Report on Empowerment Studio Opening Symposium
An Empowerment Studio Opening Symposium was held at the Empowerment Studio on November 13, 2015. This symposium was hosted by the Ph.D. Program in Empowerment Informatics (EMP), chosen by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan as a Leading Graduate School program in 2013.
The Empowerment Studio, where this symposium was held, is a place where the research style is implemented of obtaining evaluations from the general public through exhibitions and linking such feedback to the next steps in research to refine the systems developed, as an educational system distinctive to the Program. This is a new attempt to develop systems together with society, rather than through the traditional outreach efforts of reporting on results after research is complete.
This symposium welcomed approximately 100 participants including representatives of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, leading researchers from across Japan and around the world, faculty members and students of programs conducted with partner universities and companies in Japan and around the world, members of the general public, and faculty of the University of Tsukuba.
EMP Program Leader Prof. Hiroo Iwata served as emcee, with remarks from Makoto Ito, Vice President for Education/Head of the School of Integrative and Global Majors (SIGMA), and Kumiko Kikuchi of the University Reforms Promotion Office in the University Promotion Division of the Higher Education Bureau in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. These were followed by lectures from invited speakers Gerfried Stocker of Ars Electronica Linz GmbH, Prof. Victoria Vesna of the University of California at Los Angeles and a visiting professor at the University of Tsukuba, and Prof. Jun’ichi Rekimoto of the University of Tokyo graduate school. Next, four teams of EMP students presented on the results of original research they conducted after forming teams voluntarily. After that, this successful symposium came to an end with remarks from EMP Program Director Specially Appointed Professor Yuichi Ohta.
The symposium was followed by a tour of the Studio and demonstration of its works, enabling attendees to experience the works on exhibit. This proved a valuable opportunity for those exhibiting their works to get feedback on them directly from attendees.
Media coverage
Nihon Keizai Shimbun, p. 13
Date: November 16, 2015 (Mon.)
Title: Simulating the movement of a giant: University of Tsukuba’s five-meter robot
Joyo Shimbun, p. 2
Date: November 13, 2015 (Fri.)
Title: University of Tsukuba’s Empowerment Studio, the world’s largest VR space, opens to the public: Combines laboratories with a gallery
Tsukuba Daigaku Shimbun, pp. 2, 12
Date: December 7, 2015 (Mon.)
Title: Empowerment Studio opens to the public: Visitors struck by the world’s largest VR space, experience walking as a five-meter robot
PC Watch
Date: November 14, 2015 (Sat.)
URL: http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20151114_730583.html
Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Web edition)
Date: November 15, 2015 (Sun.)
URL：http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLASGG14H07_V11C15A1TJM000/
Joyo Shimbun (Web edition)
Date: November 13, 2015 (Fri.)
URL: http://bit.ly/1OMRno2