President
TAKAMATSU Hiroshi

National Institute of Technology, Kumamoto College (KUMAMOTO KOSEN) is one of four colleges in Japan that were merged from two other colleges of technology: Kumamoto National College of Technology started in 1943 as Kumamoto Wireless Telegraph Training Center, and Yatsushiro National College of Technology established in 1974. The new college was established in October 2009 with six Departments and two Advanced Engineering Courses in two campuses: Department of Information, Communication and Electronic Engineering, Department of Control and Information Systems Engineering, Department of Human-Oriented Information Systems Engineering, and Electronics and Information Systems Engineering Course in the Kumamoto Campus, and Department of Mechanical and Intelligent Systems Engineering, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Department of Biological and Chemical Systems Engineering, and Production Systems Engineering Course in the Yatsushiro Campus. For specific purposes we also have four Centers: Center for Information Security, which is indispensable in recent years, the Center for Technical and Educational Support for the development of manufacturing skills, Center for Industry Collaboration Project for collaboration with local community in terms of education and research, and Center for Global Leadership Development for the internationalization of students and faculty members.

KOSEN has been highly regarded in the education of engineers who support development of Japanese industry and is currently expected ever higher after the decades of Japan’s diminishing global presence in manufacturing. KUMAMOTO KOSEN has several distinctive initiatives in addition to education in each of specialized fields. The first is in liberal arts education. Liberal arts courses are offered from the first to fourth year to broaden students’ perspectives and cultivate their ability to find solutions to various problems on their own. The second is education on semiconductors. Responding to expectations for the promotion of the semiconductor industry growing particularly in Kumamoto, our school has initiated various initiatives such as offering an introductory course on semiconductors to students from all departments. The third is the incorporation of assistive technological development in the field of nursing and assisting care in education. With help of students, we will focus on social implementation of technology in this field. The fourth is entrepreneurship education, which is expected in Japan these days. Our school has started an initiative called “KUMAMOTO KOSEN First Penguins Project” to nurture the spirit of challenge in students and to create an atmosphere of school-wide support for it.

We are now at a turning point; the evolution of AI will certainly change society. The goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and digital transformation are also driving forces for social change. In order to nurture students who can respond to and lead the changes in society, I think it is necessary for faculty members themselves to quickly identify contents of education that need to be protected and that need to change, and to be flexible in changing the areas, ideas, skills and methods of education. For future education in KOSEN, collaboration with companies, local communities, various educational institutions, and local governments will be more important than ever before. Your understanding and continued support would be greatly appreciated.