Voices of Graduates

The results of my studies at the Major in Management of Technology and Social Systems (MOST)

I worked for a major airline company as a captain for about 30 years, mainly in charge of the safety management department, before retiring in 1999 to become a researcher and establish the Human Factors Research Institute. In 1999, I retired and became a researcher and established the Human Factors Research Institute. I felt most keenly that to master industrial safety, I needed to learn about a wide range of social systems and circumstances. Although I had taken a master's course as a working trainee while working for an airline company, I had spent most of my time working in aviation, so I was still lacking in learning safety science from a broad perspective.

At this time, I learned of the establishment of the "Major in Management Science and Technology (MS&T)" through the introduction of a professor of the Graduate School of Engineering at Tohoku University who had been a good friend of mine. I found that the purpose of establishing the MS&T program was entirely suitable for my needs, and in 2008 I transferred to the MS&T program for the third year of my doctorate.

I learned at MS&T that to contribute to society, it is not enough to learn specialized technologies and obtain national certifications. Still, it is necessary to know about society as a whole, which involves the entire life cycle of a product, including design, manufacturing, sales, users, and disposal. In the field of aviation, I was able to learn how to handle not only technical but also non-technical problems in a wide range of areas such as aircraft design, manufacturing, operation, maintenance, airports, air traffic control, passengers, and airport perimeter measures related to noise and environmental issues.

For example, although airport facilities, airways, and especially air traffic control are essential elements for pilots, I was immersed in them. I did not pay much attention to them when I was working. However, since entering MS&T my interest has expanded to include the study of technical training for air traffic controllers. However, since joining MS&T, my interest has expanded to include research on specialized training for air traffic controllers.

I learned about industrial safety management methods from this perspective. Thanks to the enthusiastic guidance of my professors, I received my long-awaited degree after two and a half years as a student. I established the Safety Management Institute Co. MS&T as my "second home."

MS&T is my "second home," and I highly recommend it to adult trainees who have already acquired professional skills.