We asked Dr. Atsushi Nanasawa, a visiting professor (ALP*1) at Hokkaido University University's Faculty of Science, about the background to the increasing number of people who are trying to obtain a doctoral degree after entering a company.
伸び続ける社会人ドクターの数
Around me, there are dozens of people I can see, but there are currently three people who are working on development in the department that researches new polymer materials and who are aiming to become doctors in society. Two of them majored in organic synthesis when they were students, and one of them has been involved in polymer processing in the field. It is the first time that there are three people at once, two of whom are women.
It is easier said than done to aim for a degree while having each development theme at the company site. Since each company is competing with each other to meet the needs of society and the times, the themes will naturally become similar, and submitting the research results as they are to a paper will only serve as salt to the competitors. In other words, it is unreasonable to say that you will receive a degree directly from the results of your research at a company. Therefore, when writing a doctoral thesis, I have to read literature and conduct experiments while seeking guidance from university professors in addition to my main job. Since it is positioned as self-development, I have to spend time on holidays and after regular hours, and it is quite difficult to balance work and private life with school. However, the number of employees who challenge this is increasing rapidly. When someone starts it, I feel it too.
トライアル＆エラーの時代の終焉へ
What are the benefits of a doctorate from a Japanese chemical company? There is not much preferential treatment in terms of salary, but business cards are cool, they are treated with care in conversations and negotiations with customers and other companies, passports for working in research and development, etc. However, I don't think it's a hard work that can be explained by these alone.
During the high-growth era of the Showa era, when seniors like us were active, the development of new polymer materials was a blue ocean, and we were able to produce results that were visible and tangible. Even if I didn't have a high level of expertise, I could create something new by doing random experiments, even if it was just a random experiment. It was an era when people who worked 24 hours a day were touted. But the way things were done over 30 years ago can't be used today.
Today's research methods are different than they were then. There is no big difference between the past and the present in the issues required for materials to improve society. In other words, higher quality solutions are sought for the same theme. For example, the purity of a chemical that was 90% in the Showa era will become 99% in the Heisei era, and 99.9% in the Reiwa era. Technology that reduces the amount of impurities to 1/10 or 1/100 is required.
ディープアンダースタンディング
Random experiments are useless to find advanced solutions. We must understand the principles and make full use of more precise experiments and analyses. We need to learn from the past and use the latest technology to overcome what was impossible in the past. The competence required here is the competence required of doctoral human resources. One day, a young employee at the site visited his boss with the results of an experiment. The boss asks, this experiment is the same as the content of some country in the 1990s, what progressed? Can you give a clear answer to this question?
In other words, the doctor's ability is deep understanding that makes full use of computational science and information science. The power to know more deeply or approach the essence. A researcher who realizes that he cannot survive at the development site without this, aims to become a working doctor.
The five-person team involved in new material development consists of two new graduates with a doctoral degree, one who obtained a degree while studying abroad, and one who is currently trying to become a working doctor. In order to aim for innovative materials, excellent human resources are necessary, and I think that such teams will increase in the future.
課程博士のアドバンテージ
It is true that you can hone your skills as a researcher even after you become a member of society. Moreover, in the area close to the theme that each person is in charge of. However, this can be both an advantage and a limitation. If you become a super expert in one area, you may find yourself helpless when asked to solve problems in another area.
The advantage of obtaining a degree at a university is that in addition to being able to concentrate on research, you can also receive guidance from experts in various fields. Different fields of specialization, such as chemistry, engineering, biology, mathematics, and physics, have different ways of approaching issues, and they are able to flexibly and broadly approach issues. The personal connections I have built with professors in various fields will be a great weapon when I face problems that I cannot handle with my own specialty alone. The company's research team is theme-oriented, so such diversity is not expected. By all means, I would like students to acquire depth and breadth at the same time.
NANASAWA Atsushi
Specialty: polymer synthesis, polymer physical properties
Hobbies: Reading, bicycling (slightly past tense)
academic background
1974/4-1977/3 Hokkaido UniversitySchool of Engineering graduated from Department of Synthetic Chemical Engineering
1977/4~1979/3 Department of Synthetic Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Hokkaido University Engineering
1991/8~1993/9 McMaster Univ. MIPPT (Ontario, Canada) Guest Researcher
1995/9~1998/3 Shibaura Institute of Technology Doctoral Program in Global Environmental Systems
work history
1979/4～1997/9 Asahi Dow～Asahi Chemical Industry Research and development of styrenic resin
1997/10～2008/3 Asahi Kasei Chemicals Engineering Resin R&D
2008/4～2011/3 Asahi Kasei Chemicals Resin Processing (Film, Foam) R&D
2011/4～2014/3 General Manager, Plastics Research Laboratory, Asahi Kasei Chemicals
2011/4～2014/12 Hokuriku Advanced University Visiting Professor (Industrial Advisor)
2011/6～2018/5 Secretary of the Kobunshi Doyukai (an association related to the Society of Polymer Science)
2015/1- Visiting Professor, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University University