The Kanazawa University Strategic Project for Development of Doctoral Students and Research Promotion (HaKaSe⁺) held the “Door to a different field 2025 – Exploring issues through cross-disciplinary interactions -” over two days, December 4 (Day 1) and December 23 (Day 2).

Approximately 120 selected students from 3 main projects of HaKaSe⁺; “WISE Program for Nano-Precision Medicine, Science, and Technology（HaKaSe⁺ for WISE）“, “SPRING Project for Doctoral Talents in Creating Novel Values（HaKaSe⁺ for SPRING）”, “BOOST Project for Trailblazing AI Crossover Doctoral Talents（HaKaSe⁺ for BOOST)”—gathered together with HaKaSe⁺ faculty members.
This year, students from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) also participated, further expanding the network of doctoral student exchange.

HaKaSe⁺ are focusing on nurturing and producing doctoral talents who pioneer the future with a broad perspective based on deep expertise, and contribute to the advancement of science and technology and the creation of innovations in Japan as well as around the world.

This year’s “Door to a different field”, held in collaboration with Emerging Technologies Corporation, was designed to enhance doctoral students’ abilities in identifying and setting issues, conceptualizing ideas, planning and proposing solutions, and fostering co-creation.

On Day 1, selected students deepened their understanding of the societal significance of their own research, and then formed teams across research fields, academic years, and nationalities to discuss ideas for deriving and solving social challenges. After Day 1, each team received feedback from HaKaSe⁺ faculty members and refined their proposals in preparation for presentations on Day 2.

On Day 2, three external experts, Special Jury were invited to provide students with the opportunity to gain new insights from diverse perspectives: IMAMURA Fumihiko, Ph.D., Director, Consulting Team / Chief Analyst, Department of Economic Security, FRONTEO, Inc.; KAGAMI Ayano, Ph.D., Director, CIC Institute; and KITAHARA Shuji, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women’s Medical University. Each team presented their proposal on creating new value across three venues, while being evaluated by HaKaSe⁺ faculty, the external experts, and the students themselves. Teams with outstanding proposals were recognized with the Best Team Award, as well as the Special Jury Award.

In the post-presentation talk session, the three external experts spoke in a relaxed setting about why they pursued a doctoral degree, key turning points in their careers, and the wide range of their professional experiences. Their creativity and drive inspired many of the selected students.

Finally, Trustee (Education) & Vice President MORIMOTO Akiharu, the Director of Executive Committee for HaKaSe⁺, praised the selected students for collaboratively developing original ideas through interdisciplinary teamwork, and encouraged them to continue striving toward becoming doctoral talent capable of contributing to society.

Participants commented, “It was a practical experience of interdisciplinary research on a small scale,” and, “I realized that when fields differ, the thought processes and perspectives we emphasize are also very different. Through communication with other disciplines, I gained experiences that are difficult to obtain within my own specialized field.”

It is hoped that this event will be an opportunity for selected students to look at the expansion and connection of their research, and to deepen research exchange among selected students.

Group photo

 

Students discussing ideas for identifying and solving challenges

A talk session facilitated by FUKAZAWA Tomonori, President and CEO of Emerging Technologies Inc., featuring three Special Jury

The three teams honored with the Best Team Award

Three teams awarded the Special Jury Award