Propagating a spirit of practical science

Keio University

In the first decade of the 21st century, people and organisations all over the world have realised that we are in an era of rapid change. In particular, we need innovative solutions to global environmental problems.

Keio University has a mission to lead this change. We are carrying out a programme of research with an approach which is multidisciplinary, global and long term. Its findings will help create a sustainable international society with the smallest possible carbon footprint.

Science and technology synthesis

Keio University’s approach to research in this area is to achieve organic synthesis between diverse areas of science and technology. To some institutions, this way of working is a novelty. But to us, it has long been familiar as we adhere to the “spirit of practical science” espoused by Yukichi Fukuzawa who founded Keio University in 1858.

This synthesis of science and technology will produce new innovation, improve human resources, and permit wide-ranging, insightful advice on policy. We expect our research to affect the global environment immediately and in the distant future.

Creating a greener world society will require effective and sustainable research in a wide range of fields. In response, Keio University has established the Center for Energy and Environment as a platform for research that cuts across disciplines and links different subjects. This centre has the important role of sending out meaningful technical and policy messages based on research evidence.
It will carry out structured research and development in engineering, technology, production, architecture and urban research. Our aim is not simply to produce new findings in these fields, the research will also be evaluated in terms of its social impact. It will fuse humanities, technology and science to create new social and economic systems. We plan to create an operating structure that can overcome the barriers of specialisation that divide traditional academic fields, as well as the barriers between inefficient and dispersed human resources, and the barrier of errors due to near-sighted evaluation systems.

Global approach

An international cooperative response to the world’s energy and environmental problems is essential. Our new research centre will form and actively participate in international networks and consortia. Japan’s international mission, its location in Asia and the Pacific Rim and its regional economic links suggest the most active connections will be in Asia.

Our research ambitions on how to use the Earth’s ecosystem services sustainably, include a massive expansion of renewable energy and are further aided by cutting-edge technologies and policy-making capabilities. We are developing an integrated environmental management system to evaluate the effect of new policies and technologies on the formation of a sustainable society with a low-carbon footprint, including their effect on human welfare. This system has been applied to the evaluation of global environmental challenges such as water resources, food production, renewable energy, flood prevention, the melting of frozen ground, and saltwater ingress into fresh water supplies and farmland.

This research uses data from an observational network with five sites in China and two in Mongolia to measure the use of energy, water and materials. It is in collaboration with the National Institute for Environmental Studies in Japan, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences. This is core research within the Global Climate Change Adaptation Network established under the UN Environment Programme.

In the field of architecture and urban design, we are carrying out research on sustainable building design, life-cycle assessment, environmental efficiency evaluation, and environmental and energy simulations. Work on residential and non-residential buildings for a society with a low-carbon footprint includes the development of a compact city simulator and policy advice based on reducing energy use.

Our research and development in energy use technology is proposing the Cluster-type Energy Management Systems (CEMS). These might be applied to cogeneration systems, improvements in combustion technology, the safety of fuel cell systems, and the stabilisation of electrical power supplies.

New technology creates a mismatch in employment leading to major social problems through the change of industrial structure as well as its international competition. Sustainable employment is becoming a more important field within research on economy, environment, and energy (3E). The sustainability of technology and lifestyles is a particular problem in developing countries with large populations and continuing economic growth, such as China and India. The policy relevant research in this field will assist the design and evaluation of the low-carbon systems towards the effective, efficient and equitable post-Kyoto international framework.

Center for Energy and Environment Keio University
W: www.cee.keio.ac.jp