The
User Science Institute (USI)
of Kyushu University was
established in 2004 in response
to the Strategic Research
Center Development Program
developed by the Ministry
of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology of
Japan. This program is funded
by the government’s Special
Coordination Funds for Promoting
Science and Technology.
As values
have shifted over time,
consumers have begun to
appreciate subjective sensory
aspects in addition to the
conventional objectivity
of science. In other words,
consumers are increasingly
evaluating products from
the perspectives of culture
and emotion.
This trend
is not limited to Japan;
it is a global phenomenon.
Likewise, Japanese culture,
with its deep sensitivity,
has been embraced by people
worldwide. One way to enhance
Japan’s national image and
bolster its industry would
be to give full play to
the inherent Japanese appreciation
of beauty and sensitivity
(kansei). In other words,
in this era of global competition
and international cooperation,
it is vital that we establish
an enduring national identity
that borrows from the best
of our |
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 What
is gusto? (It isa Micro taste sensor
that measure elements of gusto
and sense of taste) “Food
and Sensitivity (Kansei)” |
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traditional culture to
create a strong base that
combines both industry and
culture.
USI
has adopted integration
as its key word. Conventionally,
universities have excelled
at developing original ideas,
but they are not accustomed
to putting them into practice.
Academic researchers tend
to pursue research for its
own sake without regard
to user needs. Moreover,
research institutes themselves
tend to be heavily departmentalized.
Having learned from the
lessons of the past, USI
is focusing its research
on the needs of the end
user, integrating its research
technology with the user's
viewpoint, and disseminating
the results of its research
to society.
USI's
objective is not merely
to record a large number
of successful individual
research projects, but to
successfully integrate research
projects from different
disciplines. Through this
approach, we intend to forge
a path to an entirely new
research domain and establish
USI as a world-class research
center while reforming university
systems and structures in
the process.
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| An
artist thinking about the
global environment together
with children (“The Ingo
Gunther Exhibitx-108 Faces
of the Globe”) “Project
on Children” |
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