots; andmaterials-based research, particularly on fuel cells.
International Public Relations
The University of Electro-Communications
1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585
E-mail : kokusai-k@office.uec.ac.jp
Website : http://www.uec.ac.jp/eng/

The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585© 2014 The University of Electro-Communications.