#Japan #Innovation #Tokyo #Academic Awards #Tokyo Denki University

The 2024 Tokyo Denki University Awards Ceremony

On February 21, 2024, Tokyo Denki University held its prestigious ceremony honoring the recipients of various academic awards at the Kasio Hall in the Senju campus. These awards, namely the Niwa Hojirō Memorial Thesis Award, the Education Award, the Education Encouragement Award, the Young Researcher Thesis Award, and the Invention Award, recognize outstanding contributions in academia and innovation made by both students and faculty.

Niwa Hojirō Memorial Thesis Award

Founded in 1977 to commemorate the legacy of former president Dr. Niwa Hojirō, this award celebrates exceptional graduate-level research in electronic communications engineering and related fields such as information technology and electrical engineering. This year marks the 49th edition of the award, with over 100 recipients to date. This year, three exemplary theses were honored out of seven submissions after a rigorous evaluation by the award committee, chaired by President Tadahiko Iba.

The recipients of the Niwa Hojirō Memorial Thesis Award are:
1. Yuto Mitake (The University of Tokyo)
- Thesis: Photonic Matrix-Vector Multiplication With Low-Insertion-Loss and Non-Volatile Ge₂Sb₂Te₃S₂ Intensity Modulators
- Journal: Journal of Lightwave Technology (2024)
- Reason: Yuto proposed innovative optical phase shifters using non-volatile phase-change materials, laying the groundwork for surpassing traditional electronic circuit performance.

2. Kanta Mikami (Kyoto University)
- Thesis: High-Mobility 4H-SiC p-Channel MOSFETs on Nonpolar Faces
- Journal: IEEE Electron Device Letters (2024)
- Reason: His work on silicon carbide-based pMOSFETs achieved a twofold increase in mobility, providing valuable insights into performance enhancements and design guidelines for FinFETs.

3. Yoshiki Kamiura (Kyushu University)
- Thesis: 300-GHz Beam-Steering Wireless Communication Enabled by 4-Array InGaAs UTC-PD on SiC Substrate
- Journal: Journal of Lightwave Technology (2025)
- Reason: He successfully demonstrated a THz beam-steering circuit, applicable to next-generation wireless communications and sensing, utilizing previously unexplored frequency bands.

Education Award and Education Encouragement Award

This year's Education Award acknowledges innovative teaching methods, while the Education Encouragement Award recognizes efforts in promoting academic success. They celebrate exceptional contributions to teaching that result in remarkable educational outcomes.
1. Education Award:
- Masashi Shishido (Faculty of Systems Design Engineering)
- Contribution: Developed an English learning system integrating AI, gamification, and creative expressions tailored for engineering students, enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes, as indicated by improved TOEIC scores.

2. Education Encouragement Award:
- Yuko Takimura (Faculty of Science and Engineering)
- Contribution: Implemented a structured English writing program utilizing ChatGPT to foster self-directed learning among students, demonstrating significant improvements in fluency, accuracy, and complexity in English writing.

Young Researcher Thesis Award

• - Tenki Aiba (Tokyo Denki University)

- Thesis: Structural Health Monitoring Using Time-Augmented Response Spectrum and Deep Learning
- Conference: ASME PVP 2024
- Contribution: His research integrates time and frequency domain information for structural health monitoring using deep learning techniques, recognized at an international conference with the Clay Rodery Outstanding Technical Paper Award.

Invention Award

The Invention Award recognizes practical and socially beneficial inventions by staff and students. This year, the following innovations were honored:
1. Wataru Kobayashi (Special Distinguished Professor)
- Invention: A system predicting flooding probabilities, part of an experimental project with local governments for implementation in disaster management.

2. Daido Moetsu and Yuuki Ike (Graduate School of Science and Technology)
- Invention: A novel sensor and analysis device for evaluating the fermentation state of liquids, with application potential across the food and health industries.

Conclusion

As a center for academic and technological advancements, the Tokyo Denki University continues to foster an environment of innovation and excellence. The recognition of these outstanding individuals reinforces the university's commitment to supporting groundbreaking research and education for future generations. Further details about the award recipients and their contributions can be found in subsequent pages.