Messages from current students and graduates

On this page we post some opinions from former students about the Department of Nuclear Engineering. We plan to increase the number of messages over time. We invite all alumni to contribute their impressions about the department.

高安正治

takayasu

昭和45年3月 原子核工学科卒
平成12年3月 大学院エネルギ-科学研究科エネルギ-社会・環境科学専攻後期博士課程 単位取得修了
現在 (株)原子力エンジニアリング

I graduated from the Department of Nuclear Engineering 35 years ago. There is no doubt that the nuclear power industry today has grown in large part through the work of people who learned about designing reactor cores and the basics of nuclear fuel cycles at universities. These people are now reaching the age of retirement, so the industry is in the midst of a generational change.

The main issues in nuclear power are sustainable safety and community understanding. For the former, it is necessary to understand the theory behind the design, operation and maintenance technology for nuclear reactors and the accumulated experience in these activities. I believe it is vital for universities to become involved in teaching these theories.

Recently, I gave a lecture about the design of reactor cores and fuels for nuclear reactors to first-year Masters students as part of the second-semester subject "Special Lectures on Nuclear Engineering". At that time I asked the students to write a report on various issues. One student wrote that he wanted to know the details concerning how to design these things. I was very encouraged by this reaction. When students learn theory they can find out about research tasks related to improving safety. In addition, a good way to promote better understanding of nuclear power in the community is for people like us, who are engaged in the nuclear field, to explain in an unbiased and modest way that nuclear power is not a special field. Just like medicine or aviation, nuclear power can provide enormous benefits to humans. But at the same time it presents risks that can be deadly. If we recognize this we can explain those risks and how to reduce them by referring to evaluation methods used in other fields. I wish you all the best in your future studies!

吉原文樹

yoshihara-rkn

平成15年3月 博士後期課程修了
現在 理化学研究所 ポスドク

I graduated from the department's doctoral program in March 2003 and am now conducting research on quantum bits, using the superconductor at RIKEN. While I have not personally achieved any major breakthroughs yet, my laboratory is engaged in world-leading research.

I felt very fortunate to be a member of such an amazing lab. While I was studying at the Department of Nuclear Engineering I learned about a very broad range of things and was able to gain a great deal of experience and learn many new things.

When people hear the term nuclear engineering they often associate it with a rather negative image, and feel that it cannot be applied to anything other than nuclear power. In reality, however, the department offers the opportunity to gain knowledge in a wide variety of fields. For example, in the Masters course you can study the fundamentals in fields as diverse as quantum mechanics, materials engineering, statistical mechanics, fluid mechanics, and computer engineering. You can also pursue specialized studies on atomic nuclei, relating to radiation measurement, accelerator engineering, neutron engineering, and nuclear reactor physics. My research project involved developing a radiation detector. I did a variety of engineering work, including designing and creating elements using a superconducting film, cooling the detector, X-ray radiation, and the measurement and analysis of signals. The experience and knowledge I obtained have proved to be very helpful, even in my current research.

松永大輔

matsunaga-hrb

平成15年3月 修士課程修了
現在 堀場製作所 半導体・科学システム統括

At the graduate school I worked on the development of a semiconductor detector that works at extremely low temperatures. In order to study radiation measurement, I attended lectures at the Department of Nuclear Engineering. But I also needed to understand the physics of semiconductors, so I sat in on lectures at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. I even went to visit a professor who specializes in semiconductors to ask questions, after being introduced by Professor Kanno. I was able to attend lectures on topics that I wanted to study, and consequently I was able to learn a lot more than when I was an undergraduate. I really enjoyed my time at graduate school.

I'm currently working for a manufacturer of measurement and analysis equipment, where I find myself in charge of the conceptual development, experimentation, and application for a particular device. At this manufacturer, each area of the machine's design, electrical and electronic systems, software, and experiment (application) is done by specialists. What I learned at the graduate school were the basics, but that lead me on to fields of specialization. And, if you work hard, you can become a leader in a company like mine.

The research I pursued at the graduate school is now serving me as the foundation of my work at the company. Unlike undergraduate school, the environment allows you to become very absorbed in your research. In addition, all the teachers I met during my graduate school time were extremely helpful to me.

前瀧聡

maetaki04Oct2

平成15年3月 修士課程修了
現在 キヤノン(株) レンズ開発センター

During my time at graduate school I conducted a study on lowering the radiation exposure of CTs, which is a medical application of radiation. So I attended many lectures at the Department of Nuclear Engineering on radiation measurement and other subjects. I was, therefore, able to learn not only about radiation, which is the foundation of my research work, but also about physics and mathematics. A wide range of other research was conducted at the laboratory I belonged to—for example, development of radiation detectors and research using accelerators. Through this exposure I was able to acquire a very wide range of knowledge on semiconductors, materials and many other topics. I am currently working for an optical manufacturer, on optics-related development work. Although radiation and light are very similar to each other, we cannot assume that knowledge about radiation can be applied without modification to light. Nonetheless, the basic ideas I learned at graduate school can be used in many cases. Furthermore, even when using existing technology, it is possible to make unexpected discoveries if you can appreciate this technology from a new viewpoint. The wide range of knowledge I accumulated during my time at graduate school provided me with many seeds for such unexpected discoveries, so it's been very useful. People tend to think that the Department of Nuclear Engineering is only concerned about specialized knowledge. In reality, though, the department has been conducting a very broad range of research, so it was a good place for me to broaden my scientific range. In addition, I met many inspiring professors and other people in the department, who continually encouraged me in my research.