Founding philosophy

Future University Hakodate aims to create a society where "humanity" and "science" are in harmony. Its founding philosophy is to cultivate highly creative individuals with profound intellect and rich humanity, and to contribute to the advancement of academia, culture, and industry by collaborating with the local community as a hub for intellectual, cultural, and international exchange.

Future University Hakodate was founded by the Hakodate Metropolitan Public University Wide-Area Union, drawing on the aspirations and enthusiasm of the region. The university was founded in 2000. Hakodate is a port city with a unique history as one of the first ports in Japan to open up to the modern world. The Shojutsu Chosho (Institute for the Study of Various Arts), established by the Hakodate Magistrate's Office of the Shogunate, was Japan's first educational institution for Western science and technology, producing a variety of achievements and talented individuals. The people of this city have eagerly absorbed foreign cultures and have made unique efforts in fields such as new science and technology, culture, industry, and education.

Future University Hakodate, the only public university in the southern Hokkaido region, is a specialized information science university that, in response to the globalization of the information society which has been rapidly advancing since the end of the 20th century, is committed to fostering talent and shaping the future of research and the region, all centered on systems information science.

Creation of Systems Information Science

Since its founding, our university has aimed to establish systems information science as a unique academic field. The systems information science that our university aims to develop is based on the development of information science in the 20th century, and aims to create a new, comprehensive field of information science that is "human-centered" and needed in the 21st century. The specialized fields known as information science and information engineering are relatively new, having been established only about half a century ago. Against the backdrop of the explosive development of information technology in the second half of the 20th century, they have developed as a rather "technology-centered" academic field.

Our university's field of systems information science aims to expand the possibilities of conventional information technology to encompass the comprehensive real world that surrounds us—a world in which human systems, social systems, natural systems, and artificial systems are all intertwined. The world exists as a complex system in which countless elements intertwine. In the real world, nature, society, and human-made artifacts are all intertwined and form a single environmental world. For example, the new analytical target known as big data attempts to treat massive amounts of data connected by information networks as a single object. Recent advances in the sophistication of weather forecast data have been gradually realized through the evolution of methods for analyzing the natural phenomenon of weather as a single, interconnected system.

In systems information science, we emphasize treating the complex real world as it is, and representing and controlling it as a system by incorporating methods from mathematical sciences, design, and social sciences. Our 70 faculty members and students are working daily to integrate scientific and design approaches, view the world as a system, and contribute to the realization of a society where humans and technology coexist in harmony.

Open Space, Open Mind

The last year of the 20th century, The university was founded in 2000. Future University Hakodate was conceived and established as a place to create future-oriented research and education that differs from that of the 20th century, building upon the achievements of 20th-century science and technology, as well as academia and culture. The foundation of this pioneering spirit and practice is the philosophy of "open space, open mind."

20th-century education was a one-way transfer of knowledge from teachers to students. Furthermore, education was defined as lectures held in designated classrooms at set times. Our vision began with transforming this style. We aimed to create a two-way learning environment between teachers and students, where students learn together. While students are on campus, every moment is a learning opportunity, and every space is a learning environment. This is the philosophy behind the design of our university.

The iconic, five-story atrium (called the Studio) gives everyone present a sense of shared space, fostering a sense of unity as a learning community. All functions are laid out within this large building space, and all rooms, including faculty research labs, lecture halls, the library, and administrative offices, are enclosed in transparent glass. Everyone can see at a glance what is happening on campus. Under a curriculum and programs integrated with this space, various activities such as group work, discussions, programming, design, manufacturing, communication, and presentations unfold freely throughout the campus. Open spaces and open learning are at the heart of all activities at Future University Hakodate.